Saeculum Obscurum

E610813

historical period period in papal history

Saeculum Obscurum refers to a particularly corrupt and turbulent period in the history of the papacy during the 10th century, marked by strong secular and aristocratic influence over the popes.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form	Occurrences
Saeculum obscurum	1

Statements (47)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	historical period ⓘ period in papal history ⓘ
associatedWithFamily	Crescentii family NERFINISHED ⓘ Theophylacti family NERFINISHED ⓘ Tusculani family NERFINISHED ⓘ
characterizedBy	dominance of Roman aristocratic families ⓘ frequent deposition of popes ⓘ interference of local nobility in papal elections ⓘ moral scandal ⓘ political corruption ⓘ strong secular influence over the papacy ⓘ violent power struggles ⓘ
describedBy	Liutprand of Cremona NERFINISHED ⓘ
describedIn	Liber Pontificalis NERFINISHED ⓘ
evaluatedAs	era of severe papal corruption by many later historians ⓘ
followedBy	period of papal reform in the 11th century ⓘ
hasAlternativeName	Dark Age of the Papacy NERFINISHED ⓘ Pornocracy NERFINISHED ⓘ Rule of the Harlots NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasCause	rise of powerful Roman noble clans ⓘ weakness of central imperial authority in Italy ⓘ
hasEffect	decline in moral reputation of the papacy ⓘ increased calls for church reform ⓘ
hasMainInstitution	Papacy NERFINISHED ⓘ
historicalContext	post-Carolingian fragmentation in Italy ⓘ
languageOfName	Latin ⓘ
locatedInTime	Middle Ages NERFINISHED ⓘ
mainLocation	Papal States NERFINISHED ⓘ Rome NERFINISHED ⓘ
nameMeaning	Dark Age ⓘ
notableFigure	Marozia NERFINISHED ⓘ Pope Benedict IX NERFINISHED ⓘ Pope John X NERFINISHED ⓘ Pope John XI NERFINISHED ⓘ Pope John XII NERFINISHED ⓘ Pope Sergius III NERFINISHED ⓘ Theodora NERFINISHED ⓘ Theophylact I of Tusculum NERFINISHED ⓘ
precedes	Gregorian Reform NERFINISHED ⓘ Investiture Controversy NERFINISHED ⓘ
relatedConcept	Papal States in the 10th century ⓘ history of the Catholic Church ⓘ medieval papacy ⓘ
subjectOf	modern historiographical debate about extent of corruption ⓘ
timePeriod	10th century ⓘ
timePeriodApproximateEnd	c. 964 ⓘ
timePeriodApproximateStart	c. 904 ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Pope John XI → era → Saeculum Obscurum ⓘ

Pope John XI → seeAlso → Saeculum Obscurum ⓘ

Pope John XII → era → Saeculum Obscurum ⓘ

this entity surface form: Saeculum obscurum