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Charlemagne Coronation

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Charlemagne Coronation
The Significance of the Coronation of Charlemagne

By Monica Fleener

Western Oregon University
HST 499: Senior Seminar
Professor Kimberly Jensen
Spring 2005

Primary Thesis Advisor: Dr. Benedict Lowe
Secondary Thesis Advisor: Dr. Narasingha Sil

I.
On Christmas Day in the year 800 A.D. Charlemagne, king of the Franks and part of the
Carolingian line,
1
was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III (795 - 816). The coronation took place during mass at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome; immediately following the coronation, the acclamation of the people of Rome was heard: “To
Charles, the most pious Augustus, crowned by God, the great and peace - giving Emperor, life and victory.” After this proclamation was made three times, the king “was adored by the pope in the manner of ancient princes; and, the title of patricius being dropped, he was called emperor and augustus .”
2
The coronation of Charlemagne created the Holy
Roman Empire, which endured until 1806. According to James Bryce, the coronation warrants the classification of the most important occurrence of the Middle Ages. Bryce also views the event as exceptional in that if the ceremony had not taken place, “the history of the world would have been different.”
3
The reasons behind the coronation were different for both the parties involved.
Pope Leo’s motivation for crowning Charles included an opportunity to reward the
Frankish king for rescuing him, the need for protection from Roman r ebels only an emperor could provide, and the realization that the imperial throne was empty due to the Bryce implies that the reestablishment of the Roman Empire in the West profoundly affected the course of history, and this suggestion necessitates an analysis of the significance of the coronation. succession of a female, Empress Irene (797- 802), in the East.


Bibliography: Alberi, Mary. “Alcuin and the New Athens.” History Today Vol. 24 (Sept. 1989): 35 - 41. Balzaretti, Ross. “Charlemagne in Italy.” History Today Vol. 15 (Feb. 1996): 28- 34. Boussard, Jacques. The Civilization of Charlemagne. Translated by George Weidenfeld. New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company, 1968 Science 207 (Jan. 1940): 240- 242. Boston: D.C. Heath and Co., 1959. Sullivan. Boston: D.C. Heath and Co., 1959. Fichtenau, Heinrich. The Carolingian Empire. Translated b y Peter Munz. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1978 Anderson. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd., 1974. Press, 1971. New York: North- Holland Publishing Co., 1977. Hodgkin, Thomas. Charlemagne. New York: The Perkins Book Company, 1902. 44, No. 2 (Jan. 1939), 324- 325. Lamb, Harold. Charlemagne: The Legend and the Man. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1954 Kings.” Journal of Medieval History 14 (1988): 283 - 291 Present, No. 137 (Nov. 1992): 25 - 47. Philadelphia: Univers ity of Pennsylvania Press, 1984. Rapids: Baker Academic, 1997.
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