Carly Taylor
World History- Final Draft
Mr. Cole
7 December 2015
The Life and Legacy of Charlemagne
An influential person has a great impact on someone or something through their actions and legacy. Charlemagne was a Frankish king who encouraged arts, culture, and education, and greatly influenced the development of the Western culture. If he had not lived the Frankish people would not be as sophisticated as they are today (Charlemagne).
Charlemagne was born around 742, the son of Bertrada of Laon, and Pepin the Short, who became king of the Franks in 751. Charlemagne’s exact birthplace is unknown. Historians have suggested Liege in present-day Belgium and modern-day Germany as possible locations. When Pepin died in October of 768, Charlemagne
collected his inheritance. According to a general assembly of the Franks, Charlemagne and his brother, Carloman, both became kings and were to rule the kingdom together. Charlemagne expanded the number of schools, and the quality of education was greatly improved through the influence of the scholars who taught at the palace school. Toward the conclusion of the Aquitanian campaign, a people that lived in the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, spoke the Aquitanian language, and with the process of Romanization adopted the Latin Language and Roman civilization, a fraternal war seemed certain; but Carloman died unexpectedly in 771 and left Charlemagne as ruler of the entire kingdom (Charlemagne). After the breakup of the Roman Empire in the late 5th-century, its eastern Byzantine half flourished. The western region broke up into a collection of kingdoms that were once one. This left the kingdoms with no central authority. Europe was entering its fourth century of the "Dark Ages" when Charlemagne was born in A.D. 742, a time marked by frequent warfare, few important cultural achievements and the virtual termination of learning. By encouraging arts, culture and education, Charlemagne, who would eventually become the first Holy Roman Emperor – tugged the continent out of cultural stagnation that threatened to never end. A fierce warrior and in many ways an outstanding definition of a Renaissance man, Charlemagne's achievements on the battlefield and in his laws led to the first perception of a pan-European identity. (Greenblatt 15). If Charlemagne never existed then, the eastern Byzantine half of the Roman Empire would have never flourished or become much more educational, after the breakup caused by Charlemagne’s achievements on the battlefield. Charlemagne's support of art and letters had several purposes beyond the general improvement of culture and literacy in the empire. The intellectual traditions and educational institutions supported by Charlemagne greatly influenced the development of Western culture. Charlemagne influenced many people throughout foreign countries, and without him education in these countries would not be the same (Charlemagne). Now the reader has examples of why and how Charlemagne encouraged arts, culture, and education, and greatly influenced the development of the Western culture. As individuals ourselves who are constantly learning, time should be set aside to learn more about Charlemagne and all of his accomplishments because there should be a constant hunger to help make our communities as advanced as Charlemagne made the Frankish community. Works Cited Greenblatt, Miriam. Charlemagne and the Early Middle Ages. New York: Benchmark, 2003. Print. "Charlemagne." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
Charlemagne is a known for his success to try to maintain his empire. This new empire will embrace the unity of Christian faith. Under Charlemagne, new lands are conquered and a Renaissance is embraced. He even tries to revive the Christian faith. Charlemagne is a man that hopes to be an inspiration to the next generation. These deeds of Charlemagne is seen in the Two Lives of Charlemagne. In the Two lives of Charlemagne, both Notker’s and Einhard’s goal is to portray Charlemagne as a man of good character, a man that accomplishes many deeds and a man that hopes to provide an outlet for the next generation.
“He was born soon after 770 and was given his father’s name. The family sent him as a boy to the great monastery of Fulda, where he was educated, and made a grant to the abbey of land which they held in the Maingau. In the 790’s he was sent by the abbot to Charlemagne’s court, where he became the pupil of Yorkshireman Alcuin who had gone to teach there, and succeeded him as teacher at the palace school.”
The most famous work about Charlemagne is a book entitled The Two Lives of Charlemagne which consists of two separate biographies published into one book and tells the story of Charlemagne's life as two different people experienced it. Apart from this, there are many other places you can turn to learn more about the life of the king of the Franks, including letters, capitularies, inventories, annals, and more. However, each of these sources seem to paint a different picture of Charlemagne. In one, he seems to be a very average guy; in another, a mythical being, almost god-like; and a strong and firm political leader in yet another. It is because of this of this that we will never really know exactly who Charlemagne was or what he was like, but we do have an idea of what he did and how he lived thanks to those who decided to preserve it.
The Relationship of Political and Religious Societies in the Age of Charlemagne, Based of Einhard's The life of Charlemagne sections 15-33
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.
Charlemagne’s father, Pepin, died of dropsy on 24 September, 768 and left his two sons, Charlemagne and Carloman, with William, the Duke of Aquitania. After Pepin died, the whole kingdom was divided evenly between the two sons. It was split in such a way that Charlemagne would govern the part that belonged ...
Charlemagne's grandfather was Charles Martel, the warrior who crushed the Saracens. Charlemagne was the elder son of Bertrade and Pepin the Short, first "mayor of the palace" to become king of the Franks. Although schools had almost disappeared in the 8th century, historians believe that Bertrade gave young Charles some education and that he learned to read. His devotion to the church became the driving force of his remarkable life. Charlemagne was tall, powerful, and tireless.
Was it ethical for Charlemagne to force the barbarians to become Christians by killing pagan people who refuse to convert? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary ethical is following something that is morally right or good. I believe Charlemagne’s actions were ethical because the Middle Ages was a time of violence, hatred, and darkness.
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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
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