HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
In many ways the most important legacy of the Roman Empire to medieval Europe was the
Christian church. Indeed, in the centuries after the disintegration of the western half of the
Roman Empire, Christianity made considerable progress in converting new peoples. Among
these were the pagan Franks, a Germanic people who had lived on the northern frontier of the
province of Gaul. In the fourth century CE imperial authorities allowed them to settle in what is
today Belgium. In the fifth century one of their kings, Clovis (c. 466-511 CE), defeated rival
Frankish kings and the last Romans exercising rule in northern Gaul. By the time of his death he
had made the Franks the dominant political power in Western Europe. He converted to
Christianity at some time in the last decade of the fifth century or the first decade of the sixth.
This description of his baptism comes from Gregory (538-594 CE), Bishop of Tours. Gregory's
History of the Franks is one of the most important sources for the history of the earlier middle
ages. Note that he is writing almost a century after the events he describes.
Answer these questions after reading the document
1. What is Clovis's conception of religion? What benefits does right belief bring; what evils result
from wrong belief?
2. Who plays the principal role in converting Clovis to Christianity? What does this tell us about the
conversion process in general? Explain.
3. Why do Clovis's followers decide to receive baptism? Does the earlier story of the vase serve
any purpose in this context?
Source: James Harvey Robinson, Readings in European History (Boston: Ginn, 1904), vol. 1, pp. 51-55.
At this time [AD 486] the army of Clovis pillaged many churches, for he was still sunk in the
errors of idolatry. The soldiers had borne away from a church, with all the other ornaments of the
holy ministry, a vase of marvelous size and beauty. The bishop of this church sent messengers to
the king, begging that if the church might not recover any other of the holy vessels, at least this
one might be restored. The king, hearing these things, replied to the messenger: "Follow thou us
to Soissons [northeast France – northeast of Paris], for there all things that have been acquired are
to be divided. If the lot shall give me this vase, I will do what the bishop desires." When he had
reached Soissons, and all the booty had been placed in the midst of the army, the king pointed to
this vase, and said: "I ask you, O most valiant warriors, not to refuse to me the vase in addition to
my rightful part." Those of discerning mind among his men answered, "O glorious king, all
things which we see are thine, and we ourselves are subject to thy power; now do what seems
pleasing to thee, for none is strong enough to resist thee." When they had thus spoken one of the
soldiers, impetuous, envious, and vain, raised his battle-ax aloft and crushed the vase with it,
crying, "Thou shalt receive nothing of this unless a just lot give it to thee." At this all were
stupefied.
The king bore his injury with the calmness of patience, and when he had received the
crushed vase he gave it to the bishop's messenger; but he cherished a hidden wound in his breast.
When a year had passed he ordered the whole army to come fully equipped to the Campus
Martius and show their arms in brilliant array. But when he had reviewed them all he came to
the breaker of the vase, and said to him, "No one bears his arms so clumsily as thou; for neither
thy spear, nor thy sword, nor thy ax is ready for use." And seizing his ax, he cast it on the ground.
And when the soldier had bent a little to pick it up the king raised his hands and crushed his
head with his own ax. "Thus," he said, "didst thou to the vase at Soissons."
[Clovis took to wife Clotilde, daughter of the king of the Burgundians. Now Clotilde was
a Christian. When her first son was born] she wished to consecrate him by baptism, and begged
her husband unceasingly, saying, "The gods whom thou honorest are nothing; they cannot help
themselves nor others; for they are carved from stone, or from wood, or from some metal. The
names which you have given them were of men, not of gods, like Saturn, who is said to have
escaped by flight, to avoid being deprived of his power by his son; and like Jupiter himself, foul
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
perpetrator of all uncleanness. What power have Mars and Mercury ever had? They are
endowed with magical arts rather than divine power.
"The God who should be worshiped is he who by his word created from nothingness the
heavens and the earth, the sea and all that in them is; he who made the sun to shine and adorned
the sky with stars; who filled the waters with creeping things, the land with animals, the air with
winged creatures; by whose bounty the earth is glad with crops, the trees with fruit, the vines
with grapes; by whose hand the human race was created; whose bounty has ordained that all
things should give homage and service to man, whom he created."
But when the queen had said these things, the mind of Clovis was not stirred to believe.
He answered: "By the will of our gods all things are created and produced. Evidently your god
can do nothing, and it is not even proved that he belongs to the race of gods."
