A Trial of the Dead
Jean-Paul Laurens, Le Pape Formose et Étienne VI ("Pope Formosus and Stephen VI"), 1870
Criminal trials can inherently be a little macabre: a person’s deeds are examined and judged, their life hanging in the balance. But perhaps no trial in history was as gruesome or bizarre as Pope Formosus for one reason: he was already dead.
Formosus lived in the papal states during a period of great instability and political machinations. As a bishop he was accused by Pope John VIII of political maneuverings and attempting a coup against the papacy. He was excommunicated but was able to return to his bishophood after the pope’s death, eventually becoming pope himself in 891. He served for five fraught years before dying of a stroke.
Formosus was succeeded by Pope Boniface VI, whose reign lasted all of two weeks before he was forced from power. His successor, Pope Stephen VI, also facing an unstable political situation, attempted to solidify his rule by putting Formosus on trial in 897, dredging up past accusations of political maneuverings... except that's not all they dredged.
You see, as a part of the trial Stephen VI had ordered that Formosus' corpse be exhumed and placed on the stand. In a bizarre turn of events, they went through with it and began what became known as the "Cadaver Synod."
At the end of the trial, the rotting corpse was found guilty; it was stripped of its garments, mutilated, and reburied in unconsecrated ground, later thrown into the Tiber river.
Stephen’s gambit failed and he was quickly deposed by the public and was strangled to death in prison. The guilty cadaver, on the other hand, washed ashore and eventually was reburied, but the ordeal still didn’t end there. The next succession of popes took turns variously nullifying or upholding the ruling against him.
Featured Product
SR-71 Blackbird Fragment
Latest News
-
Sep 11, 2025 Vader’s Lightsaber Becomes the Most Expensive Star Wars Collectible! Read More -
Aug 28, 2025 Learn About the Tiny Aircraft That Turn Sunlight Into Flight! Read More -
Aug 21, 2025 Learn About The Newly Discovered Species of Early Humans! Read More -
Aug 19, 2025 Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution and the Start of the U.S. Navy Read More -
Aug 14, 2025 Learn About Iron Age Mummy Tattoos! Read More -
Jul 29, 2025 Scientists Discover First Ever Ancient Roman Trilobite! Read More
Cool Things!
Vader’s Lightsaber Becomes the Most Expensive Star Wars Collectible!
Last Thursday, an auction set a new record for Star Wars memorabilia, when a screen-used prop of Darth Vader’s lightsaber sold for over $3.6 million.
Learn About the Tiny Aircraft That Turn Sunlight Into Flight!
Of the five layers of Earth’s atmosphere, the mesosphere (the third layer from Earth’s surface) is a height at which traditional aircraft have, thus far, been unable to reach on their own power. Generally beginning about 154,000 feet above sea level, even the world record for highest aircraft altitude falls about 20,000 feet short. However, a newly developing technology may change this reality, and it involves aircraft that punch high above their weight.
Learn About The Newly Discovered Species of Early Humans!
In studying early human ancestors, known as “hominids,” anthropologists have historically found much wider variations from specimen to specimen than expected, particularly among other paleontological fields. A recent study argues that certain groups of hominid fossils previously thought to be an already discovered species constitute a new one entirely.
Specimen Deep Dives
Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution and the Start of the U.S. Navy
The Hollywood Sign: The Story of a City's Symbol Hollywoodland
Building Disneyland
Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!