was forced to submit. He even went as a docile vassal to Rome, to be present at the imperial coronation of the new prince (26 March 1027), and a few months later, at Basle, he solemnly renewed the conventions of Strasbourg and Mayence.
Rodolph III himself only survived this new treaty a few years. On 5 or 6 Sept. 1032 he died, without legitimate children, after having sent the insignia of his authority to the Emperor.
It seemed as though the Emperor Conrad had nothing to do but come and take possession of his new kingdom. The chief opponent of his policy in Rodolph's lifetime, Otto-William, Count of Burgundy, had died several years before in 1026, and the principal nobles of the kingdom had in 1027 come with their king to Basle to ratify the conventions of Strasbourg and Mayence. The course of events, however, was not to be so smooth.
Already, for some time Odo II, Count of Chartres, Blois, Tours, Troyes, Meaux and Provins, the most formidable and turbulent of the king of France's vassals, had been intriguing with the Burgundian lords to be recognised as the successor of King Rodolph. He had even attempted, though without success, to inveigle the latter into naming him as his heir, to the exclusion of his imperial rival. He put himself forward in his character of nephew of the king of Burgundy, his mother being Rodolph's sister, whereas the Emperor Conrad was only the husband of that king's niece[1].
No sooner had Rodolph closed his eyes, than Odo II, profiting by the Emperor's detention at the other end of his dominions, owing to a war against the Poles, promptly crossed the Burgundian frontier, seized upon several fortresses in the very heart of the kingdom, such as Morat and Neuchâtel, and thence marching upon Vienne, forced the Archbishop, Léger, to open the gates and, with a view to being crowned, made sure of
1 For the sake of greater clearness, a short table of the family of the kings of Burgundy, so far as they concern our narrative, is subjoined:
Gisela = Henry, Duke of Bavaria Henry II Emperor ен. VI. Rodolph I King of Burgundy 888-911 or 912 Rodolph II King of Burgundy 911 or 912-937 Conrad the Pacific King of Burgundy 937-003 143 Rodolph III King of Burgundy 993-1032 Adelaide Bertha (1) Odo I Gerberga Herman Count of Blois Odo II Count of Blois Otto I King of Germany and Emperor = Otto II Duke of Swabia Emperor Gisela Conrad II Otto III Emperor Emperor
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