There is no record substantiating that Pope John X had definitely died before Leo VI was elected since John X was already imprisoned by Marozia and was out of public view. Theodora and Marozia held great sway over the popes during this time. In particular, as political rulers of Rome they had effective control over the election of new popes. Much that is alleged about the saeculum obscurum comes from the histories of Liutprand, Bishop of Cremona. Liutprand took part in the Assembly of Bishops which deposed Pope John XII and was a political enemy of the Roman aristocracy and its control over papal elections. Lindsay Brook writes: List of popes during the saeculum obscurum Pope Sergius III (904–911), alleged lover of Marozia Pope Anastasius III (911–913) Pope Lando (913–914) Pope John X (914–928), alleged lover of Theodora (the mother), allegedly killed by Marozia Pope Leo VI (928–928) Pope Stephen VII (928–931) Pope John XI (931–935), son of Marozia, alleged son of Pope Sergius III Pope Leo VII (936–939) Pope Stephen VIII (939–942) Pope Marinus II (942–946) Pope Agapetus II (946–955) Pope John XII (955–964), grandson of Marozia, by her son Alberic II of Spoleto Family tree The Tusculan Papacy, 1012–1059 After several Crescentii family popes up to 1012, the Theophylacti still occasionally nominated sons as popes: Pope Benedict VIII (1012–1024), son of Count Gregory I Pope John XIX (1024–1032), son of Count Gregory I Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, and 1047–1048), son of Alberic III Antipope Benedict X (1058–1059), son of Alberic III, driven out of Rome after a small war Pope Benedict IX went so far as to sell the Papacy to his religious godfather, Pope Gregory VI (1045–1046). Benedict IX then changed his mind, seized the Lateran Palace, and became Pope for the third time in 1047–1048. The Tusculan Papacy was finally ended by the election of Pope Nicholas II five years after the Great Schism of 1054 who was assisted by Hildebrand of Sovana against Antipope Benedict X. Hildebrand was elected Pope Gregory VII in 1073 and introduced the Gregorian Reforms, increasing the power and independence of the papacy that would lead to help ignite the First Crusade in about 20 years. See also The Bad Popes List of sexually active popes Papal appointment Pope Joan (fictional; legends about her may have stemmed from stories about the Pornocracy) Notes References Church and Society in a Crisis