Charlemagnes Imperial Coronation

Charlemagnes majestic CoronationCharlemagne, the son of Pepin, was born in 742 A. D. He was pouf of the Franks and part of the Carolingian line until 768. On Christmas Day of the division 800 A.D. Charles was crowned by pontiff male monarch of beasts III as the consecrated Roman Emperor and he remained emperor moth for fourteen years. The investment took dumb assemble at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome and since then Charlemagne was c onlyed emperor and augustus1. Charlemagnes coronation tag the beginning of the creation of the Holy Roman Empire. Bryce argues that, aside from the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, his coronation marked also the impressiveness of the Middle Ages furthermore supports that if the ceremony had not taken place the chronicle of the world would grant been different.2 pontiff Leo took the decision to crown Charles because a) Charlemagne bring through him, b) Roman rebels could only be come uped by an Emperor c) the throne of the empire was e mpty and in the east the throne was encroached by Irene. Charlemagne, from his side, saw his coronation as the only solution given to the problem of cling toing the pontificate from the eastern Empire. Moreover, it was his opportunity to become equal in prominence with the eastward emperor.There ar several accounts concerning the background of the coronation of Charlemagne. Going first, Einhard, was the Frankish court scholar and advisor, as well up as Charless friend. His account of the events was scripted after Charlemagne died. According to Einhard, King Charles felt responsible to keep the church building of St. Peter safe and protected as well as to fasten the church after the inhabitants of Rome had violently attacked Pope Leo, putting come in his eyes and cutting off his tongue, and had forced him to flee to the King for help.3Moreover, Einhard supports that the king was unaware of the coronation and that the events that took place were arranged only by the Pope. Wha t Einhard in particularly says is that not only had the Pope planned the coronation all by himself, however also that Charlemagne did not desired to be an Imperial Emperor. However, it should be taken into consideration that Einhards work is modeled upon biographies of other gallant writers, especially Suetonius. Thus, he may have been trying to present Charlemagne as the dandy person who did have the qualifications to be an Emperor but did not want to be one. When a person did not want the power, but deserved it, he would take it anyway. Bearing in mind that Einhard cute to be a Roman olympian writer, his work and what he supports have to viewed with caution and not taken into account as completely accurate. In addition, Einhard had a great respect for King Charles, so a lot, that it has possibly touch his writing.The second account is the biography of Pope Leo III (Liber pontificalis) that provides a different presentation of the coronation in 800 A.D. This biography argues that Pope Leo arranged the coronation of Charles as an Imperial Emperor to reward him for the justification that he gave and the love that he bore for the holy Roman church building and her Vicar4The problem that has to do with this source is the point of view it presents The events presented in the bibliography are in favour of Pope Leo and that is possibly because clergymen involved with the grandiloquent court were responsible of collecting papal bibliographies.The tether source is a monastic chronicle, named the Lorsch Annals, supporting that the coronation was planned not only by the Pope, but the holy fathers as well. In addition, it is argued that thither was an agreement betwixt the Pope, the holy fathers and the citizenry of Rome that Charlemagne should be crowned as Emperor.Finally, the third source is the account from the Frankish Royal Annals, written by people connected to the Frankish court. In contrast with the other three sources, the Frankish Royal Annals are focusing on Charles and present Leos utilization as minimal. The source refers to how Charlemagne was admired and loved by all of the community and how some(prenominal) all wanted him to be an Imperial Emperor.According to the historiography of this period, there are three possibilities the coronation was desired and planned either by a) Pope Leo alone, b) by Charlemagne alone or c) by some(prenominal) Pope Leo and Charlemagne.Pope Leo III was not that much wanted in the Church and from the start of his pontificate he had to encounter several issues. In addition his relationship with nobility was nearly terrible. He definitely needed protection an emperor-provided protection. Inside Leos head things were simple the Frankish King Charles had to be crowned as Imperial Emperor in order to protect and restore the popes position and prestige in Rome. Moreover, the Pope saw in Charles nature a strong believer of Christianity, who could protect and defend Christianity5. The Popes d ecision of crowing Charlemagne was also influenced by the fact that Irene encroached the einsteiniumern throne in 797. In addition to that, Leo desired to mount freedom from the restraints of the Eastern Empire, and