The Iron King | 3. The Pope Slap

Primary Topic

This episode delves into the dramatic events of 1303 when Pope Boniface VIII faces a humiliating physical and political confrontation instigated by Philip the Fair of France.

Episode Summary

"The Iron King | 3. The Pope Slap" portrays a gripping narrative of conflict between authority and power during the medieval era. Pope Boniface VIII, determined to uphold the supremacy of the Church, clashes with King Philip IV of France, known as Philip the Fair, whose ambition and legal maneuvering challenge the pope's authority. This episode highlights the infamous incident where Philip's agents, led by Guillaume de Nogaret and Sciarra Colonna, physically assault the pope—an event that shakes the foundations of the papacy and alters its trajectory for decades. This act of defiance, known as the Anagni slap, marks a significant shift in the power dynamics between the Church and secular rulers, portraying Philip's calculated steps to curtail papal influence while consolidating his own power within France and beyond.

Main Takeaways

  1. Pope Boniface VIII's intense clash with King Philip the Fair culminates in a violent confrontation, illustrating the volatile relationship between the Church and secular powers.
  2. The episode reveals how political and personal grievances can escalate into significant historical events that influence religious and political landscapes.
  3. The Anagni slap serves as a turning point, significantly weakening the papacy's authority and emboldening secular rulers.
  4. The narrative explores themes of ambition, betrayal, and the ruthless pursuit of power within the medieval church and European monarchies.
  5. The incident leads to a reevaluation of the roles and limitations of the Church's power over secular matters.

Episode Chapters

1: Introduction to Conflict

This chapter sets the stage for the historic slap, exploring the deep-rooted tension between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip the Fair. Key issues include church taxation and political authority.

  • Danielle Cebulski: "Philip takes the job of kingship seriously. Very seriously."

2: The Anagni Slap

Detailing the shocking physical confrontation where Pope Boniface VIII is slapped by Sciarra Colonna, symbolizing the dramatic peak of the conflict.

  • Sciarra Colonna: "I would rather lose my life."

3: Aftermath and Consequences

Analyzes the repercussions of the slap for the papacy and Philip's subsequent actions, which reshape ecclesiastical and secular power structures.

  • Dan Jones: "Philip the Fair is grinning from ear to ear."

Actionable Advice

  1. Learn from History: Understanding historical conflicts can provide insights into modern power dynamics and personal conflicts.
  2. Analyze Motives: Recognize the importance of motives behind actions to better understand historical and current events.
  3. Value Diplomacy: Employ diplomacy to manage conflicts before they escalate.
  4. Respect Authority Wisely: Understand the limits of authority and challenge it thoughtfully when necessary.
  5. Study the Consequences: Reflect on the long-term impact of decisions to better navigate personal and professional challenges.

About This Episode

Philip the Fair’s vindictive nature ignites when a drunken bishop mouths off about him, calling him “a useless owl”. Possibly not the most devastating burn, but Philip isn’t one to suffer insults, however slight. This sets him on the path to collide with another of Europe’s massive egos, The Pope. Things escalate into a truly deranged smear campaign and culminate in, arguably, the most blasphemous slap in history.

People

Philip the Fair, Boniface VIII, Guillaume de Nogaret, Sciarra Colonna

Companies

None

Books

None

Guest Name(s):

None

Content Warnings:

None

Transcript

Dan Jones
Hello everyone, Dan Jones here. If you're missing the sound of my voice, I have some good news. For a limited time, you can get one month free of this is history. Plus, sign up today and you'll get access to our weekly extra episodes, where Danielle and I sit down to deep dive into some of the fascinating side plots we didn't have time to cover in the main episode. Plus, as a subscriber, you get all episodes of this is history ad free and access to our entire back catalogue of exclusive bonus episodes.

Sign up by June 18 to redeem your free month. Head tothis history on Apple Podcasts and click try free at the top of the page or visit thisishishorypod.com to get access wherever you listen to podcasts. See you there.

Danielle Cebulski
On a grey September afternoon, an old man sits in the great hall of a beautiful palace not far from Rome. He is dressed to the nines in gold and silver and holds a jeweled cross. The hall he occupies is just as stunning, filled with tapestries, treasures, and ornate furniture. Outside the room, there is shouting and crashing, the excited noises of a crowd whipped into a frenzy.

Inside, there is only the sound of quiet, desperate prayers, the prayers of a man who knows hes fallen from the pinnacle of fortunes wheel to the lowest he has ever been, a man who fears hes about to fall even further.

All his life, he has served the church with a fiery conviction that God has called him to bring this chaotic world to order. In his youth, he watched as Pope Martin IV put royals in their place over the sicilian vespers, and he vowed that if by some miracle he were ever to become pope, he would keep a tight rein on the kings of Europe. And now hes made it. Its the year of our Lord, 1303, and hes Boniface VIII, the supreme ruler of the church. He may have had to shove the last pope off the throne to get here, but sometimes miracles require a little elbow grease.

