carolus magnus
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Carolus Magnus. Charlemagne and the European Idea. Feudal Reminders. Much like China Lord of the Manner Underlings, nobles Serfs Feudalism not around until about 1000ish Merovingian Gaul Hereditary ownership of fiefdoms from sons of Merovech the Salian Frank - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CAROLUS MAGNUSCharlemagne and the European Idea
FEUDAL REMINDERS Much like China
Lord of the Manner Underlings, nobles Serfs
Feudalism not around until about 1000ish Merovingian Gaul
Hereditary ownership of fiefdoms from sons of Merovech the Salian Frank
Clovis ca 500 unites Gaul
CHARLEMAGNE'S FAMILY Austrasia
Eastern France, Low Countries, Aachen Merovingian Maiores of the Palace, hereditary ministers
and landowners Local rulers ascend to great power thanks to hereditary
mode and decentralization of central authority Unlike Diocletian, Constantine, Justinian, Abbasids – complex state
bureaucracies Personal and close structure determined by abilities of
ruler
FALL OF THE MEROVINGIAN Merovingian plunder economy – mid 8th c Last Kings of Merovingians are weak
Long hair of Stephen cut and he's sent to a monastery 'Empty name of King' - Einhard
Mayor of the Palace holds all power Ability to tax the population dwindles with
decentralization of power Plunder economy dries up after they rule everything and
have no land to promise followers Grimoald tries to depose Mervingians but he's executed,
661 Blood of Clovis is strong but Grimoald's family stays as
Maiores
RISE OF THE CAROLINGIANS Can't take power from Merovingians without reason so… Rationale for legitimacy for the Maiores to take over
Election? Hereditary line? Success in war? Economist? Opponents, especially Neustria (Paris), look for takeover,
too Military success Ally with Bishop of Rome who was threatened by
Lombards and put off by iconoslasm Monks – generally Irish or British – serve as bridge from
Austrasia to Rome. St Boniface converts Germans with help from Austrasia Maiores.
733, TOURS (POITIERS) Highwater mark for caliphate into Europe Charles Martel, Maior of Austrasia
PEPIN THE SHORT, 741-68 Cements deal with papacy, monasteries, and the
Austrasians Mobilizes family power with church Helps Boniface's reforms Restoration of Church lands Role of king as guardian of Church Wrote to the Pope "is it right for the man who holds the
power not to wear the crown?" 751, Pepin elected King of the Franks Deposes and puts to monastery last of the Merovingians 753, Pope Stephen goes across the Alps to crown Pepin Pepin in return defeats the Lombards Succeeded by Charles and Carloman
CHARLES, KING OF THE FRANKS Beneficiary of 100 years of
Carolingian ascent Weak kings, monks, success in war,
byzantine iconoclasm, Lombard threatPapacy shifts from looking east to looking north
CHARLES, KING OF THE FRANKS Beneficiary of 100 years of Carolingian ascent
Weak kings, monks, success in war, byzantine iconoclasm, Lombard threat
Papacy shifts from alliance with Roman emperors and other patriarchates to northern alliance
Combines military prestige (Lombards and Avars and Saxons and Bavarians, Barcelona, The Song of Roland),…
piety (Christian ruler, mass forced conversions, and love of St Augustine, oversees cultural programme) and …
Legacy of Rome – rescues Pope from Roman factions, coronated HRE
Founder of Europe as a cultural expression
CAROLINGIAN RENAISSANCE Revival of learning under Charlemagne and Louis the Pius
& Charles the Bald "Ministry to see to salvation of public good" Revive the Roman Empire Planned programme – like the House of Wisdom
Revive Latin as the universal language
PRESERVATION OF LEARNING IN THE WEST BEFORE CHARLES Roman culture required wealthy, educated, laymen: liberal
arts Practically, to enter government you must have
knowledge (like China, or 19th c Britain) Athens, Pergamon (parchment), Alexandria,
Constantinople…all in the east! Disappearance of lay literacy in Europe Boethius and Cassiodorus of Vivarium (liberal arts as aid
to religious understanding) Italy devastated by Belisarius Benedictine monks, by accident Irish, English, and Italian monasteries 264 manuscripts survive – 26 are secular! Role of the
scriptorium
CHARLEMAGNE'S CULTURAL PROGRAMME 'Industrial' output 'We are concerned to restore with zeal the workshops of
knowledge…we invited others to learn to practice the liberal arts.'
Intellectuals direct government, given great privilege, be sure the church and the state are effective and uniform. Carolingian script.
Educate populace and church. Alcuin of York
MANUSCRIPTS Collect, collate, annotate
No innovation – reverence for the originals Firm idea the truth is being handed down in two parts: Bible/church
fathers and Classics Regularize liturgy, develop standards for poetry and spelling Fight against iconoclasm and adoptionism From 26-290 classical manuscripts from 700-800
Polybius, Livy, Tacitus, Vergil, Cicero, Lucretius… Palimpsest Growth of libraries @ Reichennal,Corbie, Lorsch, Tours, St Gall, Aachen
EINHARD Biographer of Charlemagne Monastic entrepreneur
Seliganstadt – monastery under his purview – power of the reliquary Life of Sts Marcellinus and Peter