Hildebrand and his Times: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Hildebrand and his Times, credited to William Richard Ward Stephens, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Hildebrand and his Times by William Richard Ward Stephens. Read in English by Pamela Nagami W.R.W. Stephens, the Anglican Dean of Winchester, writes a short, lively biography of the great church reformer, Hildebrand of Sovana (1015-1085), afterwards Pope Gregory VII, setting his life within the larger context of the struggle for dominance between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The roots of the conflict can be traced to the alliance made between Pope Stephen II and his successors and the Frankish King Pippin and his son Charlemagne to break the power of the Lombard Kingdom in Italy. Later emperors sought first to reform and then to dominate the Papacy, but they finally met their match in Hildebrand, leading to the famous confrontation between Pope and Emperor on the snowy steps of Canossa Castle. Facing an imperial invasion, Pope Gregory took the fatal step of summoning his fierce Norman allies. They sacked and burned Rome and carried Hildebrand off to Salerno where, his body weak but his spirit unbowed, he breathed his last crying, "I have loved righteousness and hated iniquity--therefore I die in exile." After Hildebrand's death, his ally Duchess Matilda, the greatest power in northern Italy, continued the struggle with the tragic Emperor, Henry IV, over investiture and reform, a conflict which was only settled under his perfidious son, Henry V. (Pamela Nagami)

Recording facts

• Recording title: Hildebrand and his Times
• Author credits: William Richard Ward Stephens
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 26
• Listed recording duration: 7:01:13

Catalogue topics

• Charlemagne
• Henry IV
• normans
• lombards
• hildebrand
• gregory vii
• holy roman empire
• robert guiscard

Opening tracks: first 24 of 26

1. 01 - Ch. 1: Introductory. Origin of the connexion between the Papacy and transalpine sovereigns--The corruption of the Papacy after the dissolution of the Carolingian Empire--The revival under Otto the Great--The relapse after the death of Otto III, Pt. 1 — 12:13
2. 02 - Ch. 1: Introductory. Origin of the connexion between the Papacy and the transalpine sovereigns--The corruption of the Papacy after the dissolution of the Carolingian Empire--The revival under Otto the Great--The relapse after the death of Otto III, Pt. 2 — 13:37
3. 03 - Ch. 2: Degradation of the Papacy--Beginning of a reformation under Henry III--The Rise of Hildebrand, 1033-47 — 16:52
4. 04 - Ch. 3: Progress of the reforming movement--The Pontificate of Leo IX, 1047-54, Pt. 1 — 13:08
5. 05 - Ch. 3: Progress of the reforming movement--The Pontificate of Leo IX, 1047-54, Pt. 2 — 15:03
6. 06 - Ch. 4: The death of Henry III--Pontificate of Victor II and Stephen IX--Irregular election of Benedict X--Election of Nicolas II--Designs of Hildebrand, 1051-59 — 16:52
7. 07 - Ch. 5: Pontificate of Nicolas II--Decree respecting method of election to the Papacy--Alliance with the Normans--Degradation of Benedict X--Election of Alexander II--Cadalus of Parma elected anti-pope, 1059-62, Pt. 1 — 11:16
8. 08 - Ch. 5: Pontificate of Nicolas II--Decree respecting method of election to the Papacy--Alliance with the Normans--Degradation of Benedict X--Election of Alexander II--Cadulus of Parma elected anti-pope, 1059-62, Pt. 2 — 12:15
9. 09 - Ch. 6: Relation of Germany to the Papacy during the minority of Henry IV, 1056-66 — 19:33
10. 10 - Ch. 7: The first six years of the reign of Henry IV, 1066-72 — 15:48
11. 11 - Ch. 8: State of the Church in Italy--Survey of the position of the Papacy in Europe--Death of Alexander II, 1073 — 22:21
12. 12 - Ch. 9: Hildebrand elected pope--First two years of his pontificate, 1073-75, Pt. 1 — 12:36
13. 13 - Ch. 9: Hildebrand elected pope--First two years of his pontificate, 1073-75, Pt. 2 — 12:22
14. 14 - Ch. 10: Revolt of the Saxons--Beginning of the strife between Henry IV and Gregory VII, 1073-76, Pt. 1 — 10:51
15. 15 - Ch. 10: Revolt of the Saxons--Beginning of the strife between Henry IV and Gregory VII, 1073-76, Pt. 2 — 12:41
16. 16 - Ch. 11: Deposition of Gregory VII by the Council of Worms--Henry IV excommunicated at Rome by the pope--Diet of Tribur and suspension of the king's authority--Henry escapes from Speir and goes to Italy, January 1076-January 1077 — 20:32
17. 17 - Ch. 12: Meeting between Henry and the pope at Canossa--Results of the meeting--Diet of Forcheim--Election of Rudolf of Swabia as anti-king, January-March 1077 — 20:29
18. 18 - Ch. 13: The struggle in Germany between Henry and Rudolf--Death of Rudolf--Wibert, archbishop of Ravenna, elected anti-pope--Henry crowned by the anti-pope in Rome--Rome occupied by Robert Wiscard--Sack of Rome--Death of Gregory--Estimate of his character and work--Death of Robert Wiscard, 1077-85, Pt. 1 — 21:34
19. 19 - Ch. 13: The struggle in Germany between Henry and Rudolf--Death of Rudolf--Wibert, archbishop of Ravenna, elected anti-pope--Henry crowned by the anti-pope in Rome--Rome occupied by Robert Wiscard--Sack of Rome--Death of Gregory--Estimate of his character and work--Death of Robert Wiscard, 1077-85, Pt. 2 — 19:38
20. 20 - Ch. 14: Pontificate of Victor III--Election of Urban II--Revolt of Henry's son Conrad--The Councils of Piacenza and Clermont--Proclamation of the first crusade--Reception of Urban II at Rome, 1086-96 — 22:31
21. 21 - Ch. 15: Close of the pontificate of Urban II--Election of Pascal II--Revolt of Henry, son of Henry IV--Death of Henry IV--His character, 1096-1106, Pt. 1 — 16:51
22. 22 - Ch. 15: Close of the pontificate of Urban II--Election of Pascal II--Revolt of Henry, son of Henry IV--Death of Henry IV--His character, 1096-1106, Pt. 2 — 17:26
23. 23 - Ch. 16: Character of Henry V and of Pascal II--Council of Troyes--Henry's visit to Italy--Scene in St. Peter's, Rome--Coronation of Henry V--Strife between Henry and Pascal--Death of the pope, 1106-18, Pt. 1 — 15:38
24. 24 - Ch. 16: Character of Henry V and of Pascal II--Council of Troyes--Henry's visit to Italy--Scene in St. Peter's, Rome--Coronation of Henry V--Strife between Henry and Pascal--Death of the pope, 1106-18, Pt. 2 — 15:23

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