His201 - lect2 - wk 5

Charlemagne's challenge

There was a problem of unity in the Roman Empire due to language differences

as such Charlemagne sought to improve literacy - raising literacy levels - he was not on some sort of mission for the love of education, or art for the love of art, or language for the love of language, he wanted higher levels of literacy to create lines of communication for political/economical reasons. He also wanted higher levels of literacy for religious reasons, he wanted people to be able to read and speak of the faith.

Pippin III - greater organisation of Church hierarchy in Francia during 740s and 75s (more bishoprics; distinct boundaries)

Pippin's brother, Carloman, ran off to become a monk - as such religion was a hot topic for these (well off) people

The Church was increasingly reforming its structures, becoming more efficient and becoming more self aware of its potential and its power. This is revealed in many places, one place is in the letters of Boniface - the bishop of mains - the first bishop who coronated Pippin. Talk about establishing boundaries, dioceses, hierarchy of Arch Bishops and their relationship to bishops. Never before had this talk happened. This indicates the existence of a policy by pippin of promoting the reform of the Church simultaneously with the interests of his kingdom in mind.

The Donation of Constantine refers to a document which was brought out in the middle of the 8th century, believed to have been used around this time, that suggested that Constantine grant the papacy complete autony, ownership in fact, over the lands in Western Europe, and that is argued why Constantine packed his bags and went to Constantinople. Now of course this didn't happen this way, Constantine set up his capital in Constantinople for very different reasons. There wasn't that level of autonomy at all. And thus this document is a forgery, produced by somebody in the court of the papacy, to suggest the power and authority of the papacy was over and above the power of any emperor. It doesn't deny the emperor his rule, it simply re-enforces his rule, as he must be approved by the papacy.

This makes it much easier for us to understand Charlemagne's reign.

A capitulary is a written instruction sent to administrators, counts, dukes, bishops. The receivers of these letters are generally called Missi. We don't really know if these capitularies were very important, or if they were ignored, as there were many of them. They reveal a lot of Charlemagne's interests and priorities. 769 capitulary for the Aquitanians 779 capitulary for Herstal - outlines an agreement between Charles, his counts and his bishops, about social harmony. Again it's more evidence of Charles' interests in administering his church through clerical officers.
Capitularies to the Saxons (775-790) Showed his idea about the importance of the Church

Capitularies are short statements of the law.

Charles wanted to create social order using the Church as an instrument. He (like his fore-fathers) considered the interest and the mission of the Church to be the same as those of the Francs, to maintain social order and discipline.


792: Plot to overthrow Charlemagne - by Pippin the Hunchback - Concerned by this Charles made all officials in his kingdom, counts, dukes, clerics, swear an oath of allegiance to him. Meanwhile he made his Bishops say special masses for the prosperity of the king and kingdom. Not only was Charles anointed by the Pope but he saw the Church as an important instrument in maintaining social order. For Charles, the maintenance of social order also incorporated a literacy program. Again, this goes back well before the attempted coo, well before the ordination, we see clues about his general interest in literacy and literature.

Fardulf; Peter of Pisa, were imported to Charles' court as they were good poets and great teachers of grammar. We also have paul the deacon, a noted poet of the lombard court, and a monk. He came to the court to convince Charles to release his brother who was caught in a battle. Theodulf arrived from Spain around the same time as Peter. And he wrote about Charles, and as such was rewarded with the position as Bishop of Orleans in the year 800. Finally, perhaps the most important, another goth of the anglo variety now settled in England, educated at York, was Alcuin. He is significant because he became Charles' teacher of rhetoric and astronomy.

Charles equates a morally virtuous life with an educated life. Charles' message to his Missi was to raise there literacy levels to a point where the can appreciate the bible, important religious documents so that they may live a holy life.

It is obvious that Charles inherited this ideal from his father and paralleled his empire's interests with that of the Church and this was undoubtedly embedded in his psyche.

The Carolingian renaissance, if we can call it that, was short lives, Charlemagne died and left doubts about his succession, about the Frankish alliance. He had many children, but by the time he died he had only one surviving son - who was the only possible successor to the throne and that was Louis the Pious. Despite the appearance of continuity, the franks began their decline, it is even argued that the Frankish decline started durign the latter years of Charlemagne's reign. Louis did not expand the kingdom, the economy slowed down during his reign. He struggled to establish the same sense of loyalty his father had with his ancestors. As such there are questions of successorship and sorting out loyalties.

Ethinicity of the Frankish empire not united.

These two points are pretty obvious.

However this next one, is a bit contentious.

Economical slow down due to Islamic dominance in the Mediterranean Sea (Pirenne)

What could have happened is that Western Europe was isolated. Therefore the economy suffered, regardless of the policies Charles put in place, this was, according to Pirenne, never going to last.

793: Oath of allegiance

800: Imperial Coronation

802: Admonitio generalis

Synod of Ver (755)

Interests of the Church were combined with the interests of the Crown