Einhard Life Of Charlemagne Summary

Written circa 826, Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne provides historians with rare insight into the intimate details of Emperor Charlemagne’s life and career. Intended to commemorate Charlemagne’s character and achievements, Einhard’s document also delves into the nature of Charlemagne’s empire, examining which political strategies helped or hindered the Frankish Empire’s formation. In regards to the nature and scope of Charlemagne’s empire, Einhard draws particular attention to the ways in which the Frankish Empire was the continuation and embodiment of old, Roman prestige. However, Einhard ultimately draws attention away from traditional associations of empire and imperialism, instead focusing on a very specific– and often overlooked– Roman
Although Einhard offers primary knowledge on the efficacy of Charlemagne’s educational policies, as he is both a male and member of the court, he perpetuates education’s hierarchical nature and bias. In this regard, Einhard ignores the social importance of the common individual and provides an inaccurate view of the Empire’s approach to
While Einhard fails to directly catalogue the differences between the Frankish and Roman Empires, he indirectly presents a series of oppositions, the most prevalent being the Empires’ different approaches towards Christianity. While both Empires were culturally and socially tied to Christianity, the Frankish Empire incorporated religion into its politics and governance much more than the Romans. Charlemagne and the Pope’s unconventional relationship exemplifies this close integration of church and state. Having “sent a vast number of gifts to the popes” and “restor[ed] […] the ancient glory of the city of Rome,” Charlemagne and the papacy exhibited a paradoxical codependency, whereupon Charlemagne procured the Pope’s endorsement and validation in exchange for protection. This mutual dependency is ultimately contrasted with the more autonomous relationships between the Emperors and Popes of the later Roman Empire. While Christianity became deeply involved in the Roman Empire’s governance, Emperors nonetheless relied more on dynastic succession than papal validation. This discrepancy is further emphasized when placed in context with the Frankish Empire’s divergent feudal structure. Here, Einhard thus exhibits how the rise of the Frankish Empire engendered a new intimacy between church and state that