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Why did Frederick I support the antipope Victor IV instead of Pope Alexander III?

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Medieval manuscript miniature showing Frederick I as a crowned crusader holding an orb and scepter, with Henry of Schaftlarn kneeling and presenting a book to him. — Frederick I Frederick I as a Crusader with (right) Henry of Schäftlarn dedicating to him a copy of the *History of the First Crusade* by Robert of St. Remy; miniature from a manuscript in the Vatican Library.

Frederick I Barbarossa supported the antipope Victor IV primarily because he sought to maintain imperial control over the papacy and ensure the election of a candidate favorable to his political policies.12

The conflict stemmed from a deep-seated struggle for authority between the Holy Roman Empire and the church. Frederick, who aimed to reassert the predominance of the Empire over European monarchies, viewed the papacy as a potential obstacle to his power. Alexander III, a skilled legal scholar, was a vigorous defender of papal authority who sought to establish a papacy independent of the Emperor.324

When the majority of cardinals elected Alexander III in 1159, Frederick—fearing Alexander’s opposition and his inclination toward the Kingdom of Sicily as a counterweight to imperial strength—backed a minority faction that chose Cardinal Octavian as Victor IV. Frederick attempted to legitimize Victor IV by convening the Council of Pavia in 1160, but his efforts to force ecclesiastical endorsement were largely rejected by the broader European community.12