Editing Pope Sylvester II (section)

==Ecclesiastical career==
In 969, Borrell II made a pilgrimage to [[Rome]], taking Gerbert with him. There Gerbert met [[Pope John XIII]] and [[Emperor Otto I]]. The pope persuaded Otto I to employ Gerbert as a tutor for his young son, [[Otto II]]. Some years later, Otto I gave Gerbert leave to study at the [[cathedral school of Rheims]] where he was soon appointed a teacher by Archbishop [[Adalberon (archbishop of Reims)|Adalberon]] in 973. He remained in this position until 989, with the only gap being his time as the head of the monastery of Bobbio from 981 to 983.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Freudenhammer |first=Thomas |date=2021 |title=Gerbert of Aurillac and the Transmission of Arabic Numerals to Europe - Gerbert von Aurillac und die Übermittlung der arabischen Ziffern nach Europa |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48636817 |journal=Sudhoffs Archiv |volume=105 |issue=1 |pages=3–19 |doi=10.25162/sar-2021-0001 |jstor=48636817 |issn=0039-4564}}</ref> When Otto II became sole [[Holy Roman Emperor|emperor]] in 973, he appointed Gerbert the abbot of the [[Bobbio Abbey|monastery of Bobbio]] and also appointed him as count of the district, but the abbey had been ruined by previous abbots, and Gerbert soon returned to Rheims. After the death of Otto II in 983, Gerbert became involved in the politics of his time. In 985, with the support of his archbishop, he opposed King [[Lothair of France]]'s attempt to take [[Lorraine (province)|Lorraine]] from Emperor [[Otto III]] by supporting [[Hugh Capet]]. Hugh became [[king of France]], ending the [[Carolingian]] line of kings in 987.

Adalberon died on 23 January 989.<ref name="darlington 471">{{harvtxt|Darlington|1947|p=471}}.</ref> Gerbert was a natural candidate for his succession,<ref name="darlington 472"/> but King Hugh appointed [[Arnulf (archbishop of Reims)|Arnulf]], an illegitimate son of King Lothair, instead. Arnulf was deposed in 991 for alleged treason against Hugh, and Gerbert was elected his successor. There was so much opposition to Gerbert's elevation to the See of Rheims, however, that [[Pope John XV]] (985–996) sent a legate to France who temporarily suspended Gerbert from his episcopal office. Gerbert sought to show that this decree was unlawful, but a further synod in 995 declared Arnulf's deposition invalid. Gerbert then became the teacher of [[Otto III]], and [[Pope Gregory V]] (996–999), Otto III's cousin, appointed him [[archbishop of Ravenna]] in 998.
[[File:Silvestr2.jpg|thumb|Seal of Sylvester II]]
With imperial support, Gerbert was elected to succeed Gregory V as [[pope]] in 999. Gerbert took the name of Sylvester II, alluding to [[Sylvester I]] (314–335),{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} the advisor to Emperor [[Constantine I]] (324–337). Soon after he became pope, Sylvester II confirmed the position of his former rival Arnulf as archbishop of Rheims. As pope, he took energetic measures against the widespread practices of [[simony]] and concubinage among the clergy, maintaining that only capable men of spotless lives should be allowed to become bishops. In 1001, the Roman populace revolted, forcing Otto III and Sylvester II to flee to [[Ravenna]]. Otto III led two unsuccessful expeditions to regain control of the city and died on a third expedition in 1002. Sylvester II returned to Rome soon after the emperor's death, although the rebellious nobility remained in power, and he died a little later. Sylvester is buried in [[St. John Lateran]].