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subsume the authority of th·e Pope
under bis own. For example, a letter
from Charlemagne simply admo–
nishes the Pope as if he were a sub–
ject. "Follow constantly tbe rules
established by the holy fathers,"
Charlemagne cautions the Pope, "so
that your life may in every way give
the example of boliness. Let only
pious exhortations come fortb from
your mouth and let your light shine
before all men."
The messenger who bears this let–
ter, Angilbert , is instructed by
Charlemagne, "Admonish the pope
that he ought lo live honestly and
especially thal he ought to observe
the holy canons." Leo
IIJ
wonders if
he has gotten a pig in a poke.
Charlemagne is gnawing at the vi–
tals of the papal plan to exalt the
papacy above the authority of the
secular rulers.
Still, the coronation in A.D. 800
can be seen as, in great part, a papal
coup. The horse may be unbroken
and wild; but the papacy is deter–
mined to be the rider and stay on
the mount.
Other historians feel that Charle–
magne has taken advantage of Leo's
weak posi tion. Seve r a! other
schools, each distinct, have arisen in
which different weights and roles
are assigned to each of the partici–
pants.
The problem of how Charle–
magne feels about being Roman
emperor is complex. We know that
for a time he will not use the term at
all. There is the previously quoted
statement that Charlemagne is un–
happy a t being made emperor.
Wbether it is the manner in which
the act is accompl ished or tbe act
itself ís not clear.
When he conquered the Lom–
bards in 774, he took the title:
Rex
Francorum et Longobardorum atque
Patricius Romanorum
- King of the
Franks and Lombards and Patrician
of the Romans. Obviously, his Ro–
roan patriciate is of secondary im–
portance. There is sorne justification
26
for thinking Charlemagne does not
want to become Roman emperor.
We know that in 803, he stamps
Renovatio Romani Imperii
on bis
sea! - "renewal of the Roman Em–
pire." However, in 813 he will stamp
Renovatio Regni Francorum
- " re–
newal of tbe kin gdom of the
Franks" on bis sea!.
Whatever the truth, Charlemagne
is already appropriating all the pre–
rogatives previously held by the em–
peror in his relations with the
papacy. Charlemagne and his court
are playacting the part of imperial
Rome. Charles has collected schol–
ars from many lands whose com–
mon interest is the reviva! of Latín
literature and learning.
Charles and bis closest friends
sbare a form of humorous inter–
course, gíving each other nick–
names. Charles is referred to as
"David" or "Augustus." Just prior
to the coronatíon of A.D. 800, Ang–
ilbert composes a poem entitled
"Charles the Great and Pope Leo."
Charles is spoken of as having es–
tablished a " forum and sacred sen–
ate" and a "second Rome."
Einhard, a member of the court ,
will write a
Lije ofCharles the Great,
a crazy quilt of quotations from
Suetoníus'
Lives of the Caesars.
The
verses ofAlcuin, Angilbert and The–
odulf of Orleans are full of phrases
pilfered from Virgil and Ovid.
All are close advisers of Charles
and important figures in bis court
circle of intellectuals. They look to a
true reviva! of Roman culture under
Charlemagne. For example, in June
799, Alcuin writes lo Charlemagne,
"Up to now three persons have been
at the summit of the worldly hier–
archy.... Whal has happened to
the actual holder of that See [refer–
ring to Leo's beating] you have
taken care to make known to me."
Of the emperor at Byzantium, the
second great personage, Alcuin says,
" ... the impious fashion in which
the head of that empire has been
deposed ... has been spread every-
where." He then cites Charles, the
third member of the triumvirate, as
one who "triumphs above the other
two dignities, ecl ipses them in wis–
dom and surpasses them. It is now
you alone on whom res ts th e
churches of Christ."
It
is obvious that Charlemagne
certaioly does not want anyone to
think he owes bis empire to a pope
- and especially one who has sup–
plicaled Charles for help. Charles is
a military man who has won his
own empire. Perhaps that is why on
Seplember
JI ,
813, Charlemagne
will crown his son Louis emperor at
Aachen
himself.
Year 800: Tbe Legal Implications
of Empire.
Centuries later, historian
James Bryce will call the coronation
of Charles "not only the central
event of the Middle Ages" but also
"one of those very few events of
which, taking them singly, it may be
said that
if
they had not happened,
the history of the world would have
been different." Although few schol–
ars will give such outstaoding
weight to this event, most agree that
something profound has occurred
throughout the last half century of
the 700's, culminating in the corona–
tion of Charlemagne in A.D. 800.
By virtue of Charlemagne's mili–
tary conquests and the coronation
ceremony, a renewal of an ancient
política) inst itution has taken place.
It is
Renovatio Romani Imperii -
a
renewal or restoration of the Roman
Empire.
Politically, this becomes a prob–
lem for both Charles and Leo.
There can only be one Roman Ero–
pi re. It can have a westem and an
eastem branch, but the empire must
be one. LegaUy, the emperor at By–
zantium had inherited tbe supreme
title when the empire in the West
ended in A.D. 476.
What is the Pope to do? As part
of the imperial play, be will simply
transfer the empi re from East to
West. The coronation becomes
known as the "Translation of the
PLAIN TRUTH November 1973