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COFrederick II was arguably one of the most brilliant medieval rulers.
During his reign, he transformed the Kingdom of Sicily into something closely resembling a modern state. For example, he tried to limit the power of the nobility and clergy by granting important offices to loyal officials. As emperor, he believed no one should be able to contradict him in worldly matters—not even the pope. Consequently, the pope tried everything in his power to get rid of the Stupor Mundi ("Wonder of the World"). Both sides regularly published propaganda leaflets that were circulated throughout European courts.
Frederick argued that the pope was acting like a worldly prince trying to enrich himself through his office—a talking point that would be picked up again during the Reformation. The pope, however, did not hold back his accusations. According to him, Emperor Frederick was using Arab assassins to eliminate his political enemies. Furthermore, he claimed that Frederick II had become a Muslim, citing the friendship the Staufen ruler shared with the Sultan of Egypt. All in all, the pope viewed Frederick as the Antichrist who had to be stopped at any cost.
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