Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Charlemagneââ¬â¢s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect :: Essays Papers
Charlemagneââ¬â¢s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect ââ¬Å"â⬠¦and [I] shall first give an account of his deeds at home and abroad, then of his character and pursuits, and lastly of his administration and death, omitting nothing worth knowing or necessary to know.â⬠ââ¬â Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne Charlemagneââ¬âCharles, King of the Franksââ¬âobviously has a fan in Einhard. His powerful work, The Life of Charlemagne, details the kingââ¬â¢s life from the building of his empire, through the education of his children, and culminating in his final living words: the division of his possessions and the instructions for the preservation of his kingdom. At first glance, the inclusion of Charlemagneââ¬â¢s will seems an odd choice to end an essay that demonstrates thoroughly the specifics of the great manââ¬â¢s life. After all, who needs to know which child gets his gold, and which archbishop he favored the most. Einhard reveals the ignorance in this assumption by doing just the opposite: using Charlemagneââ¬â¢s will as the final and most convincing illustration of the kingââ¬â¢s life and character. Einhard divides his discussion of Charlemagne into three distinct sections, perhaps in imitation of the kingââ¬â¢s will, which is also partitioned into the same three underlying themes: church, empire, and intellect. Throughout his essay, Einhard makes constant references to Charlemagneââ¬â¢s piety. He notes that the king ââ¬Å"cherished with great fervor and devotion the principles of the Christian religion.â⬠Charlemagne built the basilica at Aix-la-Chapelle, and ââ¬Å"was a constant worshipper at this church.â⬠(Einhard, 48)â⬠¦. He embodied the Christian doctrine to give to the poor, and had close relationships to the popes in Rome. A pessimist might find reason to believe these actions were purely opportunistic or at least had mixed motivesââ¬âhis relationships with the Vatican were monetarily beneficialââ¬âbut Einhardââ¬â¢s inclusion of Charlemagneââ¬â¢s will removes all doubt. ââ¬Å"In this division he is especially desirous to provideâ⬠¦the largess of alms which Christians usually make.â⬠(Einhard, 52). In death, Charlemagne gave much of his wealth to the Church via the archbishops of each city in his empire, and further stipulated tha t upon the death of one of them, a portion of the remaining inheritance should go directly to the poor, as should the profit of the sale of his library. Charlemagneââ¬â¢s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect :: Essays Papers Charlemagneââ¬â¢s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect ââ¬Å"â⬠¦and [I] shall first give an account of his deeds at home and abroad, then of his character and pursuits, and lastly of his administration and death, omitting nothing worth knowing or necessary to know.â⬠ââ¬â Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne Charlemagneââ¬âCharles, King of the Franksââ¬âobviously has a fan in Einhard. His powerful work, The Life of Charlemagne, details the kingââ¬â¢s life from the building of his empire, through the education of his children, and culminating in his final living words: the division of his possessions and the instructions for the preservation of his kingdom. At first glance, the inclusion of Charlemagneââ¬â¢s will seems an odd choice to end an essay that demonstrates thoroughly the specifics of the great manââ¬â¢s life. After all, who needs to know which child gets his gold, and which archbishop he favored the most. Einhard reveals the ignorance in this assumption by doing just the opposite: using Charlemagneââ¬â¢s will as the final and most convincing illustration of the kingââ¬â¢s life and character. Einhard divides his discussion of Charlemagne into three distinct sections, perhaps in imitation of the kingââ¬â¢s will, which is also partitioned into the same three underlying themes: church, empire, and intellect. Throughout his essay, Einhard makes constant references to Charlemagneââ¬â¢s piety. He notes that the king ââ¬Å"cherished with great fervor and devotion the principles of the Christian religion.â⬠Charlemagne built the basilica at Aix-la-Chapelle, and ââ¬Å"was a constant worshipper at this church.â⬠(Einhard, 48)â⬠¦. He embodied the Christian doctrine to give to the poor, and had close relationships to the popes in Rome. A pessimist might find reason to believe these actions were purely opportunistic or at least had mixed motivesââ¬âhis relationships with the Vatican were monetarily beneficialââ¬âbut Einhardââ¬â¢s inclusion of Charlemagneââ¬â¢s will removes all doubt. ââ¬Å"In this division he is especially desirous to provideâ⬠¦the largess of alms which Christians usually make.â⬠(Einhard, 52). In death, Charlemagne gave much of his wealth to the Church via the archbishops of each city in his empire, and further stipulated tha t upon the death of one of them, a portion of the remaining inheritance should go directly to the poor, as should the profit of the sale of his library.
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