Frederick was the Archbishop of Ravenna briefly from 1002 to 1004.

Frederick, a Saxon

Saxons

The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...

, first appears as a collaborator of the Emperor Otto III in 1000, when he was present at the reconsecration of Pomposa

Pomposa

Pomposa can refer to:* Pomposa Abbey* Pomposa , stick insect genus of the subfamily Necrosciinae...

 in Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...

. In April 1001 he was appointed a presbyter

Presbyter

Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...

 and a cardinal. In June 1002 he was sent as an imperial legate to the Synod of Pöhlde to mediate between the claims of Bernard

Bernward of Hildesheim

Saint Bern[w]ard was the Bishop of Hildesheim from 993 until his death in 1022.Bernward came from a Saxon noble family and studied at the cathedral school of Hildesheim...

, Bishop of Hildesheim, and Willigis

Willigis

Saint Willigis was Archbishop of Mainz from 975 until his death as well as a statesman of the Holy Roman Empire.-Life:...

, Archbishop of Mainz, concerning the control of the abbey of Gandersheim

Bad Gandersheim

Bad Gandersheim is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Northeim. , it had a population 10,572.Bad Gandersheim has many half-timbered houses and is located on the German Framework Road .- Geography :...

. In the fall of that year he was elected Archbishop of Ravenna (before 22 November). On 27 December 1002 he was acting metropolitan at the Second Council of Todi.

In 1004 Frederick supported Henry II of Germany for the Iron Crown of Lombardy

Iron Crown of Lombardy

The Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. The crown became one of the symbols of the Kingdom of Lombards and later of the medieval Kingdom of Italy...

, while the magnates elected Arduin

Arduin of Italy

Arduin of Ivrea was Margrave of Ivrea and King of Italy. He was the son of Dado, Count of Pombia. Arduin succeeded to the northern Italian Margraviate of Ivrea in 990 on dubious grounds. He was excommunicated for the murder of the Bishop of Vercelli in 997.He was made King of Italy after the death...

. When Henry sent Otto I, Duke of Carinthia

Otto I, Duke of Carinthia

Otto , called Otto of Worms, was Duke of Carinthia and Margrave of Verona from 978 to 985 and again from 1002 until his death....

, to Italy with a force, Tedald of Canossa

Tedald of Canossa

Tedald , of the House of Canossa, was the count of Brescia from 980, Modena, Ferrara, and Reggio from 981, and Mantua from 1006. He used the title of margrave because of his vast comital holdings and their frontier nature. His family's seat was Canossa and he was the son of Adalbert Azzo of...

 and Frederick joined him with armies to secure the Po Valley

Po Valley

The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...

 for Henry. Frederick, with his army, met Henry at Brescia

Brescia

Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...

in April, but took no more part in military actions, as he died in June.