Notes p. 277-285

I. Charles Martel

A. After Clovis, Frankish kings were weak; divided kingdom among sons→they fought

B. Govt official “Mayor of the Palace”

–  Conducted wars

–  Gave out land

–  Settled disputes

  1. Most powerful was Charles Martel; wanted reunite all Frankish nobles

§  “The Hammer” b/c of his strength in battle

§  In 732 led Battle of Tours (against the Arabs & Berbers); Franks won; enabled Christianity to survive

  1. Pepin (his son) became Mayor and removed the king & took over

–  1st Frankish leader to be anointed, or blessed w/holy oil, by Pope

–  Pepin fought the Lombards & gave the land of central Italy to Pope

II. Charlemagne

A.  Pepin died in 768

B. His son, Charles, became king; known as Charlemagne (“Charles the Great” in French).

C. Wanted to bring all of western Europe under his rule

D. Defeated the Lombards & Saxons

E. Created a large empire

a. A Christian Empire

1. Charlemagne became the most powerful leader in western Europe

2. Wanted close ties between the Church & government:

·  Church official kept records & helped run country; Charlemagne appointed bishops & regarded any act against the church as being disloyal to him

·  Christmas day 800, Pope declared Charlemagne as new Roman Emperor and crowned him;

·  Charlemagne was displeased→felt right to rule came from God, not the Pope.

3. Charlemagne was a wise and just ruler

·  Had counts take care of local problems, stop feuds, protect the poor, and raise armies

4. Capital was Aachen, but traveled around

b. Education

A. Most could not read or write

B. Charlemagne kept a slate next to his bed to practice writing

C. CHARLEMAGNE HAD A SCHOLAR, ALCUIN, START A SCHOOL

–  STUDIED RELIGION, LATIN, MUSIC, LITERATURE, AND ARITHMETIC

–  TEACHERS DEVELOPED A NEW FORM OF WRITING THAT USED LOWERCASE LETTERS; took up less space & easier to read

D. Arts flourished again

–  Artists covered palace and church walls with pictures from the Bible

c. Collapse of the Empire

A.  Charlemagne died in 814

(he was 64…old age at the time & was ill with a fever)

B. Louis the Pious (his son) divided the land among his three sons, who fought. They divided western Europe into smaller territories.