The Barbarian Invasions
In Great Britain, the Celts, Indo-European farmer and fierce warriors, settled as early as the second millennium. Romans called them Britons because the Roman word for paint was Briton and the Celts wore blue paint in battle. This nickname gave the Celts a close connection to Britain. The Anglos, Saxons and Jutes migrated to Britain by crossing the channel that separated Britain and the continental Europe in long rowing boats. They were attracted to Britain because of its fertile soil and mild climate. There was a struggle for power between the barbaric tribes, but in 577, the Angles and Saxons defeated the Britons. They established a justice system based off of Germanic law, which included wergeld, which is the compensation one has to pay for committing a crime.
In continental Europe, the Huns invaded territories of barbarians, forcing them to move west into the Roman Empire. In 376, the Visigoths, whom were fleeing the Huns, settled in the Roman empire with permission. After receiving unfair rights, they killed the Roman emperor at Adrianople in 378 and sacked Rome under Alaric in 410. Around the same time, another barbaric tribe, the Vandals, went to North Africa and attacked Rome and its sea territories from Carthage. The Huns continued to push westward, however they were defeated at Chalons in 451, so their threat dwindled. After the collapse of the Hun threat, the Roman Empire was defeated by the Ostrogoths when Odoacer overthrew the last of the western Roman emperors. During this period of barbaric invasions, Roman officials were forced to abandoned posts to the invaders and accept their conquerors. Although the barbarians built on Roman traditions and shaped it to their liking, they had no skill or knowledge of the Christians they conquered. Because of this, many priests, bishops, and monks stayed and assumed control of the government. Although the government slowly deteriorated during the many barbarian invasions, the church remained after the barbarian invasions.
The Franks
The Franks were a barbarian group who migrated from the Rhine River to modern day Belgium and France. Clovis, known as the king of the Franks, founded a dynasty known as the Merovinginians, which was named after Merovich, a warrior whom the Franks were descendants of. He was famous for forcing the last Roman commander from Gaul in 486 and soon after married Clothilde, who had converted to Christianity. Clovis also converted to Christianity after defeating Germanic tribes at Alamanni in 486. In the events that followed him and 3000 of his army were baptized, therefore giving the Roman Church a strong ally against the other Germanic tribes, who were Arian Christian. Along with defeating Arian Christian barbarians, Clovis also defeated the Visigoths at Poitiers in 507, leading him to rule much of present day France, and codified the Salian Laws, which were based on Wergeld (the customs of Germanic tribes) and encouraged Franks to convert to Catholicism. At the end of Clovis' reign, he divided the kingdom among his four sons, however, because their heir were incompetent, these kings became known as the Do-Nothing kings.
As the Do-Nothing Kings ruled ineffectively, local ruler gained power and the kings relied on their assistant, known as the Mayors of the Palace. The Mayors of the Palace held a very important job because they ruled behind the throne, and eventually the rule became hereditary. Their dynasty was known as the Carolingians, which passed the position from father to son, but left the Merovingian King on the throne. The most important Mayor of the Palace, Charles Martel, defeated the Moors at Tours in 732, and became king in all but name. Following Charles Martel's death, Pepin, his son, was able to make himself king with the support of the pope. Because the pope needed an ally against the Lombards, and Pepin wanted to be crowned king, the alliance worked out great. After being anointed king by the pope, Pepin defeated the Lombards in Italy and gifted The Papal States, known today as Vatican City to the pope. This gift was also known as the Donation of Pepin, and turned the pope into both a secular and religious leader. Following Pepin, the first Carolingian king, and his great successes, came Charles the son of Pepin, also known as Charlemagne.
The Early Christian Church and Monasticism
The Early Christian Church became very powerful during the Middle Ages because it provided relief, safety, answers, structure, authority, and the idea of a good afterlife. The Church because the voice of God during the Dark Ages, which was a general time of fear and despair. Authority was provided through the Early Church because there were many decrees that were created to help stabilize Europe. The Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, was a major factor in the early Christian Church because they created many influential decrees. Under Emperor Constantine I, the disagreement concerning the equality of Jesus and God was resolved, creating the Nicean Creed, a statement of faith that said God and Jesus were the same. Other influential decrees the Council of Nicea created included decrees on the consecration of bishops, the movement of bishops, priests, and deacons, and the condemnation of lending at interest by cleric. One failure the Council of Nicea had is although they attempted to establish a uniform date for Easter, they failed to create one. The Early Christian Church was faced with many challenges including a struggle of power between the church and secular leaders because as nations began to form and rebuild themselves, they wanted more power from the church. However, through their struggles with secular leaders, Christianity still made its way to Great Britain.
