The Coming Of Christianity And The Kingdom Of The Franks

The above statement can perhaps best sum up the relationship between Christianity and Europe throughout the ages. Christianity has been the strongest single influence in the history of Europe. Regardless of the century, no discussion would be complete without reference being made, at least in small part, to the Church. It is true that in recent centuries this influence has declined significantly, but nevertheless one could argue that it still plays an important part in the lives of many people. Throughout history Christianity has been both a unifying force and also a force for disunity.

The threat of the custom of the Carolingian rulers to divide Frankish lands a number of the participants of the Carolingian dynasty, usually valid male descendants that brought about the

Einhard’s The Life of Charlemagne is one of several prominent texts from Mediaeval Europe. The main focus of the text is on the life of Charlemagne, the Frankish king from the Carolingian dynasty. Under his rule, the Frankish kingdom experiences an extensive period of prosperity and growth, especially in intellectually related areas since Charlemagne himself is a well-known patron of the arts (#). Hence, Charlemagne is the ruler often credited for the “Roman revival” across Mediaeval Europe. In order to ensure that Charlemagne’s glorious reign will leave its mark in history, all of Charlemagne’s works and accomplishments are accounted for Einhard’s book. As expressed in the preface of the book, Einhard’s intention is to document the life of the greatest king that is often overlooked in other texts (*). Four essential facts are noted in The Life of Charlemagne: 1) The prevalence of alliances & foreign relations 2) Cultural revolution through public works & endorsement of the arts 3) Promotion of the Christian faith 4) Public reforms throughout the state. The Frankish kingdom rises as the dominant post-Roman European entity through the political and economical stabilization of the state with the use of foreign alliances. Emperor Charlemagne is said to have close relations with Kings of Persia, Scotland, and Constantinople (*). Prosperity in the Frankish kingdom is due to the frequent correspondences that exist between these European states, further promoting the flow of

Clovis, king of the Franks, established the Merovingian Empire in 481. Then, in 511, he split his empire between his four sons. The kings in the Merovingian line continued to hand down their thrones to their later generations, which slowly started to make them weak. This was because they were using nepotism instead of giving positions based on merit. So, after time, positions called Mayors of the Palace were formed. Mayors of the Palace, according to the dictionary, were people “of a line of hereditary administrative lieutenants to the Merovingian kings who eventually took over royal function and title in the Frankish kingdoms”. Over time, the descendants of Clovis became to be known as “Do-Nothing kings”, because they relied on the Mayors of the Palace to do work. The “Do-Nothing kings began to have virtually no power, but they still held on to their title as king. One of the most famous Mayors of the Palace was Charles Martel. His son, Pepin became the Frankish king. Pepin’s son was Charlemagne. Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who achieved many well-known accomplishments which have shaped the political, military, and religious aspects of Europe today. Charlemagne was known by Einhart as a “good father,

Although the Crusades resulted in defeat for Europeans, many believe that they successfully extended the spread the Christianity and Western Civilization. The Roman Catholic Church experienced an increase in wealth and the power of the Pope rose after the Crusades ended. Trade and transportation also improved throughout Europe due to the Crusades. The wars created a constant demand for supplies and transportation which created ship-building and the manufacturing of many supplies. Most importantly was the impact on commerce. They created a constant demand for the transportation of men and supplies, encourage ship building, and extended market in Europe. The expansion of agricultural production made growth of towns, an increase in trade and a

Charlemagne was also a huge supporter for education for the empire and to improve culture. He had the idea that a Christian king should be responsible for the church.

The world that is known today is nothing like its former self. Never the less, everything had to start somehow. 500AD was a time of decline, separation, and the time for conquerors to emerge. Empires fell, religions grew, and science advanced. In the fifth century, religion, culture, politics, economics, education, society, and technology were all intertwined. Each one effects each other with conflicts or growth.