Meantime the faithful queen presented her son for baptism. She had the church adorned
with tapestry, seeking to attract by this splendor him whom her exhortations had not moved. But
the child whom they called Ingomer, after he had been born again through baptism, died in his
white baptismal robe. Then the king reproached the queen bitterly. "If the child had been
consecrated in the name of my gods he would be alive still. But now, because he is baptized in
the name of your god, he cannot live."
After this another son was born to him, and called in baptism Clodomir. He fell very ill.
Then the king said: "Because he, like his brother, was baptized in the name of Christ, he must
soon die." But his mother prayed, and by God's will the child recovered.
The queen unceasingly urged the king to acknowledge the true God, and forsake idols.
But he could not in any wise be brought to believe until a war broke out with the Alemanni
[Germanic tribe on the upper Rhine]. Then he was by necessity compelled to confess what he had
before willfully denied.
It happened that the two armies were in battle, and there was great slaughter. Clovis'
army was near to utter destruction. He saw the danger; his heart was stirred; he was moved to
tears, and he raised his eyes to heaven, saying: "Jesus Christ, whom Clotilde declares to be the
son of the living God, who it is said givest aid to the oppressed, and victory to those who put
their hope in thee, I beseech the glory of thy aid. If thou shalt grant me victory over these enemies
and I test that power which people consecrated to thy name say they have proved concerning
thee, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name. For I have called upon my gods, but, as I
have proved, they are far removed from my aid. So I believe that they have no power, for they do
not succor those who serve them. Now I call upon thee, and I long to believe in thee-all the more
that I may escape my enemies."
When he had said these things, the Alemanni turned their backs and began to flee. When
they saw that their king was killed, they submitted to the sway of Clovis, saying: "We wish that
no more people should perish. Now we are thine."
When the king had forbidden further war, and
praised his soldiers, he told the queen how he had
won the victory by calling on the name of Christ.
Then the queen sent to the blessed Remigius, bishop
of the city of Rheims, praying him to bring to the
king the gospel of salvation. The priest, little by little
and secretly, led him to believe in the true God,
maker of heaven and earth, and to forsake idols,
which could not help him nor anybody else. But the
king said: "Willingly will I hear thee, O father; but
one thing is in the way-that the people who follow
me are not content to leave their gods. I will go and speak to them according to thy word." When
he came among them, the power of God went before him, and before he had spoken all the
people cried out together: "We cast off mortal gods, O righteous king, and we are ready to follow
the God whom Remigius tells us is immortal." These things were told to the bishop. He was
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
filled with joy, and ordered the font to be prepared. The streets were shaded with embroidered
hangings; the churches were adorned with white tapestries, the baptistery was set in order, the
odor of balsam spread around, candles gleamed, and all the temple of the baptistery was filled
with divine odor. Then the king confessed the God omnipotent in the Trinity, and was baptized
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and was anointed with the
sacred chrism with the sign of the cross of Christ. Of his army there were baptized more than
three thousand.
Feudalism: An Oath of Homage and Fealty
This primary source is from France, selected to illustrate one of the important institutions of
Europe in the Middle Ages: feudalism. This document from the year 1110 details the mutual
obligation between a feudal lord and his vassal. In this case, the feudal lord is a religious institution,
the monastery of St. Mary of Grasse. Acting for the monastery and its lands is the abbot, Leo. The
vassal (dependent) works the properties of the monastery in trust and pledges homage and fealty
(submission and loyalty) to the lord. The vassal in this document is Bernard Atton, viscount of
Carcassonne.
Answer these questions after reading the document.
1. What exactly does the viscount of Carcassonne promise to do? What is Leo the abbot's
responsibility on behalf of the monastery?
2. How new or old does this agreement appear to be? How can you tell?
3. What else does this document tell you about the relationship of lords and vassals in European
feudalism? In short, is it an economic, political, social, or cultural agreement? [Because it obviously has
more than one of these elements, how might you argue for each of the four characterizations?]
Source: "Charter of Homage and Fealty of the Viscount of Carcassone, 1110," in Translations and Reprints from the
Original Sources of European History, ed. D. C. Munro, vol. 4, bk. 3 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,
1897), 18-20.
