Philip the Fair - 80s Movie Bully
Philip IV of France (1268-1314) was the handsomest king in medieval France. Everyone said so.
Known as Philippe le Bel in French and Philip the Fair to history, he was described as tall, blonde, muscular, broad-shouldered, with a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes. Fatterers commented on his regal bearing and commanding presence.
While his facade was flawless, he was an obnoxious bully in his actions. Philip IV harassed anyone and everyone to get more money and power. Not only did he look like every teenage bully antagonist in every movie from the 1980s, he also had the greedy mean spiritedness to complete the package.
King Philip IV inherited the French throne at age 17. Like many callow rich kids, he thought he was pretty awesome. Philip’s grandfather, King Louis IX, was made a saint for his many accomplishments, which included getting captured while on crusade and ruining France’s finances for a generation to pay for his ransom. The pope loved King Louis IX, who was later made Saint Louis.
Philip IV would have a much more combative relationship with the church. He needed to show several popes that he was boss. It got so bad that he sicced his goons on Pope Boniface VIII, and they whomped him with the famous Slap of Anagni. That pope deposed, Philip engineered the election of a French pope, and then moved the papacy to Avignon, conveniently located in France and under King Philip IV’s thumb.
The King’s never-ending need for more money had started his fight with The Church, and Philip’s high burn rate would fuel another fight, this time with his Jewish subjects. In 1306, he expelled the Jews from France, confiscating their property and eliminating debts owed to them. While he claimed this was for religious reasons, it sure seems like a pure money grab.
King Philip IV continued to be a big spender, so he continued to need extra cash. He looked around and found a wealthy group living in France, the Knights Templar. In 1307, he ordered the arrest of all the Templars in France, charged them with outlandish crimes, and executed them, many by burning at the stake.
Not a great day for the Templar knights.
Philip’s interrogations used torture to get confessions from the accused. All the Templar knights in France plead guilty, given enough time with the inquisition. None of the Templars outside of France - none in England, Spain, Germany, etc - reported any of the same crimes. King Philip IV destroyed the Knights Templar to seize their wealth and got all their property in France.
Not satisfied with destroying medieval institutions and persecuting the Jews in his kingdom, Philip IV was a bully at home to his kids. In what became known as the Tour de Nesle Affair, Philip accused his three daughters-in-law of adultery and threw them in prison. This threw the succession of his dynasty into turmoil and would lead to the king of England claiming the throne of France which would lead to the Hundred Years War.
The wives of Philip's sons have got some splainin' to do
The last years of Philip IV's reign saw growing unrest and dissatisfaction among his subjects. He also faced increasing pressure from his nobles, who resented his heavy-handed policies and the crushing taxes he imposed to pay for his wars.
King Philip IV pushed everyone around, intimidating everyone to get his way. He postured his way to become the most powerful king of his era, but his aggressive actions would end up weakening France and destroying the Capetian dynasty in 1328, ending his family’s 341 run on the throne.
Like any good medieval jock, Philip IV loved to hunt, and he died after suffering a stroke while hunting in 1314. While admired in life, he was abandoned in death. He was not mourned in his own time, and is today considered one of the greatest villains of the medieval era. Thus always with tyrants.
What can you do about a bully in the workplace? Do you try to stay out of his way, fly under the radar? Do you confront them? Or do you just take “two for flinching” and try to get on with your day?
If the bully is in the middle of the hierarchy, then you can maybe appeal to their superiors. Your success may not be 100% though. If the higher ups like their results and turn a blind eye to their methods, you’ll just be branded a whiner.
It’s even harder when the bully is the boss, with no one above them in the hierarchy to make an appeal. King Philip IV wasn’t afraid to shove a pope or two aside if they tried to moderate his plans, and an out of control CEO can similarly act with impunity if no one can check them.
Just as the Templars outside of France kept their heads and stayed outside of the fire (literally on both counts), you might have to jump ship to save your own skin (figuratively, lucky for you). Assess the situation and decide if it’s worth the trouble to stand up to your tormentor or if retreat is the wisest path.
