Editing Pope Gregory VII (section)

===Later excommunications of Henry IV===
Obedience to the excommunication of Henry IV was used as a pretext to legitimize the rebellion of the German nobles, which did not end with his absolution. To the contrary, at [[Forchheim]] in March 1077 they elected a rival ruler in the person of [[Rudolf of Rheinfelden|Duke Rudolf of Swabia]], with the papal legates declaring their neutrality. Pope Gregory sought to maintain this attitude during the following years, balancing the two parties of fairly equal strength, each trying to gain the upper hand by getting the pope on their side. In the end, his non-commitment largely lost the confidence of both parties. Finally he decided for Rudolf of Swabia after his victory at the [[Battle of Flarchheim]] on 27 January 1080. Under pressure from the Saxons, and misinformed as to the significance of this battle, Gregory abandoned his waiting policy and again pronounced the excommunication and deposition of Henry on 7 March 1080.<ref name="EB"/><ref>Emerton, pp. 149–154.</ref>

The papal censure now got a very different reception from the one four years before. It was widely felt to be unjustly pronounced on frivolous grounds, and its authority came in question. The emperor, now more experienced, vigorously denounced the ban as illegal.<ref name="EB"/> He summoned a [[Synod of Brixen|council at Brixen]], and on 25 June 1080 thirty bishops present pronounced Gregory deposed, electing archbishop Guibert (Wibert) of Ravenna as his successor.<ref>Philippus Jaffe, ''Regesta pontificum Romanorum'' I, editio altera (Leipzig 1885), p. 649.  Guibert continued to maintain his pretensions as pope until his death in September 1100. Otto Köhncke, ''Wibert von Ravenna (Papst Clemens III)'' (Leipzig 1888).</ref> Gregory countered on 15 October, ordering the clergy and laity to elect a new archbishop in place of the "mad" and "tyrannical" schismatic Wibert.<ref>Philippus Jaffé (editor) ''Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum Tomus II: Monumenta Gregoriana'' (Berolini 1865), pp. 443–444 (''Regestum'', Book VIII, 13).</ref> In 1081, Henry opened the conflict against Gregory in Italy.<ref name="EB"/> The emperor was now in the stronger position,<ref>He complained in a letter to King Alfonso of Leon and Castile in 1081 that he had a large number of detractors, whose complaints were widely spread, and whom he names as "liars": Jaffe ''Bibliotheca'', pp. 470–473.</ref> as thirteen cardinals had deserted the pope, and the rival emperor Rudolf of Swabia died on 16 October. A new imperial claimant, [[Hermann of Luxembourg]], was put forward in August 1081, but he was unable to rally the papal party in Germany, and the power of Henry IV was at its peak.<ref name="EB"/>

The pope's chief military supporter, [[Matilda of Tuscany]],<ref>Robinson (1978), p. 100.</ref> blocked Henry's armies from the western passages over the [[Apennines]], so he had to approach Rome from [[Ravenna]]. Rome surrendered to the German king in 1084, and Gregory thereupon retired into the exile of the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]].<ref>{{cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=Edward | title=The First Crusade | publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press | location=Philadelphia | isbn=978-0812210170 | year=1971 |page=33 }}</ref> Gregory refused to entertain Henry's overtures, although the latter promised to hand over Guibert as a prisoner, if the sovereign pontiff would only consent to crown him emperor. Gregory, however, insisted that Henry appear before a council and do penance. The emperor, while pretending to submit to these terms, tried hard to prevent the meeting of the council. A small number of bishops assembled nonetheless, and Gregory again excommunicated Henry.<ref name="CE"/>

Henry, upon receipt of this news, again entered Rome on 21 March to see that his supporter, Archbishop Guibert of Ravenna, was enthroned as Pope [[Antipope Clement III|Clement III]] on 24 March 1084, who in turn crowned Henry as emperor. In the meantime Gregory had formed an alliance with [[Robert Guiscard]], who marched on the city<ref name="CE"/> and compelled Henry to flee towards [[Civita Castellana]].