850-869 Pope Leo IV Fortifies Rome, Papacy Loses Bulgaria

This twenty year period covers the reign of the West Saxon King of the English, Ethelwulf (pictured) who died in 858 and was succeeded by Ethelbald (d. 860), Ethelbert (d. 865) and then Ethelred I who ruled from 865-871.

In Rome, Leo IV was pope until 855 and was busy repelling the Muslim Saracens by fortifying Rome. His successor, Benedict III, had to deal with an anti-pope, and the following pope, Nicholas I, had to deal with clashes with the archbishops of Ravenna and Rheims who had the imperial support of Lothair, the western emperor.

Pope Nicholas I also refused to accept the appointment of Photius as patriarch of Constantinople.

In 867, Hadrian III succeeded Nicholas I as pope but was not as strong.

Hadrian III lost the papacy's control of Bulgaria when it switched allegiance to Constantinople.