He's sitting on his throne and there's the Emperor Constantine, kneeling and compliantly surrendering his crown to the dominant Pope. This account was a complete fabrication, but it allowed Leo to invent a new tradition. The power of popes to anoint emperors. On Christmas day 800, Charlemagne arrived to celebrate mass in St Peter's. He knelt down before the tomb. As he bent down, the Pope placed a crown on his head and anointed him Holy Roman Emperor. The new imperial alliance seemed to increase papal authority and protect Rome. But actually, it was flawed from the start. The popes believed that they were the ultimate source of political and religious authority, so only a pope could crown an emperor. But the emperors believed that they were the supreme power, so an emperor could appoint the pope whose job it was to crown him. The deal didn't live up to its promise.


里奥三世坐在宝座上，康斯坦丁大帝则在那儿，跪在地上向教皇臣服并将皇冠献给大权在握的教皇。这被完整地记录下来，它让里奥开创了另一传统。那就是教皇有权指定帝皇的人选。在公元800年，查理曼大力到圣彼得大教堂里做弥撒。他跪在圣彼得的墓前。当他弯下腰时，教皇为他戴上皇冠并任命他为圣神罗马帝国的皇帝。这种新的皇权和宗教权利的联合似乎能增强教皇的权利，似乎也能很好地确保罗马城的安全。事实上，这种做法一开始就有严重的缺陷。教皇以为他们不仅是宗教上的权威还能紧握政治大权。因此只有教皇才能为帝皇加冕。但是帝皇则认为帝皇才握有至高的权利， 因此帝皇能指定哪位教皇执行为帝皇加冕这一义务。这两种权利的结合并未达到它的预期目标。