The life of Charlemagne is one of historical and utter greatness. He ruled in a time of turmoil and disorder during middle ages in Europe. The successes of his past lineage prepared and propelled him to take on the tremendous task of expanding, governing and reforming the Frankish Empire. Charlemagne incredible accomplishment during his sovereignty. For he not only invented an efficient way to govern his people call feudalism, he also created a way to keep the loyalty to his empire through inspectors. He led countless conquests against the various adversaries that once opposed the Holy Roman Empire, which expanded his empire across the greater half of Europe. With his grand conquests a solidification between the Catholic Church and the State began to take hold. Charlemagne being a keen individual saw great opportunity within the partnership with the Church especially ones of the monasteries. Using them to usher in the Carolingian renaissance. The crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor fashioned a turning point that would forever change the path of Europe. Within years after his death, though, Charlemagne once boundless empire wasted away. Charlemagne’s reign indeed greatly influenced the course of Europe in ways he had only hoped it would. But as history often shows for every one event there are often several incantations and interpretations. Charlemagne reign is definitely not an exception to the rule, his tale is presented in two biographies; the first version is titled ‘Life of Charlemagne’ which was

The Franks were a Germanic, Catholic tribe that lived North of Italy, whose king, Charlemagne, was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in exchange for his protection. The Franks acted as replacement protection for the Byzantines, who no longer backed the Pope. Besides the issue of having two emperors at once, to the Byzantines, the divide between them, the Pope, and what he controlled would be ever more separated if even barbarians such as the Franks were seen as a better source of allegiance than them.

The Carolingian Dynasty played a large role in the Middle Ages. Arguably the most influential person of the Middle Ages was Charlemagne who was a part of the Carolingian Dynasty. Under Charlemagne’s rule, Western Europe was unified, Christianity spread and a cultural light began to flicker. The Carolingian Dynasty started with Clovis who united the Franks under his rule.

The Franks were initially successful during the Crusades but eventually succumbed and were defeated by the Middle East. Their advances in the First and Second Crusade were not exclusively because of the Frank’s fortitude, instead it was the Middle East’s political instability that allowed them to prosper. Once the tables turned and Muslim countries unified, the Europeans became increasingly inefficient until they were unable to continue their crusade.

Son of Pepin the Short, King of the Franks from 751 to 768, (Nelson 2018 para 2) Charlemagne was born into a family of success and religion. From 768 to 814, ("Charlemagne - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com", n.d.) Charlemagne, or Charles I, was a medieval emperor, who ruled much of western Europe. He became King of the Franks, a Germanic tribe that spread throughout present day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, western Germany and the Netherlands, in 771 ("Charlemagne - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com", n.d.), ultimately changing the face and future of medieval Europe. In order to fully understand and evaluate Charlemagne’s impact and legacy, it is necessary to investigate his reign, territorial expansion and his influence on the church.

The premier exercise of their authority was in legislation enacted at councils. This law was wide in scope and expressive not only of moral ideals, but also of a fully elaborated social thought. Most bishops in Frankish society not only held their respective bishoprics, but also extensive family land as most came from the nobility. This aristocratic origin of most bishops was not seen by contemporaries as an impediment to episcopal office, but rather as an appropriate background for someone who would rule a community, in addition to governing its religious cult. Bishops, moreover, did not act as functional equivalents of senators or nobles, but as a distinctive, cohesive group, possessing a self-conscious and unifying identity.

By the Cross and the Sword : Charlemagne’s Impact on the West. “He who ordains the fate of kingdoms in the march of the centuries, the all-powerful Disposer of events, having destroyed one extraordinary image, that of the Romans, which had, it was true, feet of iron, or even feet of clay, then raised up, among the Franks, the golden head of a second image, equally remarkable, in the person of the illustrious Charlemagne. Notker the Stammerer, the monk of St. Gall, wrote these words in AD 844 to describe the reign of the most influential Frankish king Charlemagne ( Lectures 1). Charlemagne, son of Pepin the Short, ruled the Franks for 47 years (Koeller 1). The Carolingian Dynasty, of which Charlemagne was a member, was

The single most important aspect of European empires, beginning just prior to the fall of Rome, is the spread of Christianity to all areas of the continent in as little as a few hundred years. Many theologians state that Christianities spread is the indirect influence of God and the adoration of people to one true faith. Though it is true that Christianity has brought about people that even atheists could call saints, it is unquestionable that Christianity was so monumental because it united larger groups of people and its spread is contributed to adherence to local customs and its lack of new ideas in comparison to other religions of the day.