Charlemagne

Charlemagne’s reign is a key piece of medieval history that shows how he founded the Holy Roman Empire and changed many key aspects in Medieval Europe such as cultural and political reforms. In the preface for Life of Charlemagne, written by his administrator and long-time friend Einhard, Einhard gives several reasons for writing this biography. The questions posed is what are the reasons for writing this detailed biography? What do they say about Einhard’s sense of himself, and the time he…

The Carolingian Empire was established by Charlemagne in 800 and would lead to a several generation split into several Carolingian kingdoms. Charlemagne and the kingdoms of his grandsons Louis the German, Charles the Bald and Lothar represent the rise and fall of a would be empire. Each of these kingdoms had their strengths and weaknesses that would ultimately influence the further progression of Europe. The Carolingian kingdoms were responsible for the unifications of the Anglo-Saxon people…

midst of its Dark Ages when Charlemagne was born in 742 AD. This time was marked by frequent warfare; therefore there were few cultural achievements during this time. Charlemagne became ruler of one kingdom in Germany in 768 AD, immediately setting out to expand his territory. Through numerous battles, he had conquered most of inland Europe. Where his rule was established, Charlemagne implemented the same reforms, creating a common identity in his peoples. What made Charlemagne such a…

were people who prided themselves on living an honorable life. The honorable life of a knight is displayed in the poem The Song of Roland, and is seen in many different situations. For example, Ganelon acts honorably by carrying out his duty to Charlemagne and travelling to Saragossa, although he does not personally want to. Roland and Oliver, two very close companions, are also seen acting honorably, for they show loyalty and respect for each other in times of hardship and in the event of…

marked by the coronation of Charles the Great, also known as Charlemagne, by Pope Leo III in A. D. 800. The time when Charlemagne and his successors ruled the Frankish kingdom is considered the Carolingian Empire. The Carolingian empire may not have lasted long, nor have created any technological advances, but it played a great role in the conservation of ancient works and in forging a new Europe. Pepin, the father of Charlemagne, and who is considered the father of the Carolingian…

not any great art was produced, and no great rulers were born. During this time there was no single ruler, or king, that was in charge of the people, so the Roman Catholic Church became in charge. They held all the power. A Frankish guy named Charlemagne was appointed king by Pope Leo III. He was the first person to be an emperor since the empire had fallen over three hundred years before. There is not much known of the early Germanic tribes. They lived in Southern Sweden, Northern Germany…

at the time” (Winroth, 2013). For example, Emperor Charlemagne relied on campaigns for funds to run the Frankish empire, and these campaigns were very bloody, and not even a source as biased as the Royal Frankish annals pretends otherwise. In 774 AD, Charlemagne entered Saxony, “with fires and pillaging devastating everything, and several Saxons who were attempting to resist were killed”. Additionally, during a single day in 782 AD, Charlemagne ordered 4,500 Saxons to be decapitated. In the…

1. Assignment Making reference to at least two of the works covered in weeks 1-5 of the module, addressing the following problem: ⦁ Account for the origins and development of biographical writing in late antiquity and the early middle ages (i.e. how and why did people write biographies in this period?). By addressing two works covered, how can we account for the origins and development of biographical writing in late antiquity and early middle ages? I.e. how and why did people write biographies…

countless examples of these people, the Celtic Queen Boudicca, Napoléon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Caesar Augustus, Adolf Hitler, and Alexander the Great, to name a few. For the purposes of this essay I will focus on two individuals, Julius Caesar and Charlemagne. Julius Caesar was both a great military leader as well as a charismatic politician and was considered the greatest leader of his time. This is reflected by this passage written by the historian Suetonius, “In eloquence and in the art of…

Charles “the Great” was the name he was called. He was Charlemagne Charles “the Great.” Charlemagne was not only the King of the Franks, he also declared himself the King of the Lombards, and he was crowned Emperor of the Romans. Charlemagne was a Frank. He was a german-speaking invader of Rome. His crowning was a way for the Pope to unite Christian, Germans and Romans traditions: “This crowning of the ‘German ruler’ as an emperor represents the merging of German christian and Roman traditions…