 Before Henry II could arrive, however, Otto III died of fever, leaving no heir.After defeating several contenders to the throne, Henry II was crowned King of Germany on July 9, 1002 as the first in a line of kings to adopt the title "Rex Romanorum", an allusion to his perceived prerogative to the future appointment of "Imperator Romanorum".On 15 May 1004 he was anointed King of Italy ("Rex Italiae") and in 1004 Henry II joined Duke Jaromír of Bohemia in his struggle against the Poles, thus effectively incorporating the Duchy of Bohemia into the Holy Roman Empire.