OK, here goes. Streak, I expect a full grading on this when you get back!
Not Holy: The term "holy" came about as the "empire" initially had the blessing of the papacy to create a single Roman Catholic kingdom. The papacy had much influence in the leadership of the HRE, but this often led to corruption by emperors and popes alike. It was anything but holy.
Not Roman: The Holy Roman Empire was mostly German, and at most times, did not even have Italy under it's control.
Not an Empire: An empire consists of independent lands ruled from one seat under a single governmental head (ie the Emporer). Usually the emporer exercised control of the states through military or diplomacy. The HRE actually consisted of individual sovereign states, and the Emporer was elected, usually by lords who selected the weakest among them so they did not have to give up their own power. The German states were not truly united under the HRE because few of the emperor were strong enough to do so. No family line ever endured in power long enough to truly consider it an empire.
4 comments:
The same could be said of the Christian Science religion. It's not Christian and it's not Science.
Be careful on the road, and keep an eye on Rita.
The same could be said of "compassionate conservatism"
it's neither compassionate, nor conservative.
OK, here goes. Streak, I expect a full grading on this when you get back!
Not Holy: The term "holy" came about as the "empire" initially had the blessing of the papacy to create a single Roman Catholic kingdom. The papacy had much influence in the leadership of the HRE, but this often led to corruption by emperors and popes alike. It was anything but holy.
Not Roman: The Holy Roman Empire was mostly German, and at most times, did not even have Italy under it's control.
Not an Empire: An empire consists of independent lands ruled from one seat under a single governmental head (ie the Emporer). Usually the emporer exercised control of the states through military or diplomacy. The HRE actually consisted of individual sovereign states, and the Emporer was elected, usually by lords who selected the weakest among them so they did not have to give up their own power. The German states were not truly united under the HRE because few of the emperor were strong enough to do so. No family line ever endured in power long enough to truly consider it an empire.
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