The Middle Ages evolved over hundreds of years and was influenced by many factors, but none as great as Charlemagne. A Christian leader noted for his influence and power in Rome and Eastern Europe, Charlemagne never sought to be King, but came to power reluctantly by circumstance when his father died. Charlemagne was an unusual ruler because he insisted on spreading his faith with his people. His insistence on sharing his faith is the main reason why Christianity grew during the Middle Ages. Charlemagne organized and strengthened the faith through a large following of believers. Because Charlemagne’s reign is synonymous with the evolution of Christianity during the Middle Ages, studying Charlemagne is essential to understanding the culture of the Middle Ages.
Charlemagne was born in 742 and son of Pippin III. “When Pepin died in 768, his kingdom was divided between his two sons and for three years Charlemagne ruled with his younger brother Carloman.” (Britannica, 1994) Although the brothers competed between each other, they coexisted. It was the death of Carloman to an illness that propelled Charlemagne to complete power over his brother’s nation. This circumstance was important because now Charlemagne had no one to stand in his way or that of his faith. Charlemagne became eager to expand his rule and pursued more power by moving into Eastern Europe and Rome.
Charlemagne was a different emperor; he was a Christian and wanted to spread his beliefs. This great emperor was one of the reason’s the church became so popular. The idea of Christianity was not popular at the time and caused a stir. “He invaded Saxony in 772 and eventually achieved its total conquest and conversion to Christianity. He also extended his dominance to the south, conquering the kingdom of the Lombard’s in northern Italy” . (BBC, 2011) This quote describes Charlemagne’s steps to spreading Christianity throughout his kingdom and others. Eventually Charlemagne showed his support of Christianity by saving the Pope from a rebellion. Charlemagne’s actions increases awareness of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages.
Charlemagne’s conviction and determination regarding his faith drew many followers to him. He was skilled in convincing people to believe and trust in the Christian faith. “He also attempted to consolidate Christianity throughout his vast empire. He persuaded many eminent scholars to come to his court and established a new library of Christian and classical works.” (BBC,2011) Charlemagne continued to spread Christianity with every conquer he made. He was tenacious. Charlemagne knew that bringing scholars and knowledgeable believers together would only stabilize the Christian faith.
Altogether, Charlemagne’s reign went hand-in-hand with the growth of Christianity during the Middle Ages. At no time did Charlemagne conquer without the name of Christianity. Each nation he touched, he left strong with the Christian faith. This desire to combine faith with leadership made Charlemagne different from the other emperors of this time period. By promoting Christianity, Charlemagne united his subjects through faith and empowered them to appreciate and practice their faith with the support of scholars and libraries. The movement that Charlemagne started affected the people and culture of the Middle Ages as it opened ideas to a new way of thinking. Charlemagne’s impact on the Middle Ages was huge and unreplaceable.
Works Cited
Britannica,. (1994). Charlamagne biography. <http://www.biography.com/articles/Charlemagne-37817?part=9>
BBC, Initials. (2011). Charlemagne. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/charlemagne.shtml>
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