In the name of the Lord, I, Bernard Atton, Viscount of Carcassonne, in the presence of my sons,
Roger and Trencavel, and of Peter Roger of Barbazan, and William Hugo, and Raymond
Mantellini, and Peter de Vietry, nobles, and of many other honorable men, who had come to the
monastery of St. Mary of Grasse, to the honor of the festival of the august St. Mary; since lord
Leo, abbot of the said monastery, has asked me, in the presence of all those above mentioned, to
acknowledge to him the fealty and homage for the castles, manors, and places which the patrons,
my ancestors, held from him and his predecessors and from the said monastery as a fief,
[Property held in trust as part of a feudal contract.] and which I ought to hold as they held, I have
made to the lord abbot Leo acknowledgment and homage as I ought to do.
Therefore, let all present and to come know that I the said Bernard Atton, lord and
viscount of Carcassonne, acknowledge verily to thee my lord Leo, by the grace of God, abbot of
St. Mary of Grasse, and to thy successors that I hold and ought to hold as a fief, in Carcassonne,
the following: ... Moreover, I acknowledge that I hold from thee and from the said monastery as a
fief the castle of Termes in Narbonne; and in Minerve the castle of Ventaion, and the manors of
Cassanolles, and of Ferral and Aiohars; and in Le Roges, the little village of Longville; for each
and all of which I make homage and fealty with hands and with mouth to thee my said lord
abbot Leo and to thy successors, and I swear upon these four gospels of God that I will always be
a faithful vassal to thee and to thy successors and to St. Mary of Grasse in all things in which a
vassal is required to be faithful to his lord, and I will defend thee, my lord, and all thy successors,
and the said monastery and the monks present and to come and the castles and manors and all
your men and their possessions against all malefactors and invaders, at my request and that of
my successors at my own cost; and I will give to thee power over all the castles and manors
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
above described, in peace and in war, whenever they shall be claimed by thee or by thy
successors.
Moreover I acknowledge that, as a recognition of the above fiefs, I and my successors
ought to come to the said monastery, at our own expense, as often as a new abbot shall have been
made, and there do homage and return to him the power over all the fiefs described above. And
when the abbot shall mount his horse I and my heirs, viscounts of Carcassonne, and our
successors ought to hold the stirrup for the honor of the dominion of St. Mary of Grasse; and to
him and all who come with him, to as many as two hundred beasts, we should make the abbot's
purveyance in the borough of St. Michael of Carcassonne, the first time he enters Carcassonne,
with the best fish and meat and with eggs and cheese, honorably according to his will, and pay
the expense of the shoeing of the horses, and for straw and fodder as the season shall require.
And if I or my sons or their successors do not observe to thee or to thy successors each and all the
things declared above, and should come against these things, we wish that all the aforesaid fiefs
should by that very fact be handed over to thee and to the said monastery of St. Mary of Grasse
and to thy successors.
I, therefore, the aforesaid lord Leo, by the grace of God, abbot of St. Mary of Grasse, receive thy
homage and fealty for all the fiefs of castles and manors and places which are described above; in
the way and with the agreements and understandings written above; and likewise I concede to thee
and thy heirs and their successors, the viscounts of Carcassonne, all the castles and manors and places
aforesaid, as a fief, along with this present charter, divided through the alphabet. [Language meaning –
completely and without exception…] And I promise to thee and thy heirs and successors,
viscounts of Carcassonne, under the religion of my order, that I will be a good and faithful lord
concerning all those things described above.
Moreover, I, the aforesaid viscount, acknowledge that the little villages of [twelve are listed] with
the farmhouse of Mathus and the chateaux of Villalauro and Claromont, with the little villages of
St. Stephen of Surlac, and of Upper and Lower Agrifolio, ought to belong to the said monastery,
and whoever holds anything there holds from the same monastery, as we have seen and have
heard read in the privileges and charters of the monastery, and as was there written.
And I, the monk John, have written this charter at the command of the said lord Bernard Atton,
viscount of Carcassonne and of his sons, on the day and year given above, in the presence and
witness of all those named above.
From Capitulary on Saxony and A Letter to Pope Leo III
785,796
During the collapse of the western half of the Roman Empire in the fifth century the Franks took
control of northern Gaul, now called France. By the middle of the eighth century the Franks had
become the most powerful of the Germanic kingdoms. In 751, Pippin the Short (714-768) was
accepted by the pope as king of the Franks. His successor Charlemagne (747-814), Charles the
Great, was crowned Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in 800. In exchange for their new
authority, both Pippin and Charlemagne promised to protect the pope from the Muslims, internal
Italian conflicts, and the Byzantine Empire. Under Charlemagne, the kingdom of the Franks
reached its apex and expanded into Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Answer these questions after reading the two documents.
