Giordano (sometimes anglicized as Jordan) Pierleoni (in contemporary

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

, ''Jordanus filius Petrus Leonis'') was the son of the

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

Pier Leoni Pier Leoni (or Pierleone) ( la, Petrus Leo or ) (died 2 June 1128) was the son of the Jewish convert Leo de Benedicto and founder of the great and important medieval Roman family of the Pierleoni. He was called the Jewish Crassus by Gregorovius ...

and therefore brother of

Antipope Anacletus II Anacletus II (died January 25, 1138), born Pietro Pierleoni, was an antipope who ruled in opposition to Pope Innocent II from 1130 until his death in 1138. After the death of Pope Honorius II, the college of cardinals was divided over his succ ...

and leader of the Commune of Rome which the people set up in 1143. According to Gregorovius, he was a “ maverick” in the great Pierleoni family, for he continued to oppose the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

after Anacletus' death, when the rest of his clan had returned to support of Rome. In late autumn 1143, the democratic element in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

set up a

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

in opposition to the higher nobility and the papacy. Drawing on the Rome's history as the once capital of the ancient

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingd ...

, the citizens declared a senate, based on four elected representatives from each of the newly created fourteen districts of medieval Rome. These would be the first real senators since the seventh century. The fifty-six senators then elected as patrician Pierleoni, because the title of

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

had taken on noble connotations. Pierleoni led the defence of the city against

Pope Lucius II Pope Lucius II (died 15 February 1145), born Gherardo Caccianemici dal Orso, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1144 to his death in 1145. His pontificate was notable for the unrest in Rome associated ...

's assault in 1145, where Lucius himself was killed. However, Pierleoni was unable to maintain order in the city despite his overtures of negotiations with Lucius—demanding the pope renounce secular authority and live as a common

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

before being allowed reentry into the city, —he was deposed by the people who invited

Pope Eugene III Pope Eugene III ( la, Eugenius III; c. 1080 – 8 July 1153), born Bernardo Pignatelli, or possibly Paganelli, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He w ...

, Lucius' successor, back. The power vacuum left by Pierleoni's deposition caused even more chaos, and eventually resulted in the pope leaving the city. After this, Giacomo da Vico, was elected patrician—though a man his equal,

Arnold of Brescia Arnold of Brescia ( 1090 – June 1155), also known as Arnaldus ( it, Arnaldo da Brescia), an Italian canon regular Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into relig ...

, had arrived in the commune in 1145. Arnold would renew the commune, giving it the intellectual leadership it lacked after Pierleoni's downfall.

Sources

* Gregorovius, Ferdinand. ''History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages Vol. IV, part 2''. trans. Annie Hamilton. Roman rebels 12th-century Italian Jews People of medieval Rome {{Italy-bio-stub