therefore, freedom to achieve his political goals. An emperor-provided protection in the due west would possibly make the Church keep its secular authority. most(prenominal) of Latin Christendom was outside imperial control and, also, by the middle of the eighth century, Rome and the lands of central Italy that were controlled by the Roman Church were no thirster part of the Byzantine Empire.6Moreover, the Lombard kingdom seemed to be a threat for papacy and the East seemed unable to protect it. Thus, a different relationship was create amidst the Carolingian rulers of the Franks and the papacy. The Carolingians were needed for military reasons and to prevent the Byzantines from intervening in Italy. The coronation initiated the process of liberation from the Byz antines. Thus, Leos need for safety, in addition to the personality of Charles, and Irenes usurpation of the throne, may have made the Pope crown Charles as the Imperial Emperor.The Lorsch Annals give us a description of Charlemagnes assemblage of December 800. The parole here is not the settling of the problems of Pope Leo. It is discussion about the problems in Rome and how the empire should be restored. Therefore it bear be said that Pope Leo hid himself behind the problems of the Empires restoration, when, in fact, it was himself he was trying to protect. The Lorsh Annals description is as follows Since there was no daylong an emperor in the land of the Greeks and they all were chthonic the domination of a woman, it seemed to Pope Leo and to all the fathers who sat in the assembly, as well as to the whole Christian people, that they should give the name of emperor to king of the Franks, to Charles, who occupied Rome, where the Caesars had customarily resided, and also Italy , Gaul, and Germany. Because Almighty God had consented to place these lands under his authority, it seemed right, according to the desire of the whole Christian people, that Charles should also bear the imperial title.7Despite the fact that Charlemagne had imperial objectives, the coronations organisation seems to have been arranged in the main by the Pope. Einhard supports that King Charles expressed unwillingness upon this decision of Leo. Charlemagne reacted negatively not because he did not want the Imperial title, but because he believed that he should not be crowded as emperor by a humiliated Pope. It was more of a prestige issue. However, little doubt corpse that he was not aware of the coronation. Evidence can be found in Richs book, where a court poet mentions King Charles as head of the world and summit of Europe, the new Augustus who reigns in a unfermented Rome.8The last thing to be mentioned is the latent hostility between the West and the East caused by the coronat ion. Einhard describes this tension Once he (Charlemagne) had accepted the title, he endured with great patience the jealousy of the so-called Roman Emperors, who were most incensed at what had happened. He overcame their hostility only by the sheer distinctiveness of his personality, which was much more forceful than theirs. He was forever sending messengers to them, and in his dispatches he called them his brothers.9Charlemagne always tried to have a balanced relationship with the East, since he believed in the equality between the former and the West. His attempts, however, had no response.In conclusion, the three reasons mentioned for the coronation of Charlemagne by Leo are all true in a way. The papacy was certainly reluctant to lose its power to the East and therefore saw Charlemagne as its protector. Therefore, the relationship that was formed between the Carolingians and the Pope marked the collapse of partnership between the East and the West Empire. Einhard describes th e tension that the coronation caused between the East and Charlemagne Once he had accepted the title, he endured with great patience the jealousy of the so-called Roman Emperors, who were most indignant at what had happened. He overcame their hostility only by the sheer strength of his personality, which was much more forceful than theirs. He was forever sending messengers to them, and in his dispatches he called them his brothers.10There is little doubt that Charlemagne did not look ahead to his coronation and the Imperial title. He, however, tried to support the idea of equality between the West and the East. The most significant aspect, though, of the coronation of Charlemagne comes from the restoration of the Roman Church. On the one hand the restoration strengthened the relationship between Church and secular power in the West. On the other hand, it made worsened the relationship between the East and West Empire. Monica Fleener11argues that the coronation of Charlemagne in 800 A.D. marked the formation of Western Unity. She supports that this is because when Pope Leo sought help from Charlemagne, in order to cope with the problems he had in Italy, Charlemagne responded positively. In addition, that respond, meant the separation of the West and the East, the Roman and the Byzantium Empire. And it was exactly the separation of the West and the North that led to the gimmick of Europe. The coronation of Charles thus indicated the beginning of Europe.