Rothad 1 was bishop of Soissons; while engaged in an appeal to Rome, he was deposed from his see, contrary to the canons of Serdica, and held in custody by the archbishop of Reims, Hincmar 1; Nicolas I, bishop of Rome (Nikolaos 28), ordered him to be sent to Rome with persons who were to bring charges against him; he remained in Rome for nine months, but no accusers appeared; the pope then spoke in his favour on Christmas Eve and said that he should be restored to the status of bishop; by 21 January 865 no accusers had come forward against him; he gave a statement in his defence to Nikolaos 28 in the church of St Agnes, which was then read out, together with the decision of the pope reinstating him; he then celebrated mass at the pope's request in the church of St Constantia; on the following day at a council in the Domus Leonina he was formally reinstated and sent back to his see at Soissons; if challenged he was told to appear before the pope in full episcopal dress: Lib. Pont. 107. 58-62. He had arrived in Rome during the summer of 864 (after May); see Duchesne, Lib.Pont. II, p. 171, notes 58-60.

There is further evidence in the letters of pope Nicolas I (Nikolaos 28), Nicolaus I, Epp. (Jaffé) 2712, 2713, 2721-23, 2727, 2737-40) and in Hincmar s.a. 861, 862, 863, 864, 865 (he was deposed in Francia by Hincmar 1 and other bishops for breaking ecclesiastical rules but was reinstated by pope Nicolas I (Nikolaos 28) after his accusers were prevented from coming to Rome; he returned with Arsenios 3 who secured his restoration to his see, without the consent of the other bishops).

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