Otto the GreatOtto I, nickname Otto the Great, German Otto der Grosse (born 23 November 912-died 7 May 973), Duke of Saxony (as Otto II, 936 – 961), German king (from 936) and Holy Roman Emperor (962–973) who consolidated the German Reich with the suppression of rebellious vassals and his decisive victory over the Hungarians. His use of the church as a stabilizing influence created a secure empire and stimulated a cultural renaissance. Early years Otto was the son of the future King Henry I, of the Liudolfing, or Saxon, dynasty, and his second wife, Matilda. Little is known about his early years, but he probably participated in some of his father's campaigns. He married Edith, daughter of the English king Edward the Elder, in 930; he obtained the flourishing city of Magdeburg as a dowry. Nominated by Henry as his successor, Otto was elected king by the German dukes at Aachen on 7 August 936, a month after Henry's death, and crowned by the archbishops of Mainz and Cologne. While Henry I had controlled his vassal dukes only with difficulty, the new king firmly asserted his sovereignty over them. This immediately led to war, most notably with Eberhard of Franconia and his namesake, Eberhard of Bavaria, who were joined by disgruntled Saxon nobles under the leadership of Otto's half-brother Thankmar. Thankmar was defeated and killed, Eberhard of Franconia submitted to the king, and Eberhard of Bavaria was deposed and outlawed. In 939, however, Otto's younger brother Henry rebelled; he was joined by Eberhard of Franconia and Giselbert of Lotharingia and supported by the French king Louis IV. Otto won again: Eberardo fell in battle, Giselbert was drowned while fleeing and Henry submitted to his brother. However, in 941 Henry joined a......middle of paper......to ratify the papal elections was included in the original version of the treaty or added in December 963, when Otto deposed John XII for dealing with Berengar and established Leo VIII as pope. Berengar was captured and taken to Germany, and in 964 a Roman revolt against Leo VIII was suppressed. When Leo VIII died in 965, the emperor chose John XIII as pope, but John was expelled by the Romans. Otto, then, marched for the third time to Italy, where he remained from 966 to 972. He subdued Rome and even advanced into the Byzantine south of Italy. Prolonged negotiations with Byzantium led to the marriage of Otto II to the Byzantine princess Theophan, in 972. Returning to Germany, the emperor held a great assembly of his court in Quedlinburg on 23 March 973. He died in Memleben several weeks later and was buried in Magdeburg next to his first wife.