The Carolingian Renaissance, can be argued, for the most part to have started with the coronation of Charlemagne following the death of Pepin the Short in 768. Charlemagne had the fortunate opportunity to claim the throne without much conflict, as his brother, who was also in line to claim kingship, had died in 814. Charlemagne had always been a very intelligent person; his most notable skill was based on language, that is, he was a very eloquent speaker and had the ability to learn many languages with ease. As a ruler, Charlemagne wanted to create a society that would be marked by intelligence and cultural depth. He had the interesting objective of bringing the Carolingian Empire out of the stagnating period of time where cultural intelligence …show more content…
According to Backman, people strived to educate themselves and become better individuals in general, because of a strong belief in humanism: "The concern in this period to develop human potential, to value the particular, and to assert the inherent dignity of each person is called Renaissance humanism." (376) Naturally, education and the process of becoming intellectuals is often linked to reading all sort of books in massive quantity. There was an obvious need for an influx of books so that more people could educate themselves. As such, Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized that cultural aspect that people needed in order to better themselves: "The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 allowed books to pour over Europe like a tide." (Backman 384) The obvious result was that books were readily available in massive quantities, something that definitely pleased the population. It should be noted that before the invention of the printing press, books were manually copied in handwriting: "Copyist were hired by the hundreds in every city to get texts like these reproduced and circulated." (Backman 384) Books were definitely increasing in numbers, which allowed for people to borrow books and bring them home, rather than having to read it in the library. However, it was still not enough. With the invention of the printing press, for instance, science-related books were accessible in larger quantity, and thus, all scientists were able to work from the same ground, which allowed for science to progress at an even faster rate. The same applies to other disciplines as well. As such, Gutenberg's invention had an extremely great impact on the Renaissance culture. Another notable figure that contributed to the culture of the Renaissance would be Machiavelli with his creation of the infamous book entitled The Prince. It discusses, from a realist perspective, the nature of
Charlemagne is described by Janet Nelson as being a role model for Einhard. Einhard himself writes in the first paragraph of The Life of Charlemagne, “After I decided to write about the life, character and no small part of the accomplishments of my lord and foster father, Charles, that most excellent and deservedly famous king, I determined to do so with as much brevity as I could.” I feel that these are sincere words about the man who cared for Einhard. I feel that Einhard’s purpose for writing The Life of Charlemagne is to praise the works of his “foster-father” and create a historical document that would describe the great deeds of Charlemagne so that he would not be forgotten throughout time as a great leader and man.
The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker are two medieval sources about the accounts of the life Charlemagne. Modern sources by Matthew Innes and Rosamond Mckitterick discuss how history was recorded during the medieval period and how it was suppose to be viewed in the early ages. Observing each of these sources helps get an understanding of how the writing of history is important in recorded history and how it affected how the history of Charlemagne was recorded.
Every historian interprets the past differently and with distinctive perspectives, resulting in many sides to one story. Often the reader must decide which perspective is more logical, likely, or coherent. Recounting one war took a lot of time and effort because of the necessity to include all sides of the story. Becher, Barbero, Collins and Backman have approached the life of Charlemagne with different points of view; however, Barbero seems to have the strongest argument for the cause of the Saxon War. The other historians were less willing to see the Saxon war as a religious war. The life of Charlemagne was interesting to historians because it was filled with many vigorous wars that he fought including the infamous Saxon War. From the beginning of his life, Charlemagne was destined to rule a nation and lead his people into war, achieving both triumphant victories and devastating defeats. He died of sickness in old age, thus leaving the kingdom in the hands of his son. The Saxon war was the most persistent, yet hostile war he fought because of the determination and severity of the enemy. However, the questions remain: “What actually caused the Saxon war? What gave it life? What are all the different events that occurred during this war? What are some of the strategies used during this war?” The wars he fought resulted in his success as a ruler and as a historical figure to reflect on when considering the greatness of kings.
Charlemagne, known as Charlemagne the Great, was one of the greatest rulers of his time. Charlemagne was born in the early years of 742 and passed away on January 28, 814. He was laid to rest in his palace in Aachen. Charlemagne is well known today for his bravery, his strong belief in his religion, and the culture that he introduced to his people. (Charlemagne Biography).
Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, reigned during a time of much turmoil and upheaval in Europe during middle ages. Charlemagne’s background and family history contributed much to his rise to power. The triumphs of his past lineage prepared him to take on the task of governing the Frankish Empire, and defending it from invaders. Charlemagne accomplished much during his supremacy. He not only brought education back into medieval Europe, but also invented an efficient way to govern his people. His conquests against the many adversaries of the Holy Roman Empire expanded his empire across the majority of Europe. His conquests also formed strong ties between the Catholic Church and the State. Charlemagne’s drive to convert Europe’s primitive and pagan tribes to Christianity nearly effaced the Saxons, whom he battled with for the majority of his reign. The crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor created a turning point in history. Within years after his death, however, his once great empire amounted to nothing. Charlemagne’s reign as King of the Franks and as Holy Roman Emperor greatly influenced the course of Europe during the middle ages.
The Renaissance was a cultural and intellectual movement that had its peak during the 15th and 16th centuries. During these times there was a heightened interest with the classical learning that was brought about in the middle ages. The renaissance first started in Italy and then eventually spread to Western Europe. During this period there was a high interest in the aesthetics of the classical world like architecture. The renaissance focused on the 17th century philosophy which came from the Greeks.
The printing press allowed anything to be spread throughout the world with relative ease, and for cheap. Prior to the 1436 invention by Johannes Gutenberg, books were written BY HAND, by the priests and scholars of the time which meant knowledge was limited, and the spreading of news would take much longer. Without the printing press Martin Luther would never had been able to spread his ideals throughout the world. The printing press made it easier for males, and sometimes women to get educated, this still did
The collection Two Lives of Charlemagne contains two different biographies of Charlemagne who was a king of the Franks and a christian emperor of the West in the 8th century. The first biographical account was written by his courtier Einhard who knew him personally and well. On the other hand, the second account was penned by Notker the Stammerer was born twenty-five years after the king’s death. Even though these two versions indicate the same king’s life, there were many differences between the two. Einhard’s writing focused on the emperor’s official life and his military campaign. However, Notker provided more of a perspective about the king’s legacy and seemed more hyperbolic as well as mythical. This paper will compare and contrast the
The Renaissance period also changed through literature. This new change in literature was important because it taught people to read,write and with learning how to read and write gave people the needed components to do for themselves, different ways to think and use knowledge to better themselves.. Many more people got more chances to read and write instead of the select few. This gave people more opportunity at jobs, gave the servants a more chance for freedom.(Doc.b)
The Relationship of Political and Religious Societies in the Age of Charlemagne, Based of Einhard's The life of Charlemagne sections 15-33
The Renaissance is known for its spectacular art. The Renaissance marks the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world. It literally means rebirth, and it was just that: a cultural rebirth into a new era. People of the Renaissance began to focus less on simply surviving, and more on intellect and creativity: including art, science and technology. Theatrical productions were no longer solely church material; they became comedic, with more risqué stories of love and even magic. Beautiful, ornate churches, statues and other structures were being built and the middle and higher classes of Europe were enjoying wealth and luxury. Renaissance men and women were emerging: people like Leonardo Da Vinci, who was a painter, mathematician, engineer, and inventor. A “Renaissance Man” is someone who is talented in multiple areas of the arts: perhaps music, painting, poetry or sculpting.
The term ‘Renaissance’ means rebirth. It was originally meant to describe the rebirth of art and literature in Europe but since there were so many important changes throughout the time period The Renaissance includes all new developments during that time period. The Renaissance began in the 14th century; it flourished in the 15th century,
The renaissance was a time in history when people began to have a new outlook on life. Individualistic views and glorification of the human self and body became very prominent during this time especially in the art and renaissance culture. In paintings, emotions and the beauty of the human anatomy were captured more eminently and sculptures of the human body were shown with pride for its comeliness. Literature projected the human mind and its intellect and much like literature, education was promoted because of the boastfulness of humans.
The medieval period was a chaotic era in European history as it was a time of constant change and conflict. Set during the rule of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, as he aspired to expand the size of his empire into what ultimately becomes the Carolingian Empire. “The Song of Roland” presents Charlemagne as a decisive leader with genuine aspirations of expansion. His army looks up to him with the utmost respect while his enemies fear his might. The Pagans aim to keep command of their land. However, they are well aware of Charlemagne’s power. Going to war with the Franks is an unpleasant necessity in the eyes of the Pagans. To conclude, Charlemagne is presented as a willful ambitious leader that earns the respect of everyone around him, regardless if they are
Before this, all books had been written out and produced by hand. Therefore they were expensive and rare. Since most people could not afford to own books, most people did not learn how to read. With the help of printing press, books and the ideas and stories become much more widely available.