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Name/Date/Class: _________________________________________________
Charlemagne: The Father of Medieval Europe
"He was truly emperor among kings in the Dark Ages."
Historian from the 19th century
First, there was Ancient Greece: A time of intellectual brilliance, the pursuit of
knowledge, science, medicine, mathematics. And then there was the mighty, wealthy,
all-powerful Roman Empire. Western civilization seemed unstoppable.
And then came the unthinkable- the Roman Empire fell in 476. How could this
be? For so years Europe flourished as a center of power, education, politics, art, and
culture. The Roman Empire had order and law. Now it was no more.
And so, Europe entered the Middle Ages, or Medieval Age- a period from 500 to
1400 A.D. The Middle Ages was a time of political chaos, a breakdown in government,
and drop in education and culture. There was chaos, misery, hunger, and confusion.
Hence, it became known as the Dark Ages, the “lowest point” in Europe’s history.
But there would be hope. For an all-too brief period, in the 800s, there was a light
that seemed to signal a return to the glory of the past. A man emerged who did what no
one had been able to do since ancient Rome- unite Europe into one single force. His
name was Charlemagne, which is Latin for "Charles the Great."
Charlemagne was born in 742 to the Franks, one of the groups of "barbarians"
who had raided the Roman Empire. His father was a Frankish king and his legendary
grandfather was Charles Martel ("the Hammer"). It was he who had won the Battle of
Tours, in 732, which defeated Muslim armies. Little did Charles Martel know that his
grandson would eclipse him completely.
When his father died, Charlemagne- who stood over 192 cm (a giant back then)
became king of the Franks. But he was not satisfied just ruling the Frankish Kingdom,
and so, like countless conquerors before him, he set out to acquire more land.
First came Italy, and while he took the peninsula by force, he was very careful
not to harm the territories of the Roman Catholic Pope. Charlemagne was a deeply
religious Christian who respected the pope’s authority. This respect would earn
Charlemagne enormous rewards in the future.
From Italy he conquered other tribes in Germany and in Eastern Europe. Finally,
he turned his eyes east to Spain, the only part of Europe ruled by Muslims. Charlemagne
attacked on behalf of the Catholic Church (and himself, of course). But, for the first time
in his wildly successful military career, he was not able to defeat his enemy. The
Muslims in Spain fought viciously against him. Charlemagne, a practical man, decided
to abandon the Spanish campaign and move on.
Soon, Charlemagne controlled an empire that encompassed nearly all of Western
Europe. This had not been accomplished since the time of the Romans; it took them
centuries to unite Europe. Charlemagne had done it in a few decades.
One day, in the year 800, Charlemagne was attending mass in Rome. As he knelt
to pray, the pope approached him and placed a jeweled golden crown on his head. He
then proclaimed the Frankish king “Emperor of the Romans.” Charlemagne claimed he
knew nothing of this plan; historians disagree. He had arranged with the pope to have
the ceremony done publicly to appear humble.
With an empire that included nearly all of Europe, Charlemagne set forth to rule,
and rule he did. This is where he truly shines as a historical figure. Like the Roman
emperors, he held absolute power, but, unlike them, he did not care for pomp and
pageantry or extravagant living. He often dressed in simple clothes, ate simple meals,
and slept in a simple bed. He wanted to show his people that he was not a luxury-loving
monarch, but a serious, dedicated soldier-king. The people loved him for this.
To rule his vast empire, Charlemagne appointed many powerful nobles to rule in
his name. To keep control of his nobles and prevent them from rebelling, he created
officials known as missi dominici to travel through his lands and make sure his orders
were carried out. They also listened to locals’ complaints about their government, and so
Charlemagne kept ahead of any trouble that might arise.
Charlemagne's most famous project was a revival of education. In the Early
Middle Ages, only a very tiny portion of the population could read- nobles and the
clergy. Charlemagne promptly opened new schools to give the people education. His
educational officials created new curriculums of study that included grammar,
mathematics, music, and science- all of which had been forgotten since Rome’s fall.
Among the students was none other than the Emperor himself, for Charlemagne
was one of the most famous illiterates in history. Even as he brilliantly administered his
enormous empire, he never became fully literate. It was a great irony of his reign.
Besides education, Charlemagne also excelled in reforming laws and economics.
He was one of the first leaders after the fall of the Romans to bring back courts, judges,
and juries in trials. After the fall of Rome, Europe had reverted back to the ancient
system of bartering. Charlemagne did away with this by minting coins of his empire.
Charlemagne sponsored painters, sculptors, and other artists to create beautiful art.
Charlemagne also considered himself the protector of the Catholic Church; not
only was he religious, but the Church had given him his crown. His good relationship
with the Church increased his power with the people. But his religious devotion also
made him quite intolerant. When Charlemagne conquered one tribe, the Saxons, he gave
them a choice: convert or die. Thousands refused and were slaughtered by his troops.
For nearly fifty years, Charlemagne ruled his prosperous empire. It seemed as
though the glories of the forgotten ancient past were coming back. He was a man of
boundless energy, curiosity, and ability. His greatest shame was remaining illiterate.
Like all men of his time, he displayed both compassion and great cruelty.
Charlemagne died in 814, leaving behind one of the richest legacies in European
history. Sadly, like Alexander the Great’s empire, it would be left to men who tore it
apart while fighting for more. It was even sadder in Charlemagne's case, for the men
who tore his empire apart were none other than his sons.
Even as his empire turned to dust, the name of Charlemagne lives on in history.
From an illiterate son of a minor king, built himself the largest empire Europe had seen
since the Romans. He died the most powerful and respected ruler in Europe- no other
man in the thousand years of the Middle Ages would come close to achieving his glory.
Besides emperor, Charlemagne today has been given a new title by historians:
"The Father of Modern Europe." This is because he was the first ruler to unite Europe
together since the fall of Rome. He gave Europeans a sense of identity as Europeans, and
it was this was gave rise to the European countries of today.
Perhaps the historian at the start of the reading said it best: Charlemagne was
truly emperor among kings.
Name/Date/Class: _________________________________________________
Charlemagne: The Father of Medieval Europe
1. The Dark Ages was a time of …________________________________________
2. What did Charlemagne do that no one was able to do? __________________
3. What “barbarian” tribe did Charlemagne belong to? _____________________
4. Charlemagne wanted more territory, so he first attacked ________________
5. What did he not harm? Why? _________________________________________
6. What other tribes did he conquer? _____________________________________
7. He tried conquering ___________________, the only European territory ruled by
__________________. Did he succeed? _____________________________
8. What happened in the year 800? Was Charlemagne aware of it?
___________________________________________________________________________
9. Why did he choose to pretend he did not know it was going to happen?
____________________________________________________________________________
10. Charlemagne held absolute power, but what did he dislike?
____________________________________________________________________________
11. Why did he live so simply? _________________________________________
12. His agents/spies were the _______________________
13. What was his most ambitious project? __________________________________
14. Name a few of the subjects taught in Charlemagne’s schools.
____________________________________________________________________________
15. Charlemagne was an _______________, meaning he could not _________________
16. What are some law reforms of his? What about economic reforms?
____________________________________________________________________________
17. What happened to his empire after his death?
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