Stephen IV was a Roman bishop and leader of the Papal States who served as pope from June 816 until his death in January 817. Born into a noble Roman family, he was raised at the Lateran Palace and served as a deacon under Leo III. His rapid election by the Roman clergy was likely intended to prevent Carolingian interference in the papal succession. During his brief reign, he traveled to Reims to meet with Emperor Louis the Pious, reinforcing the relationship between the papacy and the Frankish monarchy.