The experience convinced the Duke of the Emperor's power. Immediately, Duke Frederick was impressed by the sheer loyalty of these men and the Emperor stopped the other man from jumping. The Emperor then told one to jump down and without a thought, the man leapt and fell to his death. They moved onto the town's tower, which stood 50 cubics tall, and brought out two of his assassins. Afterwards, the Duke asked to be shown the Emperor's assassins, which he was allowed. Duke Frederick had impressed the Emperor so much that he allowed him the sale of firewood and whatever he wishes. Duke Frederick then instructed his marshal to go out late at night and buy some nuts so that his food could be prepared. Duke Frederick instead sought a house to buy and when the Emperor learned of this, forbade it. Thus instead he ordered that no one in the town sell the Duke firewood for his kitchen. But the Emperor insisted without prevailing. The Duke refused, stating he brought his own gold. When he approached the Emperor, he was enthusiastically invited-by both command and request of Emperor Frederick-to eat bread with him. Even the Austrian Kuenring ministeriales, which had so far been faithful to the ruling house, started an insurgency as soon as his reign began.Īccording to the Weltchronik of Jans der Enikel, Frederick had gone to the court of Emperor Frederick II by his summon, leading a procession of 200 knights wearing the triband colors of Austria. Proud of his Byzantine descent, the young duke soon was known as the Quarrelsome because of his harsh rule and frequent wars against his neighbors, primarily with Hungary, Bavaria and Bohemia. However, the marriage was dissolved due to childlessness in 1243.įrederick succeeded his father in 1230. From 1232 Frederick styled himself Dominus Carniolae ('Lord of Carniola'). Frederick secondly married Agnes of Merania in 1229, an heiress of the extinct noble House of Andechs whose dowry included large possessions in Carniola and the Windic March. His first wife was Byzantine princess Eudokia Laskarina, (referred to as Sophia), a daughter of emperor Theodore I Laskaris and his first wife Anna Komnene Angelina. The death of his elder brother Henry in 1228 made him the only heir to the Austrian and Styrian duchies. Born in Wiener Neustadt, Frederick was the second surviving son of the Babenberg duke Leopold VI of Austria and Theodora Angelina, a Byzantine princess.

Warlike state in latin