Pope Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I (590-604), or Gregory the Great, took control of of Rome as pope, after the city had been greatly effected by the struggle for power between the Ostrogoths, Bysantines and the Lombards. Gregory is credited for creating the Papal States, which was an adminisrative unit that consisted of Rome and surrounding regions. Many debate why he created the Papal States, but there are certain motives that seem logical fits; Gregory was looking to defend Rome against the Lombards, provide food for the people and establish a government for Rome with these Papal States. Gregory was infuential in many ways, and not all of them were in Italy. Gregory believed in extending the reach of his authority westward. He told the Frankish rulers to reform the church in Gaul, he began the efforts of missionaries to convert England, and was well known for converting the Germanic peoples, with his main instrument being the monastic movement.