HIST-102 Lecture 47: Carolingian Europe in the 8th Century
10 Oct 2020
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Document Summary
The eighth century a new aristocratic family rose to power in the frankish territories and dramatically altered the development of western europe. Thoroughly germanic in their character and culture, this family, known as the carolingians, helped effect the synthesis of germanic and christian culture and made important inroads in bringing the classical legacy of the mediterranean south into their northern realm. At the height of their power under the ruler charlemagne, or charles the great (768 814) . Carolingian authority stretched from the atlantic coastline to the upper reaches of the elbe river and the middle reaches of the danube, and from the north sea to the adriatic. The people of charlemagne"s time thought of themselves as living in a newly constituted. Roman world, and this self-redefinition received symbolic affirmation by the pope himself when, on christmas day in the year 800, leo iii crowned charlemagne emperor. Carolingian europe differed sharply from its byzantine and islamic neighbors.
