" He at first had such an aversion that he declared that he would not have set foot in the Church the day that they were conferred, although it was a great feast-day, if he could have foreseen the design of the Pope". The book clams that Charles had no idea that he was to be crowned emperor going so far as to state that: The final part of the book deals mainly with Charlemagne being crowned Roman Emperor on Christmas day of the year 800 and it also lays out his death and will as well as the ascension of his son Louis the Pious. However it is Einhard's very brief description of the rebellion of Pippin the Hunchback that is of great importance as we know much more about Pippin than what Einhard says and many historians have seen it as blatant historical revisionism by Einhard. In this section of the book Einhard also takes time to talk about some of Charles many kids and seemingly tries to explain the reason that Charlemagne never let his daughters marry was because he simply loved them too much to be parted from them. Įinhard then describes at length both Charlemagne physical appearance and his personality, making sure to highlight all the good qualities of Charles, especially his piety and moderation in all worldly pleasures. Einhard goes to great efforts to frame all of the conquests as justified and even righteous in most cases, however, he is vague on the details of how the wars went and simply summaries the reasons for why they started and what the outcome was. Ī large section of the book is then dedicated to going through King Charles many conquest and military campaigns. The book then moves onto the full of the Merovingian family and how the Carolingian came to power, briefly describing the kingship of Pippin and the years of joint rule between Charlemagne and Carloman. The work begins with a preface that is mainly Einhard explaining why he is writing the book, highlighting the idea that he feels it is his duty and that he had such love for Charles that he felt that it would be a tragedy if he was forgotten.
It has long been seen as one of the key sources for the reign of Charlemagne and provides insight into the court of King Charles and the events that surrounded him. The Life of Charlemagne is a 33 chapter account starting with the full genealogy of the Merovingian family, going through the rise of the Carolingian dynasty, and then detailing the exploits and temperament of King Charles. Vita Karoli Magni ( Life of Charlemagne) is a biography of Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, written by Einhard.
15th-century stained-glass depiction of Charlemagne in Moulins Cathedral in central France
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