Historical Figures Codexery

Charlemagne

Father of Europe

His year of birth is most likely 748, though an older tradition gives 742.[1][2] The English name "Charlemagne" is derived from the French Charles-le-magne, which translates to 'Charles the Great'.[3] Since the deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476, no emperor had reigned in the west until Charlemagne's coronation.[4]

Quick Facts

More
Carolus Magnus
Born
2 April 748
Birthplace
Francia
Died
28 January 814
Place of death
Aachen, Carolingian Empire
House
Carolingian
Father
Pepin the Short
Mother
Bertrada of Laon

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Charlemagne's reign from 801 onward was more sedentary, with rule centered at Aachen.[5] After becoming the sole Frankish king, Charlemagne initiated a series of campaigns against the Saxons that lasted for more than three decades.[6] In June 774, after the Lombard capital Pavia surrendered, Charlemagne removed Desiderius from power and assumed the title "King of the Lombards".[7] On Christmas Day 800, during mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Leo III crowned Charlemagne as "emperor of the Romans".[8]

The 806 document known as the Divisio Regnorum outlined how Charlemagne's realm would be divided among his sons after his death.[8] Charlemagne established diplomatic relations with the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, who sent him an elephant called Abul-Abbas that reached Aachen in 802.[9]

What the cited sources add

Charlemagne's biographer Einhard reports he was 72 at death, while the Royal Frankish Annals give his age as about 71.[10] Matthias Becher showed that 2 April in the recorded year would have been in 748, since annalists started the year from Easter.[2] The Royal Frankish Annals from Charlemagne's own time frequently refer to him as Carolus magnus rex, meaning 'Charles the great king'.[11] By the year 1000, the epithet magnus had become widely used for Charlemagne, with the Poeta Saxo attesting to its use around 900.[11]

From the middle of the 9th century, Lorsch Abbey celebrated Charlemagne's birth on 2 April, a date that scholars consider probably accurate.[2]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35; Fried 2016, p. 529; Collins 1998, p. 32 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Barbero 2004, p. 413; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Barbero 2004, p. 413; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Fried 2016, p. 529; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Hägermann 2011, p. xxx (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Fried 2016, p. 529 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Heather 2009, p. 305–306; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fried 2016, p. 529; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Fried 2016, p. 529 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Collins 1998, p. 32; Collins 1998, p. 32; Costambeys Innes MacLean 2011, p. 35; Collins 1998, p. 32; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; McKitterick 2008, p. 116; Collins 1998, p. 32; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nelson 2019, p. 28–29 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dutton 2016, p. 71–72 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Barbero 2004, p. 413; Becher 2005, p. 42–43; Nelson 2019, p. 28–29; Hägermann 2011, p. xxx (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Charlemagne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Barbero 2004, p. 413; Fried 2016, p. 529 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Charlemagne (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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