The crowning of King Stephen marks an inflection point in the history of the Magyars. No longer simply an Asiatic steppe people, they were now very much an independent Christian kingdom. Yet this coronation has surprisingly been the subject of much debate. Early Hungarian history and popular tradition state that Pope Sylvester sent the crown to King Stephen, yet legitimate questions have been raised about this account. For example, the Papal Bull that Sylvester II was alleged to have issued crowning King Stephen has been shown to have been a forgery likely dating to the seventeenth century. Furthermore, as historian Lewis L. Kropf argues, “when Pope Gregory VII claimed Hungary as a fief in 1074 he made no allusion to any such gift.” Yet that …show more content…
Under Stephen, multiple Bishoprics were established, such as those in Pecs and Csanad in 1009 and 1030 respectively. Furthermore, Stephen personally saw to the establishment of the monasteries of Zalavár, Pécsvárad, and Bakonybél. While by all accounts a fervently pious individual, there is no doubt that it was in Stephen’s political interest to see to the development of Christianity in his kingdom. Historian Pál Engel argues there was a strong symbiosis between royal power and the Catholic church, writing that, “on the one hand, the new [church] was not sustainable without a strong royal power; on the other, it was the Christian religion that gave the kingship an authority never possessed by pagan rulers.” The Christianization of the Magyars both distanced him from the tribal system of government practiced by the Magyars and lent him legitimacy as an equal of Christian kings throughout Western …show more content…
Just as importantly, Stephen laid the groundwork for an effective monarchy with the establishment of administrative and legal systems. One of the biggest challenges faced by any Western king was actually administering his kingdom, and Hungary was no exception. Nobles were fickle and often wielded more power locally than the king. Perhaps the most powerful weapon in any king’s arsenal to assert control over his realm was an effective administrative and legal system. Knowing this, Stephen set out to establish just that, adopting much from existing Western models. János Bak et. al. argue that “the laws of St. Stephen point to the legal models of the Frankish monarchy, in particular Bavarian legal codes. The Decreta St. Stephani Regis contain a number of verbal borrowings from Carolingian capitularies and other legal texts of the Frankish West.” Legal historian Tamás Nótári argues that a clear Byzantine legal influence can be found in Stephen’s laws in addition to the aforementioned Carolingian impact. The same pattern that is clear when examining the adoption of Christianity in Hungary is clear when viewing the birth of Stephen’s administration. This is logical, as the Catholic Church was indeed a vital aspect of Stephen's administration. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the very first chapter of the Decreta St. Stephani Regis is “The state of
that he had earned the position as the ruler of Europe the entire and would soon take
the famous abbey churches of St. Stephen and Holy Trinite, were to symbolize important new harmonies in the duke's career: a new harmony between church and temporal government..." (Lloyd, Alan. The Making of the King: 1066. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966.page76) The churches are remarkably still in much the original shape now, as they were in the 11th century.
very strong Christian king and does what he has to do as a king. This
The collection Two Lives of Charlemagne contains two different biographies of Charlemagne who was a king of the Franks and a christian emperor of the West in the 8th century. The first biographical account was written by his courtier Einhard who knew him personally and well. On the other hand, the second account was penned by Notker the Stammerer was born twenty-five years after the king’s death. Even though these two versions indicate the same king’s life, there were many differences between the two. Einhard’s writing focused on the emperor’s official life and his military campaign. However, Notker provided more of a perspective about the king’s legacy and seemed more hyperbolic as well as mythical. This paper will compare and contrast the
Unlike today, the church had a close relationship with the State. There was practically no division between secular and state affairs. The secular law that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe stated that all crimes that were committed we...
The Relationship of Political and Religious Societies in the Age of Charlemagne, Based of Einhard's The life of Charlemagne sections 15-33
In The History of the Franks, Gregory of Tours portrayed Clovis as a leader who, although his conversion to Christianity appeared to be genuine, nonetheless, used his conversion to realize his political aspirations. By converting to Christianity, Clovis, according to Gregory of Tours’ narrative, was able to garner the support of Christian leaders such as Saint Remigius and, consequently, gain powerful political allies. Moreover, as a result of his conversion, Clovis became a king who was more attractive to orthodox Christians. Furthermore, Clovis’ conversion provided him with a reason for conquering territories that were not ruled by orthodox Christians. Thus, Clovis was able to bring additional territories under his command without resistance from local orthodox Christian leaders and with a degree of approval from the orthodox Christian masses as he, in essence, took on the Christ-like role of savior and liberator who relieved the orthodox Christian masses of flawed leadership from “false” Christians, pagans, or the morally inept. Interestingly, it seems that Clovis’ alleged behavior was not entirely unique as parallels and discrepancies exist between Gregory of Tour’s account of Clovis’ conversion to orthodox Christianity, his depiction of Gundobad’s conversion, and Eusebius’ description of Constantine’s conversion.
The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker are two medieval sources about the accounts of the life Charlemagne. Modern sources by Matthew Innes and Rosamond Mckitterick discuss how history was recorded during the medieval period and how it was suppose to be viewed in the early ages. Observing each of these sources helps get an understanding of how the writing of history is important in recorded history and how it affected how the history of Charlemagne was recorded.
Throughout the Ages there have been many leaders who were known for their great rule. One of these great men during the 8th century was Charlemagne. The Life of Charlemagne was written by Einhard, a Frankish elite who had the privilege of working in the courts of Charlemagne. The book did not come out till after Charlemagne’s death but, it goes through his life in a thematic fashion. Einhard sets the book by first addressing deeds, habits, and then administration. This writing was one of the first of its kind. While there were many biographies written on the lives of saints known as hagiography, this was the first of its kind to be written about a secular ruler since the time of Antiquity. I will begin by talking about Charlemagne’s rise to power, then about his character and personality, and finally his relationship with his family.
For instance, in 1481, the “Catholic Kings” were what Ferdinand and Isabella were known as. The kingdom of Castile and Aragon were ruled together, but not as countries. It was a union of crowns (Isaacs). “The two kingdoms maintained their separate l...
Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, became the undisputed ruler of Western Europe, “By the sword and the cross.” (Compton’s 346) As Western Europe was deteriorating Charlemagne was crowned the privilege of being joint king of the Franks in 768 A.D. People of Western Europe, excluding the church followers, had all but forgotten the great gifts of education and arts that they had possessed at one time. Charlemagne solidly defeated barbarians and kings in identical fashion during his reign. Using the re-establishment of education and order, Charlemagne was able to save many political rights and restore culture in Western Europe.
"Charlemagne." Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Web. 19 May 2015.
(Holmes 75) The Church played a vital role in the kingdom of Charlemagne. It made sense. of stability to Charlemagne's rule, and he in turn provided stability in the Church.
Rice, Eugene E. and Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. 2nd. ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1994.
Ullmann, Walter. A Short History of the Papacy in the Middle Ages. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: Routledge, 2003.