Major Sousa
World History Honors CP1
November 16, 2014
The Carolingian Empire The beginning of the Carolingian Empire is marked by the coronation of Charles the Great, also known as Charlemagne, by Pope Leo III in A. D. 800. The time when Charlemagne and his successors ruled the Frankish kingdom is considered the Carolingian Empire. The Carolingian empire may not have lasted long, nor have created any technological advances, but it played a great role in the conservation of ancient works and in forging a new Europe. Pepin, the father of Charlemagne, and who is considered the father of the Carolingian Dynasty, gained much power through the Battle of Tours in 772. He was anointed as king once by the archbishop of Mainz, and a second time by Pope Stephan II. Pepin was the first of the Carolingians to be king of the Franks. When Pepin dies, he passed the power on to Charlemagne. …show more content…
Normally, the Pope (Adrian I) would have called upon the Byzantines for assistance, but at the moment, the Byzantines were weakened. For this reason, the Pope had to call the Franks, another barbaric group, to aid them against the Lombards. Pepin was able to protect the Papacy, defeat the Lombards, and also become king of the Lombards. Charlemagne continued to Control the Lombards when he became king. In April of 799, Pope Leo III was accused of very serious charges and attacked by a group of armed men. Charlemagne’s missi dominici, or messengers of the lord king whose job was to make sure the wished of the king were carried out, were able to successfully protect the Pope, the Pope then coronated Charlemagne as the emperor of the Holy Roman