Along with the Early Christian Church, monasticism also began to grow and develop during the Dark Ages. There was an emergence of monasteries and a large shift from monks who were hermits to monks that lived in monasteries, religious communities. Monasteries for male monks and convents for female nuns spread from Egypt to Europe. The monasteries were administered by abbots who were elected by the monk for life. As monasticism grew, many orders and reforms were developed as a result. One of the major orders that was formed by Saint Benedict were the Benedictines. Benedictines followed a model order, a model for how to live life, and had to vow poverty, chastity and obedience. They had a strict and structured life, living a life of prayer, manual labor, study and rest. The Benedictines live in the St. Benedict monastery in Monet Cassino in Italy in 529. Later orders that followed the Benedictines included the Clunaics, Cistericians, Mendicant Friars, Franciscans and Dominicans. The orders all had a different set of rules to follow, some being more strict than others. All of these monasteries made great contributions including copying manuscripts of ancient scholarship, creating centers of learning and education, operating schools to ensure monks were learning Greek and Latin and training missionaries which contributed to the spread of Christianity. There was also a monastic reform that occurred in the tenth century because of corruption and misuse of power. Monasteries had gained land through the feudal system and they also had gained wealth and power through corruption and broken vows. Along with this, many people bought church offices and positions, which is known as simony. This called for a monastic reform because it violated all the beliefs of Christianity. Overall, monasticism was a very important part of the early Christian Church because there were many influential ideas and people in this branch of the Early Christian Church.
Along with the Early Christian Church, monasticism also began to grow and develop during the Dark Ages. There was an emergence of monasteries and a large shift from monks who were hermits to monks that lived in monasteries, religious communities. Monasteries for male monks and convents for female nuns spread from Egypt to Europe. The monasteries were administered by abbots who were elected by the monk for life. As monasticism grew, many orders and reforms were developed as a result. One of the major orders that was formed by Saint Benedict were the Benedictines. Benedictines followed a model order, a model for how to live life, and had to vow poverty, chastity and obedience. They had a strict and structured life, living a life of prayer, manual labor, study and rest. The Benedictines live in the St. Benedict monastery in Monet Cassino in Italy in 529. Later orders that followed the Benedictines included the Clunaics, Cistericians, Mendicant Friars, Franciscans and Dominicans. The orders all had a different set of rules to follow, some being more strict than others. All of these monasteries made great contributions including copying manuscripts of ancient scholarship, creating centers of learning and education, operating schools to ensure monks were learning Greek and Latin and training missionaries which contributed to the spread of Christianity. There was also a monastic reform that occurred in the tenth century because of corruption and misuse of power. Monasteries had gained land through the feudal system and they also had gained wealth and power through corruption and broken vows. Along with this, many people bought church offices and positions, which is known as simony. This called for a monastic reform because it violated all the beliefs of Christianity. Overall, monasticism was a very important part of the early Christian Church because there were many influential ideas and people in this branch of the Early Christian Church.
The Vikings and Magyars
Following the death of Charlemagne, his empire deteriorated through poor leadership and a series of barbarian attacks. After Charlemagne's death, Louis the Pious, his son, inherited his empire; however, he was more interested in religion that in governing his empire, so his leadership was flawed. Because of Germanic tradition, Louis divided his empire between his three sons, Louis the German, Charles the Bald, and Lothair. In the events that occurred following the division of his empire, much quarreling occurred, weakening the empire. An oath was signed which split the Carolingian empire into three, further weakening western Europe. Then came the Vikings, Moslems, and Magyars, three powerful tribes that completely wiped out Europe.
