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Historical person

Innocent III

c. 1160s–1216

Innocent III was pope from 1198 to 1216 and one of the most powerful medieval advocates of papal authority. His pontificate was involved in the Fourth Crusade, the Albigensian Crusade, disputes over royal succession and the Fourth Lateran Council.

Born Lotario dei Conti di Segni, Innocent advanced a particularly strong conception of papal authority over both church and Christian rulers. He intervened in the disputed imperial succession, placed England under interdict during his conflict with King John and promoted ecclesiastical reform. The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, convened under his leadership, became one of the most important church councils of the Middle Ages.

In Marc Morris’ King John, Conflict with Pope Innocent III, heavy financial demands and the king’s treatment of noble families drove opposition into open rebellion. In David Pilling’s Outlaw Knight (IV), in 1207, Philip of Cognac—bastard son of Richard the Lionheart—is sent on a desperate mission to the heart of Christendom. He must win peace with Pope Innocent III… or condemn Nicaea to ruin. Innocent III is treated fictionally in Angus Donald’s Robin Hood and the Heretic Prince, Cecelia Holland’s The King’s Road, and Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth.

Series

Historical novels and book series featuring Innocent III (4 series)

The Outlaw Chronicles in Order

by Angus Donald 14 books 4.4(11,844)

The Outlaw Chronicles reimagine Robin Hood as Robert Odo, Earl of Locksley, a charismatic and violent criminal lord remembered by his lieutenant Alan Dale. The original novels carry Alan from his entry into the Sherwood band through the Third Crusade, Richard I’s wars, the loss of Normandy, Magna…

All books in this series

Kinghood in Order

by Cecelia Holland 2 books 4.0(570)

The Kinghood books are two independent medieval novels linked by their examination of contested rule rather than by recurring characters. Hammer for Princes follows an experienced Anglo-Norman earl through the final phase of the Anarchy, when King Stephen and the future Henry II struggle over England. The King’s…

All books in this series

Languedoc Trilogy in Order

by Kate Mosse 3 books 3.8(106,694)

The Languedoc Trilogy links three periods of southern French history through recurring landscapes, hidden manuscripts and the long memory of religious violence. Labyrinth moves between the Albigensian Crusade in 1209 and an archaeological discovery in 2005; Sepulchre connects 1891 with a modern investigation; and Citadel follows a women-led…

All books in this series

Outlaw Knight in Order

by David Pilling 4 books 4.4(1,072)

Outlaw Knight follows Philip of Cognac, the reputed illegitimate son of Richard the Lionheart, through the upheavals of the Fourth Crusade. After Constantinople falls, Philip becomes entangled in the wars among the Latin conquerors, the Greek successor states and the Bulgarian Empire, fighting for survival in the shattered…

All books in this series

Non Fiction

Non Fiction featuring Innocent III (1 book)

Biographies, histories and other non-fiction are listed separately from the historical novels above.