Establishing just rule: the diplomatic negotiations of the Dominae Imperiales in the Ottonian Succession Crisis of 983-985

Journal article

In late January and early February 985, two royal diplomas were drawn up at the royal estate of Mühlhausen, both of which granted Abbess Mathilda of Quedlinburg several estates of land. Although the lands granted remained the same, there were distinctive differences in the rhetorical shaping of the two diplomas, with only one document being judged worthy of full authentication. This article reconsiders these two grants, using them to gain insight into the process of negotiation that lay behind the construction of a royal diploma. It argues that these two diplomas reveal the shared concerns of the three Ottonian dominae imperiales – Empress Adelheid, Empress Theophanu, and Abbess Mathilda – and their supporters in the political crisis following Emperor Otto II’s unexpected death. The grant of these particular lands to Abbess Mathilda personally was an attempt to prevent Otto II’s cousin, Duke Henry II of Bavaria, from claiming these properties for himself in the final resolution of the succession conflict. Through their careful use of diplomatic negotiations, the three dominae imperiales were able to bolster their own identities as rulers, affirm the role of the young Otto III as the new king, and create the consensus needed to knit back together the political community of the Ottonian empire.

Authors: Welton, M; Greer, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Journal: Frühmittelalterliche Studien
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 315-342
• Publication date: 2021-11-30
• Acceptance date: 2020-10-31
• DOI: 10.1515/fmst-2021-0013
• EISSN: 1613-0812
• ISSN: 0071-9706
• Language: English
• Keywords: FFR