John Crescentius

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John Crescentius (Giovanni Crescenzio) was the son of Crescentius the Younger. He succeeded to his father's title of consul and patrician of Rome in 1002 and held it to his death.

Early in 1001, a revolt broke out in Rome against the Emperor Otto III, who now permanently resided in the Eternal City. The emperor and Pope Sylvester II, the first pope of French nationality, were compelled to flee; it is quite likely that John Crescentius was the prime mover of the rebellion.

At any rate, after this he assumed supreme authority in Rome, and after the death of the Otto III (24 January 1002) took the title of Patricius Romanorum. Sylvester was permitted to return to Rome, but had little to do with the temporal government. The same is true of his three immediate successors: John XVII, John XVIII, and Sergius IV, all of whom were appointed through the influence of John Crescentius. The patricius himself died in the spring of the year 1012, and with him the Crescentii disappeared from the history of Rome.

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• This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.