Otto II

, Holy Roman emperor

Otto II, 955–83, Holy Roman emperor (973–83) and German king (961–83), son and successor of Otto I. He was crowned joint emperor in 967. Shortly after his father died Otto faced a rebellion by his cousin, Henry the Wrangler, duke of Bavaria, who coveted the crown. Otto defeated and deposed Henry (976), at the same time making Austria, Carinthia, and the Nordgau virtually independent of Bavaria. During this period he also repulsed a Danish attack. In 978, Otto invaded France in retaliation for the French king Lothair's attempt to conquer Lorraine; the inconclusive war ended in 980. Campaigning in Italy (981–82), Otto was, after some initial success, disastrously defeated by the Arabs in S Italy. In 983 he held a diet of German and Italian nobles at Verona, where he had his son Otto III elected German king. Meanwhile, the Danes and the Slavs were again attacking his German lands, but Otto died suddenly before he could act. Regarding Germany and Italy as a united realm, Otto II felt his position as emperor more keenly than his role as German king. His failure in Italy greatly weakened the imperial prestige.

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What we may think of today as a table fork wasn't introduced into Western Europe until the year 972, when Theophano Sklereina, the Byzantine wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, produced one at a banquet, astonishing her guests.

A three-pronged approach solved tricky pasta issue

In 972 the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II scandalised her dinner guests by using one on her plate while cutting up meat.

Queen of puddings... Jenna Coleman's portrayal of Queen Victoria on ITV shows a slim young monarch. But it wasn't to last. PETER DUTTON takes a look at the royal eating habits and how they have shaped the way we eat now

His grandson Otto II was the first to take the fortress' name as his own, adding "Count of Habsburg" to his title.

Importance of Flame of Peace Award highlighted

In the third book, Widukind takes the perspective of the royal court beginning with Otto I's selection of his son Liudorl as his successor in 946, and extended it at some point to include the succession of Otto II instead in 973.

Deeds of the Saxons

Apparently, almost 300 years of history were made up so that Roman Emperor Otto II could place himself in history on the year 1000AD.

So what day is it again?

The fiction revolves around Theophanu ("Thea"), who is brought across the Mediterranean from Constantinople as a twelve-year-old bride for the son of emperor Otto I, Otto II, then "co-imperator." The year is 972, and she is lacking the languages she will need in her new life (Latin, German).

Gabrielle Alioth. Die Braut aus Byzanz

This was particularly the case after the disastrous end of the regime of Otto II, when his widow, the Byzantine princess Theophanu, served as co-regent of Germany with Adelheid on behalf of her child, Otto III.

Queenship and Sanctity: The Lives of Mathilda and the Epitaph of Adelheid

One of the most common is Otto II, which is based upon propylene glycol dinitrate augmented by 2-nitrodiphenylamine and dibutyl sebacate.

Torpedoes challenged: the torpedo is the navy's first guided missile (it was originally called a self-propelled torpedo) and while at first sight there seems to be less interest in underwater warfare, in practice there is a great deal of work to ensure that these weapons remain effective

For his hero Ottone, Pallavicini drew inspiration from incidents in the lives of two historical characters: Otto I (the 'Great'), King of Germany from 936 to 973, crowned emperor at Rome in 962; and his son Otto II, elected as his successor in 961, crowned co-emperor in 967, and sole ruler from 973 to 983.

Lotti's 'Teofane' (1719) and Handel's 'Ottone' (1723): a textual and musical study

The Emperor died and his son Otto II continued to pour out German blood and wealth seeking the double goal of a purified papacy and a Roman crown.

The ideal of unity; Russell Chamberlin examines the origins and development of Europe's persistent vision of unity from the birth of the Holy Roman Empire to its fall

Holy Roman Emperor Otto I wanted a Byzantine princess for his son, Otto II. After negotiations, which lasted about five years, Theophano arrived in Italy in 972.

The Empress Theophano: Byzantium and the West at the Turn of the First Millennium

He was crowned at Aachen on Christmas Day 983, soon after the premature death of his father, Otto II. The child was promptly seized by the warlord of Bavaria known to history as Henry the Quarrelsome, but after a few months Henry surrendered the little boy to his mother, Theophano, who effectively ruled the empire (her name was sometimes masculinised to Theophanius in official documents) until her death in 991.Theophano was a beautiful and strong-minded Byzantine princess, who regarded the westerners with whom her lot was cast as primitive barbarians.