1. From both capitularies - what does the specificity of the orders tell you about Charlemagne’s
power and attention to detail? b.) What does it tell you about the life of medieval peasants?
2. When Charlemagne conquered Saxony, the territory was not completely Christianized. What
did Charlemagne do to convert the population?
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
3. In his letter to Pope Leo III, what did Charlemagne believe were the Pope's duties? What in
turn were his responsibilities?
Also read Traditions and Encounters (page 342) Life on a Medieval Manor
Source: Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar H. McNeal, trans., A Source Book for Medieval History (New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1905), 107; D. C. Munro, trans., University of Pennsylvania Translations and Reprints (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania, 1900), 6(5):16-27.
CAPITULARY ON SAXONY
First, concerning the greater chapters [capital offenses] it has been enacted:
1. It is pleasing to all that the churches of Christ, which are now being built in Saxony [located in
modern northwest Germany] and consecrated to God, should not have less, but greater and more
illustrious honor than the shrines of the idols have had.
2. If any one shall have fled to a church for refuge, let no one presume to expel him from the
church by violence, but he shall be left in peace until he shall be brought to the judicial
assemblage; and on account of the honor due to God and the saints, and the reverence due to the
church itself, let his life and all his members be granted to him. Moreover, let him plead his cause
as best he can and he shall be judged; and so let him be led to the presence of the lord king, and
the latter shall send him where it shall seem fitting to his clemency.
3. If any one shall have entered a church by violence and shall have carried off anything in it by
force or theft, or shall have burned the church itself, let him be punished by death.
4. If any one, out of contempt for Christianity, shall have despised the holy Lenten fast and shall
have eaten flesh, let him be punished by death. But, nevertheless, let it be taken into
consideration by a priest lest perhaps any one from necessity has been led to eat flesh.
5. If any one shall have killed a bishop or priest or deacon let him likewise be punished capitally.
7. if any one, in accordance with pagan rites, shall have caused the body of a dead man to be
burned, and shall have reduced his bones to ashes, let him be punished capitally.
8. If any one of the race of the Saxons hereafter, concealed among them, shall have wished to hide
himself unbaptized, and shall have scorned to come to baptism, and shall have wished to remain
a pagan, let him be punished by death.
14. If, indeed, for these mortal crimes secretly committed any one shall have fled of his own
accord to a priest, and after confession shall have wished to do penance, let him be freed by the
testimony of the priest from death....
18. On the Lord's day no meetings or public judicial assemblages shall be held, unless perchance
in a case of great necessity, or when war compels it, but all shall go to church to hear the word of
God, and shall be free for prayers or good works. Likewise, also, on the special festivals they shall
devote themselves to God and to the services of the Church, and shall refrain from secular
assemblies.
19. Likewise, it has been pleasing to insert in these decrees that all infants shall be baptized
within a year; we have decreed this, that if any one shall have refused to bring his infant to
baptism within the course of a year, without the advice or permission of the priest, if he is a noble
he shall pay 120 solidi to the treasury; if a freeman, 60; if a litus [A social status between free
person and slave.], 14
22. We command that the bodies of Saxon Christians shall be carried to the church cemeteries,
and not to the mounds of the pagans.
23. We have ordered that diviners and soothsayers shall be handed over to the churches and
priests.
24. Concerning robbers and malefactors who shall have fled from one county to another, if any
one shall receive them into his protection and shall keep them with him for seven nights, except
for the purpose of bringing them to justice, let him pay our ban. Likewise, if a count [One of
Charles's political governors, assigned to the counties.] shall have concealed them, and shall be
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
unwilling to bring them forward so that justice may be done, and is not able to excuse himself for
this, let him lose his office....
34. We have forbidden that Saxons shall hold public assemblies in general, unless perchance our
rnissus [Special envoys or commissioners who oversaw the counts and ecclesiastical authorities.]
shall have caused them to come together in accordance with our command; but each count shall
hold judicial assemblies and administer justice in his jurisdiction. And this shall be cared for by
the priests, lest it be done otherwise.
A LETTER TO POPE LEO III
Charles, by the grace of God king of the Franks and Lombards, and patrician of the Romans, to
his holiness, Pope Leo, greeting.... Just as I entered into an agreement with the most holy father,
your predecessor, so also I desire to make with you an inviolable treaty of mutual fidelity and
love; that, on the one hand, you shall pray for me and give me the apostolic benediction, and that,
on the other, with the aid of God I will ever defend the most holy seat of the holy Roman Church.
