Charles The Great: Einhard's Life Of Charlemagne

Einhard--- having received a solid education in biblical studies and Latin classics, at monastery whose founder was closely tied to the Carolingians--- came to serve under Charlemagne--- Charles the Great, in English--- when the writer was quite young. Growing up in his servitude, Einhard gained a strong admiration for the king, practicing a kind of hero-worship. Charlemagne was more than a king; he was a king of kings, strong, dependable, wise and worthy. In Einhard’s eyes, he could do no wrong. His chronicles of the ruler’s life, Life of Charlemagne was done in the style of The Lives of the Caesars, the first Roman emperors. According to Einhard, Charlemagne successfully led his kingdom with a contradictory combination of brute force, and

a kind of holy disposition backed by the Catholic Church.
Charlemagne was brutal, according to Einhard, bent on grabbing more and more land, defeating more and more of his and his father’s enemies, leading wars of conquest that resulted in Francia nearly doubling in size during his reign. When Charlemagne’s father Pepin III died, he left his kingdom to his two sons. Almost poetically Charles received his father’s half of the kingdom and his brother, Carloman was given his uncle’s half. Already, Einhard paints Charlemagne as a victor over his own brother, describing Carloman as lecherous and deceitful and jealous. This jealousy, this envy, comes up several times in Einhard’s narration. First, Charlemagne won Aquitaine. Then, in 773, Charles took up against the Lombards on the advice of Hadrian, the bishop of Rome. In defeating the Lombards, Charlemagne was able to restore all of that had been seized from the Romans, doing what his father, Pepin, before him proved unable to do. Here, Charlemagne proves himself worthy of not only driving out a formidable enemy who had terrorized Rome for decades, but he also fulfilled a promise. This promise to Hadrian bonded to the two men and their respective offices to one another, and as a king, the backing of Rome and papal authority is absolutely invaluable.
Next, Charlemagne took on the Saxons in a war described as “longer, harder [and] more dreadful” than the rest (Rosenwein 138).

After years of skirmishes and attack along their shared borders, the Franks decided to go to war in order to put an end to the dispute for once and for all in 772. The Saxons were not at all like the Franks. Einhard describes them as pagan and uncivilized in every possible way. “Naturally fierce, [worshipping] demons and . . . opposed to [our religion]” (Rosenwein 138). It is important to note that in demonizing his enemies, Einhard reinforces this idea of Charlemagne’s power source being something beyond this world. He is endowed with wisdom and an ability that is near holy. Charlemagne is no longer a man, or even a king, but something more. In 804, the conflict ended once again on Charlemagne’s terms. He ordered the Saxons to give up their pagan ways and accept the Christian religions and they--- as Einhard seems to suggest--- happily obliged. This is yet another fantastic tale of Charles’ conquests. The enemy falling at the king’s feet. He gave a command to the Saxons and followed, and with the decree Charlemagne suddenly is able to unite the people. Obviously, history does not happen this way, but it is Einhard’s voice as an author that tells the audience of the Charlemagne’s larger-than-life

persona.
From here, Einhard begins to go into Charlemagne’s personal history, which only builds upon his already high moral fiber. Charlemagne is described as a devoted family, doting on his children with the upmost affection. He enjoyed food and wine, but was never overindulgent. He liked learning and insisted that all of his children receive proper educations. All of this combined not only points to the strong character that Einhard keeps noting, but these are also values reinforced time and time again in the Christian/papal tradition. Chapter 40 of the Benedictine Rule “The Measure of Drink” states “let it be up to the judgment of the superior, who must always take care lest excess or drunkenness creep in” (Rosenwein 23) At the time, monasteries were the sources of the education and classical learning. Einhard even cited one of Charlemagne’s favorite books as City of God by St. Augustine. These ties to religion again are extremely important in building a fortified imperial figure. With the church in one hand and a powerful fist clenched on his other side, Charles the Great could not lose.
Charlemagne was full of contradictions. That a man described as “pious and prudent” can in the same breath be described as the brutal political animal that he was is no small thing. The piety and the prowess on the battlefield made him so effective. The Carolingian legacy was that they expanded Francia and made it rise up from under poor, ineffective and weak leadership. These men were true men, noble and born to lead. Charlomagne was a combination of all of the makings of a great leader.