brother emperor. He suddenly grew weak, and died in Florence on 29 March 1058. It is said that he was given poison on the journey by an agent of the Romans. The Romans also asserted that Godfrey had dispatched 500 troops and money to regain control of Rome, which motivated the Romans to act. Pope Stephen, before he left Rome, issued a decree, in the presence of the bishops, clergy, and people of Rome, that no election was to be held until the return of Cardinal Hildebrand from a mission to Germany, under penalty of anathematization. Hildebrand (later Pope Gregory VII) had been sent to the court of Empress Agnes, who had questioned the validity of Stephen's own election. A somewhat different version of the story has it that Pope Stephen summoned the bishops, cardinals, and deacons, and informed them that he knew that some of them were planning to fill the papal seat with the help of lay persons, not in accordance with the decrees of the holy fathers. The assembled clergy then swore that they would never consent to someone becoming pope except in accordance with canon law. Enthroned as pope News of Pope Stephen's death was brought to Rome by two cardinal-bishops, Humbert of Silva Candida and Peter of Tusculum. A section of the Roman aristocracy, along with numerous members of the clergy who were opposed to the reforms being pushed by the German popes and Cardinal Hildebrand, engineered a coup. The leaders were Rome's traditional leaders for more than a century, Gregory, the son of Alberic of Tusculum and brother of Pope Benedict IX; Count Gerard of Galeria, the son of Rainerius; and members of the Monticelli branch of the Crescentius family from Tivoli. On the night of 4—5 April, they forced their way into Rome with large forces, and seized control, establishing a "tyranny", in the words of their enemies. Cardinal Giovanni, Bishop of Tusculum, was enthroned, unwillingly, as pope, on 5 April 1058. His election, it is stated, was arranged by his own family. Since he was already a bishop, he did not need to be consecrated, only enthroned. Cardinal Peter Damiani and his supporters in the reform party, objected loudly to the proceedings and began to cast anathemas. At length, he and his followers fled in terror. Cardinal Humbert and Cardinal Peter of Tusculum, who witnessed the disorders of April 5, fled to