For it is our part to defend the holy Church of Christ from the attacks of pagans and infidels from
without, and within to enforce the acceptance of the Catholic faith. It is your part, most holy
father, to aid us in the good fight by raising your hands to God as Moses did by your intercession
the Christian people under the leadership of God may always and everywhere have the victory
over the enemies of His holy name, and the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified
throughout the world. May omnipotent God preserve your holiness unharmed through many
years for the exalting of His holy Church.
Life of Charlemagne by Einhard
Einhard was born in 770 C.E. He was educated in the monastery at Fulda and eventually was
noticed by Charlemagne. He made him a minister of Public Works, and a personal secretary.
Although little is known about him – it is believed he was a small man. He was married, and his
wife was named Emma.
Answer these questions after reading the document.
1. What aspects of Charlemagne does this text celebrate? What do these qualities tell you about
the new society that was emerging in Europe during Charlemagne's era?
2. What role(s) did Charlemagne assume as a leader of his people?
3. After reading all the documents, through the time of Charlemagne, how would you characterize
medieval Europe? Consider how you would organize a thorough explanation of this period of
history. Beyond just describing, work to organize all the documents in your own meaningful way
to address what you regard as its most important aspects.
Source: Einhard: The Life of Charlemagne translated by Samuel Epes Turner (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1880)
7. Saxon War: At the conclusion of this struggle, the Saxon war, that seems to have been only
laid aside for the time, was taken up again. No war ever undertaken by the Frank nation was
carried on with such persistence and bitterness, or cost so much labor, because the Saxons, like
almost all the tribes of Germany, were a fierce people, given to the worship of devils, and hostile
to our religion, and did not consider it dishonorable to transgress and violate all law, human and
divine. Except in a few places, where large forests or mountain ridges intervened and made the
bounds certain, the line between ourselves and the Saxons passed almost in its whole extent
through an open country, so that there was no end to the murders thefts and arsons on both
sides. In this way the Franks became so embittered that they at last resolved to make reprisals no
longer, but to come to open war with the Saxons [772]. Accordingly war was begun against them,
and was waged for thirty-three successive years with great fury; more, however, to the
disadvantage of the Saxons than of the Franks. It could doubtless have been brought to an end
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
sooner, had it not been for the faithlessness of the Saxons. It is hard to say how often they were
conquered, and, humbly submitting to the King, promised to do what was enjoined upon them,
without hesitation the required hostages, gave and received the officers sent them from the King.
They were sometimes so much weakened and reduced that they promised to renounce the
worship of devils, and to adopt Christianity, but they were no less ready to violate these terms
than prompt to accept them, so that it is impossible to tell which came easier to them to do;
scarcely a year passed from the beginning of the war without such changes on their part. But the
King did not suffer his high purpose and steadfastness - firm alike in good and evil fortune - to
be wearied by any fickleness on their part, or to be turned from the task that he had undertaken,
on the contrary, he never allowed their faithless behavior to go unpunished, but either took the
field against them in person, or sent his counts with an army to wreak vengeance and exact
righteous satisfaction. At last, after conquering and subduing all who had offered resistance, he
took ten thousand of those that lived on the banks of the Elbe, and settled them, with their wives
and children, in many different bodies here and there in Gaul and Germany [804]. The war that
had lasted so many years was at length ended by their acceding to the terms offered by the King;
which were renunciation of their national religious customs and the worship of devils,
acceptance of the sacraments of the Christian faith and religion, and union with the Franks to
form one people.
15. Extent of Charlemagne's Conquests: Such are the wars, most skillfully planned and
successfully fought, which this most powerful king waged during the forty-seven years of his
reign. He so largely increased the Frank kingdom, which was already great and strong when he
received it at his father's hands, that more than double its former territory was added to it.
22. Personal Appearance: Charles was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not
disproportionately tall (his height is well known to have been seven times the length of his foot);
the upper part of his head was round, his eyes very large and animated, nose a little long, hair
fair, and face laughing and merry. Thus his appearance was always stately and dignified,
whether he was standing or sitting; although his neck was thick and somewhat short, and his
belly rather prominent; but the symmetry of the rest of his body concealed these defects. His gait
was firm, his whole carriage manly, and his voice clear, but not so strong as his size led one to
expect. His health was excellent, except during the four years preceding his death, when he was
subject to frequent fevers; at the last he even limped a little with one foot. Even in those years he
consulted rather his own inclinations than the advice of physicians, who were almost hateful to
him, because they wanted him to give up roasts, to which he was accustomed, and to eat boiled
meat instead. In accordance with the national custom, he took frequent exercise on horseback and
in the chase, accomplishments in which scarcely any people in the world can equal the Franks.
