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Lecture 15: Carolingian Culture and Kingship -- The Formation of Europe 1. Charlemagne (The ‘Great King’) and the Carolingian Empire A. Rise of the Carolingian Dynasty B. “Charles the Great” C. An Empire Revived 2. The Culture of the Carolingians A. Political Culture -- Sacral Kingship -- Administration of the Realm B. The Carolingian Renaissance: Literature and Literacy -- Monks and Record Keeping -- Book Production in a New Script 3. The Division of the Empire A. Louis the Pious and his Sons B. Treaty of Verdun, 843 – Empire Divided 4. The Devastation of the Pagans -- Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims Harun-al-Rashid, Muslim Caliph ruling from Baghdad, in 800 sends a diplomatic gift of Abul-Abbas, the great elephant, to Charlemagne’s court. The Carolingians come to power following the last powerful Merovingian King, Dagobert I (d. 638/9) – thereafter Francia effectively ruled by Mayor of the Palace Rise of the Carolingian Dynasty occurred for two reasons: 1) Military consolidation of Francia 2) Strategic Alliance with the Papacy Charlemagne (The ‘Great King’) and the Carolingian Empire Charles Martel, (r. 714-41) – gives his name to the Carolingian dynasty; from Carolus = Charles in Latin. Pippin III, (r. 741-68) + brother Carloman, both rule as Mayors of the Palace. (Carloman retires as a monk, 747) -- Alliance with the Papacy = Amicitia, pax et caritas = “mutual friendship, close relations and Christian love,”-- 756 = Donation of Pippin, creates Republic of Saint Peter = forges close bond with the papacy Charlemagne (r. 768-814) = Charles “le Magne”, “Charles the Great” -- He had a vision for a united Christian Empire that embraced Roman and German military and cultural traditions Carolingian Administration and Political Culture Sacral Kingship = anointed kings, model of the Old Testament – served to legitimate Carolingian claims to royal power. 1) Creation of Counts, who administered Counties 2) Creation of Dukes, who controlled Duchies on the frontier zones 3) Royal commissioners = missi dominici = “those sent out by the lord king” -- to transmit royal instructions and decrees -- oversee regional counts and dukes, an administrative check -- rise of royal bureaucracy Carolingian Renaissance – Literature and Learning Carolingian Renaissance = re-birth of Roman past and Christian faith 1) Expansion of literacy among the clergy (monks and priests) and among lay aristocratic circles. 2) Introduced a new Carolingian Miniscule Script – facilitates copying of books = a written script that forms the basis for our modern typeface. 3) Copying of manuscript books = history, hagiography, Christian literature, and Classical literature – role of monks and monastic scriptoriums = centers of writing 4) Artistic production = creation of illuminated books Alcuin (ca. 732-804), Anglo-Saxon scholar and royal advisor to Charlemagne -- aided in the moral and cultural reform of the church and the administration of the realmCarolingian Rulers in the Ninth Century Charlemagne (r. 768-814) ***** Louis the Pious (r. 814-840) (1. marriage to Ermengard) Lothar (r. 840-855) Pippin (d. 838) Louis the German (r. 843-876) + (2. marriage to Judith) Charles the Bald (r. 843-877) ********* Treaty of Verdun (843) = division of Carolingian Empire among three


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CU-Boulder HIST 1010 - Carolingian Culture and Kingship

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