Marsilius of Padua (1275?-1343?), an Italian political theorist, defended the claims of the Holy Roman Empire against those of the papacy. He held that the clergy should be concerned only with the soul's salvation and not with the affairs of this world. Unlike most medieval thinkers, Marsilius emphasized will rather than reason in his definition of law. "A law is useless," he said, "unless it is obeyed." Marsilius was born in Padua, Italy.