The Vikings were Scandinavians from present-day Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, who began attacking the coast of Britain and northern France in the year 800. By 1000, they had settled in many different parts of Europe, and their raids ended in the eleventh century.
The Magyars were ruthless invaders who came from the Ural Mountains and Volga River. During the ninth century, they attacked eastern Europe, specifically Slavic and Germanic settlements, and were highly successful, because they were brilliant horsemen.
These invasions transformed western Europe into a land of many small kingdoms, leading the emergence of feudalism and manorialism. Along with the emergence of small, self-sufficient communities, the constant warfare cut off trade and towns and cities disappeared, In the end, the wave of the Vikings, Magyars, and Moslems, completed the destruction that had begun in the 5th and 6th centuries, when the barbarians began attacking the deteriorating Roman empires
These invasions transformed western Europe into a land of many small kingdoms, leading the emergence of feudalism and manorialism. Along with the emergence of small, self-sufficient communities, the constant warfare cut off trade and towns and cities disappeared, In the end, the wave of the Vikings, Magyars, and Moslems, completed the destruction that had begun in the 5th and 6th centuries, when the barbarians began attacking the deteriorating Roman empires
Charlemagne- an essay about his greatness
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” William Shakespeare
Do you agree/disagree/partially agree that Charlemagne was an example of all three?
In 482, Clovis was crowned king of the Salian Franks, a group of Franks who lived near the North Sea. Clovis quickly established himself as a powerful king, by defeating other Germanic tribes, including the Visigoths at Poitiers, and forcing the last Roman commander from Gaul in 486. He married Clothilde, a Burgundian princess, who introduced Clovis to the Roman Catholic Church. Clothilde had a lasting impact on the Franks because she introduced Clovis and his empire to Christianity. Eventually, Clovis, along with 3000 of his army, was baptized, after successfully defeating other Germanic tribes at Alamanni in 486. Clovis’ conversion to Christianity formed the basis of a powerful alliance between the Franks and the Roman Catholic Church, against other Germanic tribes, including Arian Christians. Clovis created the foundations for a powerful kingdom which his heirs would rule over; however, when he died in 511, his kingdom was split among his four sons, and they and their heirs grew incompetent over time. They became known as the Do-Nothing Kings and relied on their assistants, the Mayors of the Palace. Over time, the Mayors of the Palace became very influential, and their reigns were eventually hereditary. Their dynasty was known as the Carolingians. From the family line of the Carolingians came two very significant Mayors of the Palace, Charles Martel, who was famous for defeating the Spanish Muslims at Tours in 732, and Pepin, who gained the title of Frankish king with the support of the Pope. Pepin was succeeded by his son, Charles, better known as Charlemagne, who left a lasting influence on Europe. Charlemagne was born great and achieved greatness throughout his reign; however, he did not have greatness thrust upon him.
Charlemagne came from a long line of successful government officials, including his grandfather Charles Martel and his father Pepin, who set him up for success through their alliances and military campaigns, thus guaranteeing his greatness. In 715, Charles Martel became a Mayor of the Palace; however, the road he took to acquire this government position was difficult. Martel was the illegitimate heir to his father Pippin, and he was neglected in his father’s will, forcing him to fight to earn his rightful power in his family dynasty. When his brother, the legitimate heir, was assassinated, and Pippin died, the power of his family went to his late father’s wife Plectrude. Martel fought and defeated Plectrude, and also resisted the Neustrians, who had been previously annexed by Pippin in 687, thus allowing for the Carolingians to continue under his name, and later Charlemagne. In 719, he became the sole Mayor of the Palace, and began his military campaigns to reunite the entire Frankish kingdom. In 724, Martel finally subdued Neustria, and later in 732, he defeated the Spanish Muslims at Tours, thus marking their furthest advance into Europe. His military campaigns stabilized, unified, and enlarged the Frankish kingdom, thus guaranteeing his heirs greatness. Charles Martel died in 741, leaving his rule to his two sons, Carloman and Pepin; however, Carloman decided to live a monastic life, so Pepin became the sole Mayor of the Palace in the Frankish kingdom. Pepin further guaranteed his son Charlemagne greatness by maintaining his power and forming an alliance with the Christian Church, which ultimately led him to be crowned the Frankish king. In 752, Pepin formed a powerful alliance with the church, under Bishop Boniface and Pope Stephen II. With the help of Bishop Boniface and Pope Stephen II, Pepin was crowned king of the Frankish kingdom. In return, Pepin allied with the Christian Church against the Lombards, a barbarian group that was threatening the church. This alliance proved crucial to the greatness of Charlemagne, because he was guaranteed the title of king and had a powerful ally to aid him on military campaigns. The strategic alliance between the Franks and the Church was set in stone by the Donation of Pepin, a strip of land, known today as Vatican City, which further strengthened the relationship between the Franks and the Christian Church. Thus, the growth of power in the Carolingian dynasty, by Charles Martel and Pepin, set up Charlemagne for success in his reign and guaranteed him greatness.