And to be fair, when he put his predecessor in prison, he didnt know he was actually going to die there. The lord works in mysterious ways.

Boniface has been true to his word ever since he became pope. Hes made sure that kings like Philip the fair of France and Edward I of England know they cant just take the churchs money to fund their infighting. They cant tax the clergy. They cant hand over rights and privileges. They need someone to remind them that the pope is the ultimate power on earth, although today he doesnt feel very powerful at all.

There is a boom and the wide oak door rattles on its hinges. Its only a matter of time now. Boniface lifts his chin and adjusts his papal tiara. Hes determined not to give his enemies the satisfaction of seeing him unnerved. But his heart beats rapidly under the golden silk of his office and a line of cold sweat trickles down his back.

Suddenly the door bursts open and a gang of angry men bursts in. At the head of the mob is Shiara Colonna, an old family enemy, his lips curled back in an ugly sneer. Next to him strides a man dressed in the official colors of the french court. It seems Philip the fair is hellbent on confrontation. So be it, Boniface thinks.

He straightens his robes and stares the enemy full in the face. He is the pope, and hes already had the french kings excommunication papers drawn up. He will not be intimidated by his goon squad. But as Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

As he watches Kelowna pull back his steel plated hand, Boniface finally begins to understand what it means to feel the wrath of King Philip the fair. What he does not know is that this moment in time will change the course of history. Shaking the foundations of the papacy for 100 years.

I'm Danielle Cebulski, and from Sony Music Entertainment, this is history presents the Iron King.

Episode three the pope's lab.

Luke Quinton
The island of Newfoundland keeps its secrets close, shrouds them in mystery. But once in a while, the fog is lifted, the truth comes out. I get a feeling there's something going on here. My whole body was shaken. You go to bed believing that you're a certain person one night, and then all of a sudden, the next day, everything that you've known is not true.

Danielle Cebulski
This is not the life that I should have lived. I'm Luke Quinton from CBC. This is come by chance, available now.

In the Middle Ages, popes and kings dont always get along well, youve already heard of one epic fallout between Pope Innocent III and Plantagenet bad boy King John. But for all his many, many failings, John never sent armed goons after the man himself. So what gives Philip the fair the cojones to take on the holiest man on the planet? Philip takes the job of kingship seriously. Very seriously.

As in stay home during your teen years and study instead of making friends seriously. Hes weighed down by the memory of his grandfather, Louis IX, who was said to have literally performed miracles. Thats a huge amount of pressure. Its enough to give anyone a complex. Philip is obsessed with being right hes built himself an echo chamber of lawyers, yes men, and even a like minded queen to reflect back his glory and his righteousness.

And he avoids the possibility of ever putting his foot in his mouth by speaking only through other people. Hes beautiful, fashionable, quiet, mysterious, and wears a lot of purple. Hes like prince, but less fun. And like prince, he might not seem to care what anyone thinks of him, but as an unfortunate priest is about to find out, the king cares deeply.

Its 1301, and a drunken bishop in Pamier is shooting his mouth off. Its not the first time the bishop has had a little too much of the communion wine, but this time hell live to regret it, because this time hes taking potshots at the king. Philip, he says, is nothing more than a pretty face. Hes a stupid owl, the handsomest of birds, which is worth absolutely nothing. He such is our king of France, who is the handsomest man in the world and who can do nothing except to stare at men.

Not content to leave well enough alone, he continues, the king is not a man nor a beast, but a statue. And whats more, Philip isnt even meant to be king of France. Those capetians are a truly questionable line of bastards. How is Philip even king right now? Am I right?

Its at this point we can picture the people in the room suddenly remembering they have a dentist appointment and clearing out fast, because sure enough, when word gets back to Philip, he is livid. The bishop has pressed hard on two of his deepest insecurities. First, that the blank mask of kingship hes tried so hard to create for the sake of regal dignity has in fact made him a laughing stock. People really do think hes a himbo. Second, that the royal genes he has made the center of his entire identity are somehow illegitimate.

Its more than Philip can bear. He loses it.

If Philip were more like his plantagenet relatives, he might have thrown himself down on the floor and pitched a fit, or maybe starved the bishop to death just for kicks. But Philips style is ice cold fury. He seizes the bishop of Pamiers lands and puts him on trial for treason. But heres the problem. In the Middle Ages, the king was absolutely not permitted to punish any member of the church, let alone take his stuff.

