Paschalis 4 was primicerius, at Rome, in 799: Lib. Pont. 98. 11 ("Paschales primicerius"), 98. 13 ("Paschalis malignus, qui tunc primicerius erat"). He took part in an assault on pope Leo III (Leo 11), on 25 April 799, together with others including Campulos 1 and Mauros 6; he had joined the papal retinue ("in pontificali obsequio"), first apologising for not wearing his ceremonial dress ("planeta") as he was unwell, and then conspiring to lead him into a trap; after the attack the conspirators feared an attempt at rescue by the pope's supporters and they tried to keep Leo 11 under guard in the monastery of St Erasmus (see Anonymus 320): Lib. Pont. 98. 11-13. Leo 11 was rescued by Albinus 1, whereupon the conspirators considered suicide, but instead robbed and destroyed the house of Albinus 1: Lib. Pont. 98. 14-15. They later attacked and burned properties belonging to the see of St Peter, and made allegations against Leo 11, which they forwarded to the court of Charlemagne (Karoulos 1), where Leo 11 had gone: Lib. Pont. 98. 17. In 800 Leo 11 was brought back to Rome by an embassy of Frankish notables, who then investigated the allegations against him and questioned Paschalis 4, Campulos 1 and their colleagues for days; finally the charges were adjudged baseless and the accusers were themselves arrested and sent to Francia: Lib. Pont. 98. 20. Subsequently the conspirators were brought before Karoulos 1 in Rome and their guilt was established; Campulos 1 allegedly blamed Paschalis 4 for leading him astray; all were then convicted and sent into exile in Francia: Lib. Pont. 98. 26. The exiles were released in 816 when Leo 11's successor, pope Stephen V (IV) (Stephanos 90), visited Louis the Pious (Lodoïchos 2) in Francia and they returned to Rome with Stephanos 90: Lib. Pont. 99. 2. Presumably Paschalis 4 was among them. Paschalis 4 was a nephew of pope Hadrian I (Hadrianos 1): Jaffé 2424 (letter of Hadrianos 1 to Karoulos 1, in 778). Theophanes (AM 6289) describes those who attacked Leo 11 as relations (συγγενεῖς) of pope Hadrianos 1.

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