Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Frederick I.

FREDERICK I., surnamed Barbarossa, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, son of Frederick, Duke of Suabia; born in 1121, and was chosen to succeed his uncle Conrad III. in 1152. He had accompanied Conrad to Palestine five years previously, and his great qualities had already appeared. He was crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle a few days after his election. His great ambition was to secure the independence of the empire, and, above all, to be master of Italy. His first expedition to Italy was made in 1154, when, after subduing several towns in Lombardy, he went to Rome, and, after some delays, had himself crowned emperor by Adrian IV. He marched a second time into Italy in 1158, took Brescia and Milan, and at the celebrated diet at Roncaglia assumed the sovereigrnty of the towns and received the homage of the lords. On his return to Germany he triumphed over Bohemia, and made Poland tributary to the empire. After the death of Pope Adrian, Frederick had three anti-popes in succession elected in opposition to Alexander III., who excommunicated him and his Pope, Victor. The same year, 1160, he besieged and took Crema, after a most courageous defense. In 1162 he conquered Milan, and had many of the public buildings destroyed, as well as parts of the fortifications, after which the other towns of Lombardy submitted to him. Fresh revolts, excited by the tyrannical measures of his officers, recalled him to Italy in 1164; but he retired without engaging the army of the League. Again, there, in 1166, he traversed the Romagna, levied contributions on the towns, besieged Ancona, and had himself crowned a second time at Rome by the anti-pope Pascal. A fresh league being formed against him, he put its members under the ban of the empire and returned to Germany. In 1174 he besieged unsuccessfully the newly founded town of Alessandria, and in the following year was totally defeated by the Milanese at Como. Soon after he made peace with the Pope and the towns of Lombardy. In 1188 he assumed the cross, set out in the following year on the third crusade, was opposed on the march by the Greek emperor and the sultan, arrived in Asia, and was drowned while crossing a river. Frederick was great, not only as a soldier, but as a ruler. His memory is still cherished among the peasants of Germany, who dream of the return of Fritz Redbeard, as the Welsh did of King Arthur. He died in June, 1190.