The church was meant to sort out its own bad apples. Kings as a rule, though, dont like being told what to do. And after the whole Aragon disaster that ended up killing his father, Philip the fair is a king who has far less patience than most for the rules of the church. Since he was elected in 1294, Boniface has mostly kept his patience with Philips grandstanding. He sent letters not so gently reminding him that Philip is not to tax the clergy for his war with Edward.

But then again, his finger was squarely pointed at Edward too. To keep Philip sweet, Boniface generously made Grandpa Louis a saint in 1297. But Philip hasnt stopped throwing his weight around. So when he arrests Bonifaces friend, the bishop of Pamy, the pope takes the gloves off.

Boniface sends Philip a scathing letter that genuinely begins with the words, listen, son, and goes downhill from there. He rails against Philips high handedness as king, his HR decisions, his financial decisionseverything but his undeniable good looks. Then he cuts Philip to the core of his kingly being. Youre not in charge, he says. I am.

Reform yourself, writes Boniface, so that you will not appear to gods judgment and ours in such a state that you should be condemned. In other words, sit down, boy, or youre going straight to hell. You can imagine how well Philip takes this. It doesnt matter that the pope calls everyones son. Philip will not be talked down to, let alone by a man who was elected to his office, not when he Philip, was placed on his throne by divine right.

Philip picks up the phone and calls his lawyers for this fight. He brings in his a one eyed lawyer and all round tough guy called Pierre Flott. Flott cracks his knuckles and gets to work. In April 1302, the king calls a meeting in Paris, bringing together representatives from the nobility, the clergy, and the peasantry. It is the first meeting of the estate general, a sort of french proto parliament, and its purpose a hit job on the pope.

At the meeting, fluct sums up Bonifaces letter in a way that is arguably true but definitely inflammatory. He says that Boniface believes he is better than the king, that he criticizes the king for policies that arent any of his business, that he believes he owns France. Flott pointedly doesnt call Boniface the pope, but the man who currently governs the church and lets people draw their own conclusions about Boniface's legitimacy. He calls on the people of France to support their king. Not surprisingly, they're all in.

When word gets back to Boniface, he rails and curses Flot, hitting below the belt in a distinctly unchristian manner by taking aim at his disability. He calls him half blind in body and completely blind in spirit. Perhaps Boniface feels vindicated, or maybe even relieved, when Flot is killed in battle within a few short months. But even the pope should be careful what he wishes, or rather curses for, because into Flot's shoes steps Guillaume de Noghare.

Noghre is educated, brilliant, and absolutely the kind of guy who gives lawyers a bad name. The second he takes the case, he starts digging for dirt on Boniface, and he finds it. Boniface's family has had a longstanding feud with the Colonna family. Family feuds are not an odd thing for the Italy of the Middle Ages. But the colonnas have vocally questioned Boniface's legitimacy for years.

And then there is the question of the last pope, Celestine, who Boniface may or may not have forced to abdicate, and who he very definitely put in prison after he took celestines place. Brick by brick. Noghare makes his case, and with Philip egging him on, he really goes for it.

At a small meeting of top brass in March 1303, Noghare claims that Boniface is not only not the true pope, but hes also a heretic. And he sells church offices, a crime called simony. Clearly, hes not suited to be in charge of the collection plate, let alone the entirety of the church. He should be arrested.

Philip makes a big show of allowing himself to be swayed by Knghare. But even for Philip, arresting the pope is the nuclear option, and hes not 100% sure hes ready for that, at least not yet. Philip knows Boniface isnt going to take kindly to knghareys words, so he has the borders of France watched. Sure enough, in June 1303, papal envoys are stopped and found to be carrying orders for Philips excommunication. This most christian king will now be banned from participating in any christian activities for the foreseeable future.

If anyone finds out about it. Philip buries the letters and the people who brought them, and starts entering the nuclear codes. He calls another assembly in Paris, where Boniface is once again accused of being an illegitimate pope, a criminal and a heretic. But this time, more charges are added, and even now, they make for spicy reading. He is not ashamed to declare, read the charges, that he would rather be a dog or an ass than a frenchman.

And he would not evidently use this language if he believed that the French have souls destined for eternal life. Calling the French soulless is a terrible thing in the medieval world, especially if you're the pope. But what they throw at him next is straight out of the most bizarre Internet conspiracy theories. They say the pope would let the world and the church burn if it meant humiliating France, that Boniface is big into witchcraft, that hes a sodomite, that he murdered the last pope, and that he has his own personal demon who is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Its a truly unhinged shotgun approach.

But like too many bizarre Internet theories, it does the trick. Everyone agrees that the pope should be arrested, and Philip pretends this wasnt his idea all along. He dispatches Noghare to Italy.

