Life of Charlemagne was a biography of the life of Charlemagne, who was a Frankish king and the emperor of Western Europe. The biography was written by Einhard, a dedicated servant of the emperor and his son Louis the Pious. The text is considered as one of the most valuable works of the early middle ages as it portrays the way of life among the people who existed at that time. Einhard was a Frankish courtier and scholar. Though he was from a poor background, he was able to study at Fulda. He was an exceptional student and due to his outstanding qualities, and he gained favor from Charlemagne, who employed him in 796. Einhard worked in the court for twelve years and it his close relation with Charlemagne that enabled him to know him so well hence wrote his biography. The book was an appreciation to Charlemagne for taking him and remaining kind throughout his stay. He wrote the biography several years after Charlemagne died.
In this biography, Einhard tells little about the early childhood of Charlemagne. He was the son of Pepin the short and Bertrada of Laon. His father was a king too though the last of his lineage. Upon his death, the kingdom was divided into two parts with Charlemagne getting one of the parts and his younger brother Carloman, getting the other, which was much larger. The division led to a troubled relationship between the two brothers until Carloman’s death in 771. This made Charlemagne the only ruler of the Franks. Einhard described Charlemagne as a great king. It is noted that he only described the emperor in a positive light. He was commonly known as “Charles the great.” The Franks were the only mainstream Christian around this time although top missionaries such as Augustine and Patrick had widely preached the Christian gospel in the whole of that region. The rest of the people were mainly pagans or Arians. The situation, however, changed when Charlemagne assumed power. Einhard describes him as the first holy king of the Roman Empire and a great military conqueror. With these two qualities, he used his talents to bring change by using his military capability to force people to join Christianity. He always encouraged the spread of monasteries and the copying of manuscripts of theology.
Charlemagne’s mission was to unite the whole of Western Europe into one large Christian empire. As a skilled strategist, he spent a better part of his reign going to war to accomplish his goal. Among the kingdoms he conquered were that of the Lombard’s, the Bavaria and the Avers. He also fought with the Saxons, who were German pagan worshippers. At Verden, he reportedly slaughtered an approximate of 4500 Saxons and compelled the rest to be baptized and follow the Christian tradition. Failure to follow the emperor’s rule subjected one to death. This acts made him ruthless - a character Einhard does not bring out clearly as he only saw Charlemagne as a determined king who did everything, whether right or wrong, in good faith.
It was Charlemagne’s effort to convert his subjects to the Roman Catholics that made the pope Leo III crown him as the Roman Emperor. The emperor of the east Europe was however angered by this move, as he was the ruler of both the west and east Europe. He however died and consequently, his empire shrank though remaining a significant force in the region of Europe. Charlemagne encouraged a cultural revival in Europe through the Carolingian Renaissance. Having the zeal to spread Christianity, he gave out land and money to the Roman Catholic Church while at the same time ensuring that the popes were given enough protection. Einhard described the king as a devoted king.
Apart from being a devoted king, he was also an excellent administrator and a talented diplomat. He pushed for the Carolingian Renaissance, an era where culture and education were mostly emphasized. He was the force behind the Carolingian minuscule. The Carolingian miniscule was a writing that paved the way for the European modern form printed alphabets. His main palace comprised of a school, the best in Aachen, for it had some of the best teachers in the region. The emperor, however, ruled from other places and palaces. As the ruler was strong, Einhard described him as a good athlete. He enjoyed his leisure through participating in activities such as horseback riding, swimming, and hunting.
It is evident that Einhard work was biased as he was Charlemagne friend for a long time. He failed to write about his shady affairs especially concerning his concubines. The emperor just like any other king of that time had several wives and almost eighteen children. He also had several concubines. He was a devoted yet protective father. He forbade his daughters from getting married while he was still alive. He, however, ensured that the children got educated.
Einhard described Charlemagne as a king exceeding appropriate measure. The king was supposedly “broad and strong in the form of his body and exceptionally tall” (Painter 1960, 28). Despite having an enormous belly with a short, fat neck, Einhard was full of admiration for his master. He thought that Charlemagne look was impressive whether standing or seated. These features made him suitable for the battlefield.
It was until the last four years of his life that Charlemagne started to suffer from fever. He also started limping and for this reason, found it hard to go for wars. Before this, Einhard had described him as a powerful and healthy king. Einhard expressed his hate for doctors, and notes, “Even at this timehe followed his own counsel rather than the advice of the doctors, whom he nearly hated because they advised him to give up roasted meat, which he loved, and to restrict himself to boiled meat instead” (Painter 1960, 29). He later crowned his son as co-emperor, to aid him in the ruling. He died later in 814 and Louis became the sole emperor. He was buried later in the Aachen Cathedral. Einhard, however, explains that his empire was dissolved in the decades that followed as it was subdivided among his many heirs. Einhard considered Charlemagne as a legendary figure with some scholars referring to him as the father of Europe. Although he was canonized due to political reasons, the church today does not recognize him as a saint.
In conclusion, the fact that Einhard worked at Charlemagne’s court and was his friend, makes his biography on the life of this emperor very reliable and accurate. He described his life as a king and later as the emperor of Western Europe. He also described his family life and his love for culture and education. To him, Charlemagne was the ideal king. He was energetic, charismatic and God fearing thus described him as a “holy Roman king.” It is, however, important to note that Einhard in the biography only brings out the positive character of Charlemagne. This is because he did this piece of work as an appreciation to Charlemagne for taking him into his court and offering him a job. He tends to downplay his ruthless character and the fact that he had several concubines. It is probably for this reason that the church today fails to recognize Charlemagne as a saint despite his canonization.
Bibliography
Painter, Einhard Sidney. The Life of Charlemagne. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1960.