Charlemagne achieved greatness by rebuilding and reuniting Western Europe, which led to a flowering of ideas, known as the Carolingian Renaissance. Through Charlemagne’s military campaigns, such as the Saxon War and the Lombard War, he grew his empire and strengthened the ties with the Roman Catholic Church, by spreading Christianity. Previous to the Saxon War, the Saxons had invaded Frankland, burning a sacred Christian Church. In 772, the Franks, under Charlemagne, captured a fortified Saxon settlement and destroyed Irminsul, the sacred ancient tree of the Saxon religion. The Saxons were forced to surrender, thus strengthening the ties between the Christian Church and the Franks, because the Saxons were forced to convert to Christianity. Another war that strengthened the ties between the Christian Church and the Franks was the Lombard War. In 774, Pope Hadrian sought help against the Lombards, a tribe that controlled northern Italy, threatening the Pope’s land and church. The Lombards renounced a treaty that had been signed with Pepin and began renewing attacks on the Papal States. Because of the threat of attacks on the Pope, Charlemagne attacked with speed and quickly defeated the Lombards, which made him the King of the Lombards. With the Lombard and Saxon threats defeated, Charlemagne now gained the ability to create social order in his expanding empire, which ultimately led him to achieve greatness while creating stability during his reign. Charlemagne had a large empire, which stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to Hungary and the North Sea to Spain and Italy, so there was a large need for an organized government. Charlemagne took several steps to insure stability and organization during his reign. First, he divided his empire into counties (there were eventually 300). He personally chose government officials, including counts, dukes, and bishops, to run each county. To further prevent corruption and illegal acts in his empire, Charlemagne created the Missi Dominici, royal inspectors sent by Charlemagne to each county to supervise the empire’s leaders. The Post of Missi Dominici proved very important in the stability and success of Charlemagne’s empire because they supervised administrators and punished the misbehaving, thus strengthening the empire, through protection from corruption. Because of the social order Charlemagne created, Western Europe experienced strength and protection, which had been lost ever since the fall of the Roman Empire. Through Charlemagne’s progressive ideas, including the importance of education and the Palace School, the Frankish kingdom reached the epitome of power, known as the Carolingian Renaissance. During the Carolingian Renaissance, Charlemagne showed his enthusiasm in education, by improving education in Europe. He was determined to turn the once primitive Europe into a region full of intelligent, educated people. He accomplished his goal through several wise ideas. In 789, Charlemagne proposed a decree stating that every cathedral monastery in Frankland was obligated to open a school. He further showed his devotion to education by bringing scholars to the Palace School at Aachen, a school founded by Charles Martel, and hiring Alcuin, his trusted scholar, as the headmaster. At the Palace School, children were treated as equals, no matter their background or their family’ social status, which proposed another important idea: equality. Equality was a very significant idea, as well as the importance of hard-work and intelligence over the family name, which Charlemagne expressed greatly. Although Charlemagne came from a long line of successful government officials, he often stated that nobles could not expect to succeed in life if they only relied upon their good looks and their parents’ wealth and power. All of Charlemagne’s progressive ideas, including education, equality, and hard-work, strengthened his empire, because it made huge impacts on education during the Carolingian Renaissance, the epitome of Charlemagne’s reign. Through Charlemagne’s reign, he achieved much success by creating a strong, well organized empire, with progressive and wise ideas.
