214 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
Frederick declared that, as Emperor, it was his duty to
summon a council of the Church to decide between the
claimants, but the assumption that any secular prince could
convoke a council or interfere in spiritual affairs was
challenged by Alexander. Octavian did not disdain the
Emperor's invitation, and a council composed almost entirely
of prelates from the imperial territories declared him to be
the true pope. Alexander therefore excommunicated the
Emperor. He had already excommunicated Octavian, and
Octavian, of course, had quickly excommunicated Alexander.
Alexander was forced to flee from Italy, but he was
recognised as the leader of the Church almost everywhere
except within the Empire. He obtained the support of
France and Italy, he organised the Lombards for renewed
opposition, he helped Sicily against Barbarossa, and even
sought assistance in Byzantium. Frederick crossed the Alps
into Italy in 1167 and occupied Rome, where (Octavian
having died in the meantime) he placed another anti-pope,
Guido, in the Holy See as Paschal III. On the way back
to Germany, however, the League of Lombard cities defeated
Barbarossa, and nine years later, when he advanced once
more against the Lombards, the League won so decisive a
victory that Frederick had to sue for peace. From the
Lombard cities and from Sicily he accepted terms that he felt
to be humiliating, and he acknowledged Alexander as the
true Pope only with much reluctance. Not until Barbarossa
had done homage to him, admitting the superiority of the
papal ruler by holding the stirrup and leading the mount of
the Pope, did Alexander withdraw the ban of excommunica-
tion against the Emperor. It was a great triumph for the
Pope, but though Alexander had humbled Barbarossa, he
could not discipline the populace of Rome. The Pope was
chased from his See and died in exile in 1179.
Nor was his successor, Lucius III, any more successful
. with the people of the Eternal City, for he, too, was barred