877 In league with Athanasius, duke-bishop of Naples, the Saracens reach the walls of Rome. Charles the Bald ignores John’s appeals for help. The pope compelled to pay the Saracens tribute.
878 Lambert, duke of Spoleto, in the interest of the imperial claimant, Carloman, enters Rome, seizes John, and imprisons him. John escapes, and flees to Provence. He returns to Rome.
881 John crowns Charles the Fat emperor.
882 Death of John, possibly murdered. Martin II.
884 Adrian III.
885 Stephen V.
887 On deposition of Charles the Fat the Carlovingian empire comes to an end.
891 Formosus elected by influence of Guido of Spoleto. The papacy enters a period of anarchy. The popes are elevated by whichever rival party is in the ascendant, “obtaining,” says Reichel, “their pontificate by crime, and vacating it by murder.”
896 Boniface VII dies in a few days. The Italian party elects Stephen VI. He mutilates the dead body of Formosus.
897 Stephen imprisoned and strangled. Romanus occupies the see a few months. Theodore II, who belongs to the faction of Formosus.