still more furious--one should fight the infidel, not negotiate with him. However, Frederick was
duly crowned in Jerusalem, and no one could deny that he had been successful. Peace between
Pope and Emperor was restored in 1230.
During the few years of peace that followed, the Emperor devoted himself to the affairs of the
kingdom of Sicily. By the help of his prime minister, Pietro dera Vigna, he promulgated a new
legal code, derived from Roman law, and showing a high level of civilization in his southern
dominion; the code was at once translated into Greek, for the benefit of the Greek-speaking
inhabitants. He founded an important university at Naples. He minted gold coins, called
"augustals," the first gold coins in the West for many centuries. He established freer trade, and
abolished all internal customs. He even summoned elected representatives of the cities to his
council, which, however, had only consultative powers.
This period of peace ended when Frederick again came into conflict with the Lombard League in
1237; the Pope threw in his lot with them, and again excommunicated the Emperor. From this
time until Frederick's death in 1250, the war was practically continuous, growing, on both sides,
gradually more bitter, cruel, and treacherous. There were great fluctuations of fortune, and the
issue was still undecided when the Emperor died. But those who attempted to be his successors
had not his power, and were gradually defeated, leaving Italy divided and the Pope victorious.
Deaths of popes made little difference in the struggle; each new pope took up his predecessor's
policy practically unchanged. Gregory IX died in 1241; in 1243 Innocent IV, a bitter enemy of
Frederick, was elected. Louis IX, in spite of his impeccable orthodoxy, tried to moderate the fury
of Gregory and Innocent IV, but in vain. Innocent, especially, rejected all overtures from the
Emperor, and used all manner of unscrupulous expedients against him. He pronounced him
deposed, declared a crusade against him, and excommunicated all who supported him. The friars
preached against him, the Muslims rose, there were plots among his prominent nominal
supporters. All this made Frederick increasingly cruel; plotters were ferociously punished, and
prisoners were deprived of the right eye and the right hand.
At one time during this titanic struggle, Frederick thought of founding a new religion, in which he
was to be the Messiah, and his