Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, nicknamed stupor mundi, "amazement of the world," had Frederick Barbarossa and Roger II of Sicily for grandfathers! Now we realize that Roger II is important not only in himself but also in this descendant.
As Frederick II rides ahead of his followers, evening sunlight makes a halo of his auburn-gold hair tossing under a feathered gap so that, despite signs of baldness, weight and age, he looks like a god. Bearing an aura of the supernatural even in the Time Patrol timeline, Frederick has been regarded both as a redeemer and as the Antichrist. In the Beta timeline, that conflict is past. He has prevailed.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I was interested enough in the past to do some reading up about Frederick II. Yes, I agree, he was a very able and CONSEQUENTIAL ruler. But not always in good ways. If I can trust what I read, there were times he could have come to a very reasonable accommodation with the Papacy. So there was no real need for a conflict as deadly as the one seen in our timeline between Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX.
I recall reading in Chesterton that Frederick's nickname "stupor mundi" could just as well be translated as the "stupefaction of the world." Because he was so UNUSUAL a leader that he "stupefied" many of his contemporaries.
Ad astra! Sean
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