Download Charlemagne (shar-luh-mayn), Emperor Born: 742 CE Died: 814 CE

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.