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The portrait of Frederick II
(Picture: Federico II di Svevia – Comunal Library in Palermo, Italy)
A Damascene chronicler, Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, left a physical
description of Frederick based on the testimony of those
who had seen the emperor in person in Jerusalem: "The
Emperor was covered with red hair, was bald and myopic.
Had he been a slave, he would not have fetched 200 dirhams
at market." Frederick's eyes were described variously as
blue, or "green like those of a serpent
Frederick did not look impressive, of medium height, and
twenty years had red hair and was short-sighted, at thirty he
was already bald, but, in spite of the lackluster appearance,
had a great esteem, he was satisfied that he was born Dec. 26, almost like Jesus
Christ but, above all, to be born in Jesi (the city name sounds like Jesus), of which
he wrote:
"You, new Bethlehem of the Marche, you're not the smallest among those
belonging to the Lords of our race, because you have given birth to the prince of
the Roman Empire."
Speaking and writing of his life, everywhere you can see the shadow of his genius,
certainly not that of modesty. If he only then knew he would have become the
"stupor mundi".
The Hohenstaufen Dynasty - Page 67 of 200