Charlemagne

Lore & Background

A member of the Frankish Carolingian dynasty, Charlemagne was the eldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon. With his brother Carloman I, he became king of the Franks in 768 following Pepin's death and became the sole ruler three years later. Charlemagne continued his father's policy of protecting the papacy and became its chief defender, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy in 774. His reign saw a period of expansion that led to the conquests of Bavaria, Saxony, and northern Spain, as well as other campaigns that led Charlemagne to extend his rule over a large part of Europe. Charlemagne spread Christianity to his new conquests, as seen at the Massacre of Verden against the Saxons. He also sent envoys and initiated diplomatic contact with Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph in the 790s, due to their mutual interest in Iberian affairs. In 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III. Although historians debate the coronation's significance, the title represented the height of his prestige and authority. Charlemagne's position as the first emperor in the West in over 300 years brought him into conflict with the Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. Through his assumption of the imperial title, he is considered the forerunner to the line of Holy Roman Emperors, which persisted into the 19th century. As king and emperor, Charlemagne engaged in numerous reforms in administration, law, education, military organisation, and religion, which shaped Europe for centuries. The stability of his reign began a period of cultural activity known as the Carolingian Renaissance. Charlemagne died in 814 and was buried at the Palatine Chapel (now part of Aachen Cathedral) in Aachen, his imperial capital city.

Reader's Guide

Charlemagne was a member of the Carolingian dynasty and the eldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon. He became King of the Franks in 768 alongside his brother Carloman I, and became the sole ruler three years later. His reign was defined by military expansion, political reform, and cultural revival. He continued his father’s policy of protecting the papacy, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy in 774. His conquests included Bavaria, Saxony, and northern Spain, and he spread Christianity into newly conquered territories, notably through the Massacre of Verden against the Saxons. He also initiated diplomatic contact with the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid in the 790s, driven by mutual interests in Iberia. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned him emperor in Rome, a title that represented the height of his prestige and authority, though its significance is debated. This made him the first recognized Western emperor in over three centuries and brought him into conflict with the Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. His assumption of the imperial title is considered a forerunner to the Holy Roman Emperors, a line that persisted into the 19th century. As ruler, Charlemagne enacted reforms in administration, law, education, military organization, and religion that shaped Europe for centuries. The stability of his reign fostered the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of cultural activity. He died in 814 and was buried at the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, his imperial capital. His influence has led many historians to call him the “Father of Europe,” and he is seen as a founding figure by multiple European states, with several royal houses tracing their lineage to him. He has been the subject of artworks, monuments, and literature from the medieval period onward.

Did You Know?

• Charlemagne was known as Karlo to Early Old French speakers and as Carolus in Medieval Latin.
• The name Charlemagne comes from the French Charles-le-magne, meaning 'Charles the Great'.
• The Latin epithet magnus may have been associated with him during his lifetime, but this is not certain.
• Charlemagne's name was adapted by Slavic languages as their word for 'king' (e.g., Russian korol', Polish król).
• He was the first recognised emperor to rule from the west after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Right action is better than knowledge; but in order to do what is right, we must know what is right." — Charlemagne "If only I could have a dozen churchmen as wise and as well taught in all human knowledge as were Jerome and Augustine!" — Charlemagne "It is not lack of self-restraint but care for others which makes me dine in Lent before the hour of evening." — Charlemagne "Quoted in Notker's The Deeds of Charlemagne (translated 2008 by David Ganz). Referring to conspirators against Pope Leo III." — Charlemagne