Although Stephen was subject to Alberic II of Spoleto, Prince of the Romans, and did not in reality rule the Papal States, Stephen himself was not a member of that family, nor had he any relationship with Marozia, who had dominated Roman and papal politics during the preceding decades.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states the following concerning the alleged illicit relationship of Pope Sergius III with Marozia: " that he put his two predecessors to death, and by illicit relations with Marozia had a son, who was afterwards John XI, must be regarded as highly doubtful.

He was chosen by the senatrix Marozia, who had gained control of Rome via the domination of her husband Guy, Margrave of Tuscany, and who had ordered the imprisonment and death of Leo ’ s predecessor, Pope John X.

When her husband died in 929, Marozia negotiated a marriage with his half-brother Hugh of Arles, who had been elected King of Italy.

Hugh was already married, but had that marriage annulled so that Hugh and Marozia could be wed. Alberic II, Marozia's son, led the opposition to the rule of Marozia and Hugh.

He eventually fell out with Marozia, who had him deposed, imprisoned, and finally murdered.

Then in 925 Theophylact of Tusculum and Alberic I of Spoleto also died ; this meant that within the course of a year, three of Pope John ’ s key supporters had died, leaving John dangerously exposed to the ambitions of Theophylact ’ s daughter, Marozia, who, it was said, resented John ’ s alleged affair with her mother Theodora.

Marozia in the meantime had married Guy, Margrave of Tuscany.

John had Peter made Duke of Spoleto after Alberic ’ s death, and his increased power threatened Guy and Marozia.

Liutprand affirms that Marozia arranged the murder of her former lover Pope John X ( who had originally been nominated for office by Theodora ) through her then husband Guy of Tuscany possibly to secure the elevation of her current favourite as Pope Leo VI.

There is no record substantiating that Pope John X had definitely died before Leo VI was elected since John X was already imprisoned by Marozia and was out of public view.

Theophylact had two daughters with Theodora: Marozia and Theodora.

Hugh, however, had other reasons for deposing Lambert, who presented an obstacle to his second marriage to Marozia.

By his third wife, Marozia, and his fourth, Bertha, daughter of Rudolph II, Hugh had no children.

The bastard son, the grandson, the great grandson, and two great great grandsons of Marozia — a rare genealogy — were seated in the Chair of St.

Ferdinand Gregorovius, Ernst Dümmler, Thomas Greenwood ( Cathedra Petri: A Political History of the great Latin Patriarchate ), Philip Schaff, and Rudolf Baxmann agree with Liutprand that Pope Sergius III fathered Pope John XI by Marozia.

His wife Theodora and daughters, Theodora and Marozia held a great influence over the papal selection and religious affairs in Rome through conspiracies, affairs, and marriages.

Theodora and Marozia undoubtedly held great sway over the Popes during this time.

Theodora was a grandmother of Pope John XI, a son of Marozia and — according to Liutprand of Cremona and the Liber Pontificalis — Pope Sergius III.

This " pornocracy " was an age with women in power: Theodora, whom Liutprand characterized as a " shameless whore ... exercised power on the Roman citizenry like a man " and her daughter Marozia, the mother of Pope John XI and reputed to be the mistress of Sergius III, largely upon a remark by Liutprand.

In order to counter the influence of Pope John X ( whom the hostile chronicler Liutprand of Cremona alleges was another of her lovers ), Marozia subsequently married his opposer Guy of Tuscany, who loved his beautiful wife as much as he loved power.

The question of whether Theophylact and Theodora needed to tie Sergius to them by such means, particularly when Sergius was already deeply indebted to them for his elevation to the papacy, as well as wasting Marozia in a relationship when, as the daughter of an important house, she would have been a valuable tool to link via marriage to another noble house, is open to debate.

His characterisation of John as an unscrupulous cleric who slept his way to the papal chair, becoming the lover of Theodora, and who held the throne of Saint Peter as a puppet of Theophylact I, Count of Tusculum until he was murdered to make way for Marozia ’ s son Pope John XI, has coloured much of the analysis of his reign, and was used by opponents of the Catholic Church as a propagandist tool.

His daughter Marozia married Alberic I, Marquis of Spoleto and Camerino, and was for a while the arbiter of political and religious affairs in Rome — a position which the Counts held for a long period of time.

He was elected — probably handpicked — by Marozia from the Tusculani family, as a stop-gap measure until her own son John was ready to assume the chair of Saint Peter.

Edward Gibbon wrote of her that the " influence of two sister prostitutes, Marozia and Theodora was founded on their wealth and beauty, their political and amorous intrigues: the most strenuous of their lovers were rewarded with the Roman tiara, and their reign may have suggested to darker ages the fable of a female pope.

From this description, the term " pornocracy " has become associated with the effective rule in Rome of Theodora and her daughter Marozia through male surrogates.

But a third contemporary source, the annalist Flodoard ( c. 894 – 966 ), says John XI was brother of Alberic II, the latter being the offspring of Marozia and her husband Alberic I.

* Pope John XII ( 955 – 963 ), grandson of Marozia, by her son Alberic II of Spoleto.

A third contemporary source, however — the annalist Flodoard ( c. 894-966 )— says John XI was brother of Count Alberic II of Spoleto, the latter being the offspring of Marozia and her husband Count Alberic I of Spoleto.

Hugh managed to flee, but Marozia was imprisoned until her death a few years later.

He was of the house of the Counts of Tusculum, the son of the notorious Marozia by her first husband, Alberic I, Duke of Spoleto.

Pope Agapetus II ( died November 955 ) was Pope from 10 May 946 until his death in 955, at the time when Alberic II ( 932 – 954 ), son of Marozia, was governing the independent republic of Rome under the title of " prince and senator of the Romans.

A candidate of the infamous Marozia, his pontificate occurred during the period known as the Saeculum obscurum.

Sergius ’ ties with the family of Theophylact were made even closer, at least according to rumour, by Sergius ’ supposed affair with Theophylact ’ s daughter, Marozia.

The affair, while not an impossibility, would certainly not have persisted beyond Marozia ’ s marriage to Alberic I of Spoleto in 909.

* Marozia and Guy of Tuscany seize power in Rome, imprisoning and then killing Pope John X.

Engraving depicting the wedding of Marozia and Hugh of Italy, from Francisco Bertolini, Historia de Roma.

Marozia, born Maria and also known as Mariuccia or Mariozza ( c. 890 – c. 988 ), was a Roman noblewoman who was the alleged mistress of Pope Sergius III and was given the unprecedented titles senatrix (" senatoress ") and patricia of Rome by Pope John X.

Marozia was born about 890.

At the age of fifteen, Marozia became the mistress of Theophylact's cousin Pope Sergius III, whom she knew when he was bishop of Portus.

Hence John too may have been the son of Marozia and Alberic I.

At any rate, Marozia married Alberic I, duke of Spoleto, in 909, and their son Alberic II was born in 911 or 912.