Charlemagne did not have greatness thrust upon him because when he was crowned king of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas day in 800, he did not gain any more power—the crowning was just a justification of his power. Previous to Christmas day in 800, several events occurred which led Charlemagne to be crowned king of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope. In Constantinople, Irene had usurped the throne of the Roman emperor. Because Irene was female, the throne was declared empty, so there was need for a new Roman emperor. Meanwhile, in Rome, Pope Leo III was accused of bribery and corruption by Roman families. The Pope was accused of bribery and corruption by leading Roman families, and desperately need Charlemagne to restore his power. Pope Leo III was at Charlemagne’s mercy because Charlemagne was the only one with the power to restore him to his duties. Because Charlemagne and the church had such a strong alliance, it was also Charlemagne’s duty to restore the Pope to his power. So, Charlemagne sent the Duke of Spoleto to Italy to bring the Pope to safety. In the meantime, Charlemagne prepared to journey to Italy to restore the Pope to his throne and possibly be crowned king. In the months prior to Christmas day in 800, Charlemagne took his time getting to Rome, first inspecting his troops and counties, without any rush. In fact, on November 23, Pope Leo III traveled twelve miles from Rome to meet Charlemagne, an act which had never been done before. It is well known that Charlemagne, in fact, held the power in the exchange between him and Pope Leo III. A month later, on December 23, Pope Leo III swore an oath, stating that he had not been involved in corruption and bribery. Then, on December 25, Charlemagne was crowned the new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Although Charlemagne was not the official emperor of the Holy Roman Empire before he was crowned, he already acted as a protector of the church, so he did not gain any additional power through his throne. Thus, through the events that happened prior to Christmas day in 800, Charlemagne did not have power thrust upon him, because any power he would have gained through the throne, he already possessed.
Charlemagne was born into a powerful family, gained power by reuniting and rebuilding the Frankish kingdom, and did not have power thrust upon him. Although Charlemagne’s empire fell apart after his death, he left a vibrant legacy and lasting impact on all of Europe. He built on the power his ancestors, Charles Martel and Pepin gave him, found inventive and successful ways to rebuild and reunite his empire and introduced the importance of education. Through the Palace School at Aachen and Charlemagne’s education policies, the children of Europe, both rich and poor, became highly educated, and the establishment of schools and universities, lead to the epitome of Charlemagne’s empire, the Carolingian Renaissance. There were also significant gains in architecture, such as Charlemagne’s church at Aachen, and Charlemagne’s military campaign’s spread Christianity across Europe, with his policy of converting conquered people. This policy would change history forever. Overall, Charlemagne’s ideas left a lasting impact on all of Europe, even though his empire fell apart quickly after his death.
Do you agree/disagree/partially agree that Charlemagne was an example of all three?
In 482, Clovis was crowned king of the Salian Franks, a group of Franks who lived near the North Sea. Clovis quickly established himself as a powerful king, by defeating other Germanic tribes, including the Visigoths at Poitiers, and forcing the last Roman commander from Gaul in 486. He married Clothilde, a Burgundian princess, who introduced Clovis to the Roman Catholic Church. Clothilde had a lasting impact on the Franks because she introduced Clovis and his empire to Christianity. Eventually, Clovis, along with 3000 of his army, was baptized, after successfully defeating other Germanic tribes at Alamanni in 486. Clovis’ conversion to Christianity formed the basis of a powerful alliance between the Franks and the Roman Catholic Church, against other Germanic tribes, including Arian Christians. Clovis created the foundations for a powerful kingdom which his heirs would rule over; however, when he died in 511, his kingdom was split among his four sons, and they and their heirs grew incompetent over time. They became known as the Do-Nothing Kings and relied on their assistants, the Mayors of the Palace. Over time, the Mayors of the Palace became very influential, and their reigns were eventually hereditary. Their dynasty was known as the Carolingians. From the family line of the Carolingians came two very significant Mayors of the Palace, Charles Martel, who was famous for defeating the Spanish Muslims at Tours in 732, and Pepin, who gained the title of Frankish king with the support of the Pope. Pepin was succeeded by his son, Charles, better known as Charlemagne, who left a lasting influence on Europe. Charlemagne was born great and achieved greatness throughout his reign; however, he did not have greatness thrust upon him.
