The Phantom Time Thesis suggests that nearly three centuries of medieval history—from 614 to 911 AD—never actually occurred. This theory, proposed by German publisher Heribert Illig in the early 1990s, claims that this period was fabricated by Pope Sylvester II, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, and Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII to legitimize their rule by aligning it with the auspicious year 1000 AD. According to Illig, these leaders altered documents and created fictional figures like Charlemagne to support their narrative.