He enjoyed the exhalations from natural warm springs, and often practised swimming, in which
he was such an adept that none could surpass him; and hence it was that he built his palace at
Aixla-Chapelle, and lived there constantly during his latter years until his death. He used not
only to invite his sons to his bath, but his nobles and friends, and now and then a troop of his
retinue or body guard, so that a hundred or more persons sometimes bathed with him.
23. Dress: He used to wear the national, that is to say, the Frank, dress-next his skin a linen shirt
and linen breeches, and above these a tunic fringed with silk; while hose fastened by bands
covered his lower limbs, and shoes his feet, and he protected his shoulders and chest in winter by
a close-fitting coat of otter or marten skins. Over all he flung a blue cloak, and he always had a
sword girt about him, usually one with a gold or silver hilt and belt; he sometimes carried a
jewelled sword, but only on great feast-days or at the reception of ambassadors from foreign
nations. On great feast-days he made use of embroidered clothes, and shoes bedecked with
precious stones; his cloak was fastened by a golden buckle, and he appeared crowned with a
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting
HIST 418
The Formation of Europe
diadem of gold and gems: but on other days his dress varied little from the common dress of the
people.
25. Studies: Charles had the gift of ready and fluent speech, and could express whatever he had
to say with the utmost clearness. He was not satisfied with command of his native language
merely, but gave attention to the study of foreign ones, and in particular was such a master of
Latin that he could speak it as well as his native tongue; but he could understand Greek better
than he could speak it. He was so eloquent, indeed, that he might have passed for a teacher of
eloquence. He most zealously cultivated the liberal arts, held those who taught them in great
esteem, and conferred great honors upon them. He took lessons in grammar of the deacon Peter
of Pisa, at that time an aged man. Another deacon, Albin of Britain, surnamed Alcuin, a man of
Saxon extraction, who was the greatest scholar of the day, was his teacher in other branches of learning.
The King spent much time and labour with him studying rhetoric, dialectics, and especially
astronomy; he learned to reckon, and used to investigate the motions of the heavenly bodies most
curiously, with an intelligent scrutiny. He also tried to write, and used to keep tablets and blanks
in bed under his pillow, that at leisure hours he might accustom his hand to form the letters;
however, as he did not begin his efforts in due season, but late in life, they met with ill success.
26. Piety: He cherished with the greatest fervor and devotion the principles of the Christian
religion, which had been instilled into him from infancy. Hence it was that he built the beautiful
basilica at Aix-la-Chapelle, which he adorned with gold and silver and lamps, and with rails and
doors of solid brass. He had the columns and marbles for this structure brought from Rome and
Ravenna, for he could not find such as were suitable elsewhere. He was a constant worshipper at
this church as long as his health permitted, going morning and evening, even after nightfall,
besides attending mass; and he took care that all the services there conducted should be
administered with the utmost possible propriety, very often warning the sextons not to let any
improper or unclean thing be brought into the building or remain in it. He provided it with a
great number of sacred vessels of gold and silver and with such a quantity of clerical robes that
not even the doorkeepers who fill the humblest office in the church were obliged to wear their
everyday clothes when in the exercise of their duties. He was at great pains to improve the
church reading and psalmody, for he was well skilled in both although he neither read in public
nor sang, except in a low tone and with others.
28. Charlemagne Crowned Emperor: When he made his last journey thither, he also had other
ends in view. The Romans had inflicted many injuries upon the Pontiff Leo, tearing out his eyes
and cutting out his tongue, so that he had been comp lied to call upon the King for help [Nov 24,
800]. Charles accordingly went to Rome, to set in order the affairs of the Church, which were in
great confusion, and passed the whole winter there. It was then that he received the titles of
Emperor and Augustus [Dec 25, 800], to which he at first had such an aversion that he declared
that he would not have set foot in the Church the day that they were conferred, although it was a
great feast-day, if he could have foreseen the design of the Pope. He bore very patiently with the
jealousy which the Roman emperors showed upon his assuming these titles, for they took this
step very ill; and by dint of frequent embassies and letters, in which he addressed them as
brothers, he made their haughtiness yield to his magnanimity, a quality in which he was
unquestionably much their superior.
Skill: Judging Documents in their Cultural Setting