Charlemagne came from a long line of successful government officials, including his grandfather Charles Martel and his father Pepin, who set him up for success through their alliances and military campaigns, thus guaranteeing his greatness. In 715, Charles Martel became a Mayor of the Palace; however, the road he took to acquire this government position was difficult. Martel was the illegitimate heir to his father Pippin, and he was neglected in his father’s will, forcing him to fight to earn his rightful power in his family dynasty. When his brother, the legitimate heir, was assassinated, and Pippin died, the power of his family went to his late father’s wife Plectrude. Martel fought and defeated Plectrude, and also resisted the Neustrians, who had been previously annexed by Pippin in 687, thus allowing for the Carolingians to continue under his name, and later Charlemagne. In 719, he became the sole Mayor of the Palace, and began his military campaigns to reunite the entire Frankish kingdom. In 724, Martel finally subdued Neustria, and later in 732, he defeated the Spanish Muslims at Tours, thus marking their furthest advance into Europe. His military campaigns stabilized, unified, and enlarged the Frankish kingdom, thus guaranteeing his heirs greatness. Charles Martel died in 741, leaving his rule to his two sons, Carloman and Pepin; however, Carloman decided to live a monastic life, so Pepin became the sole Mayor of the Palace in the Frankish kingdom. Pepin further guaranteed his son Charlemagne greatness by maintaining his power and forming an alliance with the Christian Church, which ultimately led him to be crowned the Frankish king. In 752, Pepin formed a powerful alliance with the church, under Bishop Boniface and Pope Stephen II. With the help of Bishop Boniface and Pope Stephen II, Pepin was crowned king of the Frankish kingdom. In return, Pepin allied with the Christian Church against the Lombards, a barbarian group that was threatening the church. This alliance proved crucial to the greatness of Charlemagne, because he was guaranteed the title of king and had a powerful ally to aid him on military campaigns. The strategic alliance between the Franks and the Church was set in stone by the Donation of Pepin, a strip of land, known today as Vatican City, which further strengthened the relationship between the Franks and the Christian Church. Thus, the growth of power in the Carolingian dynasty, by Charles Martel and Pepin, set up Charlemagne for success in his reign and guaranteed him greatness.
Charlemagne achieved greatness by rebuilding and reuniting Western Europe, which led to a flowering of ideas, known as the Carolingian Renaissance. Through Charlemagne’s military campaigns, such as the Saxon War and the Lombard War, he grew his empire and strengthened the ties with the Roman Catholic Church, by spreading Christianity. Previous to the Saxon War, the Saxons had invaded Frankland, burning a sacred Christian Church. In 772, the Franks, under Charlemagne, captured a fortified Saxon settlement and destroyed Irminsul, the sacred ancient tree of the Saxon religion. The Saxons were forced to surrender, thus strengthening the ties between the Christian Church and the Franks, because the Saxons were forced to convert to Christianity. Another war that strengthened the ties between the Christian Church and the Franks was the Lombard War. In 774, Pope Hadrian sought help against the Lombards, a tribe that controlled northern Italy, threatening the Pope’s land and church. The Lombards renounced a treaty that had been signed with Pepin and began renewing attacks on the Papal States. Because of the threat of attacks on the Pope, Charlemagne attacked with speed and quickly defeated the Lombards, which made him the King of the Lombards. With the Lombard and Saxon threats defeated, Charlemagne now gained the ability to create social order in his expanding empire, which ultimately led him to achieve greatness while creating stability during his reign. Charlemagne had a large empire, which stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to Hungary and the North Sea to Spain and Italy, so there was a large need for an organized government. Charlemagne took several steps to insure stability and organization during his reign. First, he divided his empire into counties (there were eventually 300). He personally chose government officials, including counts, dukes, and bishops, to run each county. To further prevent corruption and illegal acts in his empire, Charlemagne created the Missi Dominici, royal inspectors sent by Charlemagne to each county to supervise the empire’s leaders. The Post of Missi Dominici proved very important in the stability and success of Charlemagne’s empire because they supervised administrators and punished the misbehaving, thus strengthening the empire, through protection from corruption. Because of the social order Charlemagne created, Western Europe experienced strength and protection, which had been lost ever since the fall of