Charlamagne (Charles the Great)

Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, lived from 747-814. He was a Frankish king that ruled from 768-814(46 years). During his reign, he conquered Italy. He was also crowned Imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800. Also during Charlemagne's reign, the Carolingian Renaissance took place. The Carolingian Renaissance were when art religion and culture were revived through the Catholic church.

Charlemagne's appearance is described in detail by the author Einhard. He is said to be tall, stately, and have fair hair. He was also described as having an extremely large neck. He was seen to be an ideal ruler and was portrayed in this way in statues, paintings, etc.

"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." (source)

Charlemagne was married a total of five times, and had many concubines. He also had many children. Although his family was large he was close to his family. Sometimes he would even bring his sons along with him on campaigns. He also had a great respect for the Catholic church and heaped great wealth upon it. However, he never committed fully to any religious law.

Today Charlemagne is regarded as the founding father of both French and German monarchies.He is also regarded as the father of Europe because his empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Romans. The Carolingian renaissance encouraged the formation of a common European identity.

"The empire created by Charlemagne extended over most of what is now regarded as Western Europe." (McKitterick, 30)

When Charlemagne died in 814 he was succeeded by his surviving son, Louis, who had been crowned the year prior to his death. His empire lasted only one more generation. The Carolingian empire, according to custom, was divided between Louis's own sons after their father's death laid the foundation for the modern states of France and Germany.

McKitterick, Rosamond. Times Medieval World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

Guy, John. Medieval Life. London: Ticktock Media Limited, 2001.

Justinian Plague

The part of the middle ages that is most interesting to me is the Justinian plague. The Justinian plague was the first epidemic of infectious disease that struck the Byzantine empire. It is called the Justinian plague after the ruler of Byzantine at the time of the plague, Justinian I. Most people believe that the cause of the pandemic was an outbreak of the bubonic plague. The plague spread so quickly and easily that central and south Asia, North Africa, Arabia, Europe, Denmark and Ireland were also affected at the same time.

It is believed that the plague originated in either Ethiopia or Egypt. Byzantines were fed by vast shipments of grain that were brought in by Egypt and Ethiopia. The shipments of grain were most likely the source of the contagion. The source may have been the grain because the public granaries at the time had a big rat and flea population. All trading stopped, and the city's food supply became exhausted.

There is no way to know exactly, but around 25 million people died from this plague. About 5,000 people were dying daily from the plague. At it's peak, the Justinian plague was killing 10,000 people a day. Overall about 40% of the population was affected and died.

The death toll was so extensive that bodies began to be buried in cemeteries outside the city. Then people began to throw the dead bodies into the ocean because of the lack of room in burial grounds. Bodies were also beginning to be thrown into the large trenches surrounding the city walls. Soon the corpses were overflowing from the trenches.

At the peak of the plague, the
corpses stretched across the harbor of the Golden Horn to the towers of Syae. The roofs of towers also had to be temporarily removed so that bodies could be piled inside. When the wind blew the stench of decaying, diseased bodies filled the city.

Justinian was inflicted with plague as well. He didn't die from the disease, however he was left with a speech problem.



Guy, John. Medieval Life. London: Ticktock Media Limited, 2001.

Hallam, Henry. The Middle Ages:History of Europe. New York: Colonial press, 1900.