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Charlemagne - Emperor of the West

Charlemagne means "Charles the Great" (Karolus Magnus in

latin). He was crowned Emperor in the year 800, and his goal
was to become the successor of the Roman emperors of the
West and to spread Christianity. He founded the Carolingian
Dynasty

Bible of Charles the Bald, IXth Century, BNF, Paris

This image shows Charlemagne surrounded by his counts in an annual

assembly. During springtime, Charlemagne reunited with his Counts and
the Important men of his Empire who informed him on the administration
of their territories and who participated in the Imperial Decisions that
would be taken. The Empire was so vast, that Charlemagne installed a
network of Counts (from the latin comitus: companion) throughout his
territories.

Lesson

In 768, Charlemagne took the head of the kingdom of the Franks,

founded at the end of the fifth century.
Desiring to expand his power and spread Christianity,
Charlemagne launched major military expeditions, most notably against
the Saxons.

Map 1. Map of Charlemagne’s Empire at his death in 814

The numerous conquests that resulted from it pushed the Pope to

regard him as the worthy successor of the Roman emperors. In the year
800, in Rome, Charlemagne is emperor of the West.
Charlemagne governed his vast empire from his capital Aachen. In
the provinces, the counts were responsible for enforcing laws, delivering
justice, as well as levying taxes and soldiers. The emperor developed the
use of Latin.
After the death of Charlemagne in 814, the Empire faced invasions.
It disappears in 843, shared in the treaty of Verdun between the three
grandsons of Charlemagne.
 October 9th 2023

On what foundations did Charlemagne’s power rest?

1-
Political – Charlemagne as the heir of the
Western Roman Empire

[glue at home the image of the denarius]

Charlemagne saw himself as the heir of the Western

Roman Empire. He wanted to restore the Empire and
he also wanted to spread Christianity.

Document presentation:
This document is [a photograph of] a denarius (coin)
used in the Carolingian Empire. The source is the BNF
of Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale de France). The date is
812-814, the author is unknown.

Document description:
The denarius presents elements of Roman
Influence. We can see that the Emperor [Charlemagne]
appears wearing a laurel wreath and a toga, which
were used by the rulers of the Roman Empire. Also, the
inscription on the coin is in latin and it names the ruler as
the Emperor Karolus Imperator Augustus, as the
Roman Emperors would do.

Document interpretation:
We can conclude that Charlemagne considered
himself as the heir of the Western Roman Empire (the
Roman elements in the denarius show this heritage).
These coins would also probably represent a way of
displaying his power throughout his empire (the coins
would circulate through his vast territories).

1.2 Political power : Counts and Missi Dominici

Charlemagne’s kingdom was based on a solid

administration
a- the Counts administered the territories (there were
around 200 counts): they collected taxes, gathered
armies, made sure the territories weren’t invaded
b- the Missi Dominici (messengers of God): were the
royal inspectors. Agents charged with making regular
circuits through specific territories to announce the king’s
will, to gather information on the performance of local
officials, and to correct abuses.

1.3 A strong system of laws : Capitulary.

As soon as a capitulary [chapter] was composed, it was
sent to the functionaries of the Empire (bishops, counts,
missi dominici)
2. RELIGIOUS POWER

The Coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III on the day of the

Nativity [Christmas], year 800
[Glue image of the Coronation of Charlemagne and the Text]

“On the day of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, all [those
who had been present at the council] came together again in
the same basilica of blessed Peter the apostle. And then the
venerable and holy Pontiff, with his own hands, crowned
[Charles] with a most precious crown. Then all the faithful
Romans, seeing how he loved the holy Roman church and its
vicar and how he defended them, cried out with one voice by
the will of God and of St. Peter, the key-bearer of the kingdom
of heaven, "To Charles, most pious Augustus, crowned by
God, great and peace-loving emperor, life and victory."(Salus
et victoria) This was said three times before the sacred tomb
of blessed Peter the apostle, with the invocation of many
saints, and he was instituted by all as emperor of the Romans.
Thereupon, on that same day of the nativity of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the most holy bishop and pontiff anointed his most
excellent son Charles as king with holy oil.
Vita Leonis III (The life of Leo III), from Liber Pontificalis
(book of the Popes), volume II, written in the 9th century.

Christian elements in the text:

1-Nativity of Christ (the Coronation of
Charlemagne was on the day of the Nativity)
2- The Pope crowned Charlemagne (“with his most
precious crown”)
3- the Romans cried out life and victory to the
“most pious, Augustus, crowned by God, emperor”
4- The invocation three times before the tomb of St
Peter
5- The Pope anointed Charlemagne as king with
holy oil.