the Roman Empire. Through Charlemagne’s progressive ideas, including the importance of education and the Palace School, the Frankish kingdom reached the epitome of power, known as the Carolingian Renaissance. During the Carolingian Renaissance, Charlemagne showed his enthusiasm in education, by improving education in Europe. He was determined to turn the once primitive Europe into a region full of intelligent, educated people. He accomplished his goal through several wise ideas. In 789, Charlemagne proposed a decree stating that every cathedral monastery in Frankland was obligated to open a school. He further showed his devotion to education by bringing scholars to the Palace School at Aachen, a school founded by Charles Martel, and hiring Alcuin, his trusted scholar, as the headmaster. At the Palace School, children were treated as equals, no matter their background or their family’ social status, which proposed another important idea: equality. Equality was a very significant idea, as well as the importance of hard-work and intelligence over the family name, which Charlemagne expressed greatly. Although Charlemagne came from a long line of successful government officials, he often stated that nobles could not expect to succeed in life if they only relied upon their good looks and their parents’ wealth and power. All of Charlemagne’s progressive ideas, including education, equality, and hard-work, strengthened his empire, because it made huge impacts on education during the Carolingian Renaissance, the epitome of Charlemagne’s reign. Through Charlemagne’s reign, he achieved much success by creating a strong, well organized empire, with progressive and wise ideas.
Charlemagne did not have greatness thrust upon him because when he was crowned king of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas day in 800, he did not gain any more power—the crowning was just a justification of his power. Previous to Christmas day in 800, several events occurred which led Charlemagne to be crowned king of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope. In Constantinople, Irene had usurped the throne of the Roman emperor. Because Irene was female, the throne was declared empty, so there was need for a new Roman emperor. Meanwhile, in Rome, Pope Leo III was accused of bribery and corruption by Roman families. The Pope was accused of bribery and corruption by leading Roman families, and desperately need Charlemagne to restore his power. Pope Leo III was at Charlemagne’s mercy because Charlemagne was the only one with the power to restore him to his duties. Because Charlemagne and the church had such a strong alliance, it was also Charlemagne’s duty to restore the Pope to his power. So, Charlemagne sent the Duke of Spoleto to Italy to bring the Pope to safety. In the meantime, Charlemagne prepared to journey to Italy to restore the Pope to his throne and possibly be crowned king. In the months prior to Christmas day in 800, Charlemagne took his time getting to Rome, first inspecting his troops and counties, without any rush. In fact, on November 23, Pope Leo III traveled twelve miles from Rome to meet Charlemagne, an act which had never been done before. It is well known that Charlemagne, in fact, held the power in the exchange between him and Pope Leo III. A month later, on December 23, Pope Leo III swore an oath, stating that he had not been involved in corruption and bribery. Then, on December 25, Charlemagne was crowned the new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Although Charlemagne was not the official emperor of the Holy Roman Empire before he was crowned, he already acted as a protector of the church, so he did not gain any additional power through his throne. Thus, through the events that happened prior to Christmas day in 800, Charlemagne did not have power thrust upon him, because any power he would have gained through the throne, he already possessed.
Charlemagne was born into a powerful family, gained power by reuniting and rebuilding the Frankish kingdom, and did not have power thrust upon him. Although Charlemagne’s empire fell apart after his death, he left a vibrant legacy and lasting impact on all of Europe. He built on the power his ancestors, Charles Martel and Pepin gave him, found inventive and successful ways to rebuild and reunite his empire and introduced the importance of education. Through the Palace School at Aachen and Charlemagne’s education policies, the children of Europe, both rich and poor, became highly educated, and the establishment of schools and universities, lead to the epitome of Charlemagne’s empire, the Carolingian Renaissance. There were also significant gains in architecture, such as Charlemagne’s church at Aachen, and Charlemagne’s military campaign’s spread Christianity across Europe, with his policy of converting conquered people. This policy would change history forever. Overall, Charlemagne’s ideas left a lasting impact on all of Europe, even though his empire fell apart quickly after his death.