Charlemagne presented himself as a German, a Roman, and a Christian and lived as such as well. As Frank, he was the initial ruler of the Frankish kingdom, and it became the Holy Roman Empire afterward. He was the first German king and the first Roman emperor in over four hundred years. He played his role in Christianity by supporting the papacy, and he also helped spread the message of Christianity across Europe. Charlemagne was a good warrior and led the conquering of several lands during his reign, resulting in him being one of the most powerful leaders in Europe.
Charlemagne’s Christian identity stood out the most due to his support for the papacy and his dedication to spreading Christianity across Europe. Christianity was his strongest force since it founded his political position. He continued to support Christianity: “He eventually forced the Saxons to convert to Christianity and declared that whoever did not get baptized or follow other Christian traditions be put to death” (Gagne 43). His other identities were important to him, but Christianity was of the most significance to his legacy and life in general.
Charlemagne and Einhard justify Frank’s conquest and treatment administered to the Saxons and Lombards by stating that these two groups were in a conspiracy against Charlemagne and the Franks. They depict the Saxons and the Lombards as enemies of Christian civilization and argue that conquering these people was in the interest of all Christians. Church fathers influenced these two, and they took the attitudes they picked up to paganism.
Realistically, Charlemagne and Einhard were struggling for power with the Lombards, exacerbated by the trading relationship between Einhard and the Saxons. Charlemagne can have acted hypocritically due to his methods to justify his actions. On the other hand, Einhard may have exaggerated the conspiracy between the Saxons and the Lombards to accomplish his selfish political goals. The church fathers believed that paganism belonged to another world beneath Christianity. Therefore, some condemned idolatry and human sacrifice, while others condemned it because it was foreign. The attitudes of various Christians changed towards paganism in the seventh century, and the spread of Islam led to a Christian massacre before they could convert others. This situation caused paganism to be seen as a threat to Christianity, and the Roman church reflected the attitude change towards paganism. Pope Gregory announced that Christians should not convert non-Christians by force but made exceptions. A council of bishops convened in 711 confirmed that Christians could use force under certain circumstances against pagans, and many Popes were reluctant to condemn paganism. They agree to the use of force against them until now.
Charles the Great (Charlemagne) was a Frankish monarch from 768 to 814 and the West emperor from 800-814. He set up the Holy Roman Empire, helped the Carolingian Renaissance cultural resurgence, and boosted the economic and political life in Europe. He is famous for setting up an empire that spanned Europe. Charlemagne’s most significant accomplishment was the establishment of schools, as it helped spread Christianity. The slow spread of German Christianity was consensual during its onset among the Roman-affiliated communities.
He began his efforts to conquer the northern Saxons and bring them Christianity in 772. He conquered the Avars (a big Tatar tribe) on the Danube, and the Bavarian dukes who were rebellious were forced to submit to him even though he preferred to settle disputes peacefully. His peaceful nature is seen when he sends a letter to Michael I in 813, “So we ask your esteemed and fraternal person that you might deign to give the same…” (Gagne 12). Christianity was first introduced to Germany around 300 AD when sections of that region were still under the Roman Empire, and it is now the most popular religion. Placing German tribes around the empire Romanized them, and the Franks were the first large German tribe to be converted to Christianity.
Work Cited
Gagne, Tammy. Charlemagne. Mitchell Lane, 2019.