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Charlemagne (shar-luh-mayn), Emperor Born: 742 CE Died: 814 CE Years in Power: 800 – 814 Best Known As: Emperor known as "a light in the Dark Ages" Charlemagne (means: Charles the Great) was a king who conquered most of Europe and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in the year 800. Charlemagne was probably born somewhere in what is now France or Germany. During his reign Charlemagne proved himself a brilliant military strategist and administrator, promoting art and education while waging war from Central Europe to the Mediterranean. A strong and energetic leader, he used the sword to double the size of his empire. Among his many campaigns were: The Lombard War (773-775); the Spanish War (778801); the conquest of Bavaria (787-788); and a thirty-year effort to hold back the Saxons and convert them to Christianity. During his reign, Charlemagne also spread the Christian faith by created educational monasteries where Christians would work on their literacy (ability to read) of religious texts. He forced conquered tribes to convert to Christianity. When one tribe refused, he rounded up 4,500 people and beheaded them all in one day. Best known for his goodness as well as his brutality, Charlemagne ruled over most of Europe and created a period of relative order during the otherwise chaotic Middle Ages. Constantine I The Great, Emperor Born: 280 CE Death: 337 CE Years in Power: 312 CE – 337 CE Constantine I came to the throne when his father, Constantius, died in 312 CE. Constantius had been in charge of only the western section of the Roman Empire. By 324, Constantine had brought the entire Roman world -both East and West- under his rule. Throughout his life, Constantine believed that he was successful because of his conversion to Christianity and because of the support of the Christian God. At this time, Christianity was not accepted by the government and Christians were often attacked or persecuted. Under his leadership, he allowed Christianity to flourish within the Empire, and in 313, he issued the Edict of Milan, giving Christians the right to practice their religion openly. After he took control of the entire Roman Empire, Constantine moved his seat of government from Rome all the way to the east in a city he called Constantinople (present day Istanbul, Turkey). He chose the ancient Greek city that stood at the point where Europe and Asia meet. In 330, he dedicated the city of Constantinople, "The City of Constantine”. He called this city the “new Rome”. Constantinople was not only the new capital of the Roman Empire, but it also symbolized the triumph of the Christians. Constantine's embrace of Christianity eventually led him to be baptized before his death in 337. He was best known as the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity during his reign. Diocletian (dy-oh-klee-shun), Emperor Born: 245 CE Died: 313 CE Years in Power: 284 CE – 305 CE Diocletian was a soldier who rose through the military ranks and finally became emperor of Rome. When Diocletian became ruler, the empire had experienced many years of chaos and instability. Diocletian’s goal was to change this period of chaos and instability by changing how the government was set up. He began to re-establish balance and peace in the Empire. He was a great administrator and realized that ruling the entire Roman Empire was too difficult for one man. Diocletian's first order of business was to change how the Empire was ruled. Since he felt that the Roman Empire was too large to govern alone, Diocletian formed a new type of government, which divided the Roman Empire into two regions: Western and Eastern. Diocletian rules the wealthier Eastern half and appointed a co-Emperor to help him rule the Western half. Diocletian wanted to abolish the Christian religion by destroying all Christian places of worship and written materials, as well as executing Christians. This persecution of the Christian faith seemed to make the religion spread even more rapidly. In 305 Diocletian gave up his throne. He died in December of 316. He lived his career as an emperor who introduced new changes and more permanent political strategies. He was considered one of the most capable emperors. Julius Caesar, Dictator / Military Leader Born: 101 BCE Died: 44 BCE (assassinated) Best Known As: The most famous of Roman generals Years in power: 46 BCE - 44 BCE Caesar is remembered as one of history's greatest generals and a key ruler of the Roman Empire. As a young man he rose through the administrative ranks of the Roman republic, gaining power until he was elected consul (representative) in 59 BCE. No one realized that his smiling manner covered a cleverness and purpose. He saw the rottenness of the existing government and the need for a strong central power to save Rome from decay. He felt that he was the one person to bring about this change. He was very determined, and as a part of his plan he formed a political alliance with the two most powerful men in Rome, the wealthy Crassus and the popular general Pompey. He also used bribery to gain higher positions in government. Over the next 15 years he led Roman armies against enemies abroad, especially in Gaul (modern day France), while fighting for political control at home. In 45 BCE he reached his ultimate achievement, being named dictator of Rome for life. During the short time that Caesar ruled Rome, he made many important changes. He pardoned (excused) his enemies and appointed many of them to public offices. He provided work for the soldiers of his army. He offered Roman citizenship to some of the people he conquered. He built a public library and planned other public buildings. His rule was shortlived though; the next year a group led by his follower and friend, Brutus, stabbed him to death in the Senate. People feared that he was going to become an absolute king (remember: Rome is now a republic, which ELECTS their leaders), so they planned his murder. - Octavian Augustus, First Roman Emperor Born: 63 BCE Died: 14 CE Years in power: 27 BCE – 14 CE Best Known As: The first and greatest Emperor of Rome Born Gaius Octavius, he was named as the adopted son of his great uncle Julius Caesar in Caesar's will. After the murder of Caesar in 44 BCE, Rome was involved in a series of civil wars that lasted for more than ten years. When the fighting ended, Octavian stood as the new absolute ruler of Rome. To gain power, he had to defeat jealous rivals. One was Marc Antony, a popular general. Antony had married Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. In 31 BCE, Octavian defeated both of them and chased them back to Egypt where they killed themselves. In 27 BCE the Roman Senate added to his name the title Augustus (meaning "divine" or "majestic"). As emperor he expanded the borders of Rome and took a particular interest in public and cultural affairs, building temples and theaters, improving aqueducts and supporting poets and historians. He also introduced Rome’s first police force, fire fighters and library. Octavian was no great military commander, but he possessed enough common sense to recognize that this was so. And so he relied on others to do his fighting for him. Despite his lack of military skill, Augustus achieved large gains in territory as well as high standings in the eyes of the Roman public. Most important was no doubt the conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE. Octavian’s rule was known as the Pax Romana, which means “the peace of Rome”. Pope Urban II Born: 1042 CE Died: 1099 CE Years in Power: 1088 CE – 1099 CE Best Known For: Starting the First Crusade Pope Urban II was elected pope in 1088. Before and during his rule, Urban was a member of a group that wanted the clergy to be closer to God and closer to life in a monastery (where priests and monks live). In 1095 Pope Urban II gave a speech to the French which encouraged them to fight the invading Turks, which were Muslim. He asked for all Christian knights to take back the Holy Land—Jerusalem. This speech started the first Crusade. Crusades were Christian Holy Wars, fought to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims Urban II died on July 29, 1099, fourteen days after the Crusaders took over Jerusalem. There would be five more Crusades that Urban would never see. These future Crusades extended terror and death to all that stood in the way of the spread of Christianity. Pope Urban II ultimately increased the power and prestige of the Roman Catholic Church and the power of the Pope. He established safe access to the holy city of Jerusalem for the thousands of Christian pilgrims who traveled there each year.