Noghare gathers Bonifaces enemies together and continues to rail about how he shouldnt even be pope in the first place. By the time he joins up with Charcoalna, even the common people are starting to have serious doubts about Boniface. When Noghare and Colonna arrive at the city where the pope is staying, Ananyi, the gates are mysteriously left open. The pope is exposed. The king's men have the most powerful men in all of Europe in their grasp.

Even with an army at his door, Pope Boniface would never have expected getting his face rearranged. This incident is so shocking that its gone down in history. As the Anagni slap in one french account, Shara Colonna steps up to Boniface and asked him if he would cede the papacy. No, he says, I would rather lose my life. Then the pope offered himself up, saying, look my neck.

Look my head. Colonna angrily swore at him and hit him in the face with a gauntlet. And he would have killed him if the lord Nogharei didnt stop him.

Slapping the pope is one thing, threatening to kill him is another.

After a couple of days, the citizens of Ananyu start to get uncomfortable. They start wondering if their immortal souls might actually be in peril. In an abrupt change of heart, they kick Nogarei and his thugs out of the city. Free at last, a grateful Boniface limps back to Rome. But even though hes escaped his kidnappers, Boniface is a broken man in body and in spirit.

He thought he was untouchable, chosen by God. That illusion is well and truly knocked out of him. He now knows just how sharp this french owls talons can be. Just weeks later, the once formidable Boniface VIII dies. Its a seismic shift in the power balance in Europe.

Suddenly, everyone is looking at Philip the fair and thinking he might not just be a pretty face after all. Hes held his own against Edward Longshanks, and now hes taken down the pope. Is there anyone who can stand against him?

A new pope, Benedict XI is elected within the month. And this one sees the writing on the wall. One of his first acts is to lift the excommunication of Philip the fair. But while hes quick to forgive the french king, someone has to take the fall. Guillaume de Nogaret is excommunicated instead.

If Benedict XI was planning to push back against the new power of the French, though he never gets the chance. Just over a year later, he too is dead. For another year, the cardinals argue and disagree on who should become the next pope. He needs to be someone who wont anger one or another of the warring italian factions. He needs to be someone who isnt quite so fiery as Boniface.

He needs to be someone Philip the fair wont send his lawyers to rough up. In June 1305, the cardinals elect Bonifaces personal chaplain, a man now known as Clement V, to the papal throne. At the time, it must have seemed like wisdom to compromise with a french candidate with strong ties to England and virtually no ties to Italy. But this will be a colossal mistake for the church as well. See later in this series, as Philip I celebrates the new popes ascendance, he praises him for deciding to stay not in Rome, but much closer to all the important people that is the French.

Though Rome has been unstable for years, leaving it to settle elsewhere is a jaw dropping move for a pope to make. Clements favoritism towards the French is an open secret. From the moment he steps into the papal slippers, people whisper that he and Philip had a handshake deal before the election took place place. And its not hard to see why. First Clement waves away bonifaces objections to Philips war tax on the clergy.

And then he waters down Bonifaces declaration of ultimate supremacy. France and the papacy have always been besties, Clement says. Nothing has changed. Lets just hug it out. Its an astonishing about face.

For Guillaume de Nogaret, Clement is a bit of a disappointment. He has so far refused to lift nogarets, excommunication or to declare boniface illegitimate. But Noghare is undeterred and he is studying Clements weaknesses. Soon hell know which pressure points to use if he ever needs to strong arm this pope. But behind his owl like mask, Philip the fair is grinning from ear to ear.

The bishop of Pamier and his cruel words are cast aside, although never quite forgotten.

With Boniface dead and Edward I no longer interested in war, there is no one left to stop Philip from sharpening his talons and and taking on the only other people who have humiliated him this time by besting him in war.

With the new pope firmly in his pocket, Philip turns his attention to Flanders, where he'll put his throne and his life on the line on the battlefield.

But that's next time on this is history presents the Iron King.

Dan Jones
Hey Danielle, I enjoyed that episode. Even if poor old Boniface probably didn't. Thank you, Dan. I'm sure there are a lot of people that have wanted to slap the pope over time, but this time it actually happened. Well, look, I'm just here to remind everyone that you and I are going to be sitting down to chat about this episode and chew over all of those grisly details and the pope slap on this is history.

Danielle Cebulski
Plus, yes, we're going to be talking about medieval insults, beauty standards, and all of that stuff that happens around Boniface's. Death and plenty more that usually has at least some relevance to the middle ages. And there's excellent news. To celebrate this mini series, your mini series, we're doing a one month free trial which gets you all the episodes ad free and all bonus episodes we've ever recorded. What a bargain.

If people want to find out more or sign up, they can sign up@thisishistorypod.com comma or on Apple Podcasts. You can click try free at the top of the page and you have until the 18 June to get your one month free trial. And check out all of these episodes. We'll see you there. See you there.

Dan Jones
See you there.