[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":24},["ShallowReactive",2],{"zoom:p4ch12z3:en":3},{"period":4,"chapter":14,"zoom":17},{"id":5,"title":6,"titleEn":6,"titleEs":7,"range":8,"rangeEn":8,"rangeEs":8,"cover":9},"p4","Early Middle Ages","Alta Edad Media","476 → 987",{"fileName":10,"filePageUrl":11,"imageUrl":12,"sourceLabel":13},"François Louis Dejuinne 08265 baptême de CLovis.JPG","https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fran%C3%A7ois%20Louis%20Dejuinne%2008265%20bapt%C3%AAme%20de%20CLovis.JPG","/assets/p4-haut-moyen-age-cover.png","Wikimedia Commons",{"id":15,"title":16},"p4ch12","Charlemagne: Inherit, Conquer, Scale Up (768–814)",{"id":18,"title":19,"chapterId":15,"html":20,"hasEn":21,"isFallback":22,"seoDescription":23},"p4ch12z3","800: Imperial Coronation and the Idea of Empire","\u003Cp>On \u003Cstrong>25 December 800\u003C/strong>, Charlemagne is crowned emperor in Rome. Whatever the exact motivations and balance of forces, the event changes political language: the West is no longer only a set of kingdoms — it thinks again with an imperial reference.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🎄 The Christmas ceremony\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>That day, Pope \u003Cstrong>Leo III\u003C/strong> crowns Charlemagne in Rome. A famous representation (the mosaic of \u003Cstrong>St John Lateran\u003C/strong>) shows Leo III and Charlemagne kneeling at Saint Peter’s feet: he gives distinct symbols (keys and banner), suggesting a distribution of powers from Rome.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>According to \u003Cstrong>Einhard\u003C/strong>, Charlemagne would have been displeased by the ritual order: the crown placed on his head as he prayed, followed by acclamation and prostration. The detail matters: the gesture can be read as claiming that \u003Cstrong>the pope “makes” the emperor\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>👑 More than a title\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>The imperial coronation serves to:\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>give Carolingian power a higher status\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>inscribe Charlemagne in symbolic continuity with the Roman Empire\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>offer the West a figure of unity, at least ideologically\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>⚖️ A delicate balance\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>The new title reshapes relationships:\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>with Rome (alliance and reciprocal dependencies)\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>with Byzantium (competing legitimacies)\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>with Frankish elites (a new staging of power)\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🧭 Byzantine reaction and recognition (801–813)\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Empire initially refuses to recognise the coronation, perceived as a \u003Cstrong>usurpation\u003C/strong>. Charlemagne’s advisers argue the title is “vacant” because Constantinople is ruled by Empress \u003Cstrong>Irene\u003C/strong>, and even consider a rapprochement.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>The situation is resolved gradually through diplomacy: the \u003Cstrong>Peace of Aachen (812)\u003C/strong> brings a cautiously formulated recognition; recognition becomes clearer in \u003Cstrong>813\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>👑 813: the example of Louis the Pious\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>In \u003Cstrong>813\u003C/strong>, Charlemagne changes the ritual for his son \u003Cstrong>Louis\u003C/strong>: the crown is placed on the altar and Louis crowns himself. The gesture aims to reduce the idea that Empire depends on a coronation “granted” by the pope.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🧠 Key takeaways\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>800 is a major symbolic turning point.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>The Carolingian empire is a political, religious, and cultural construction.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Charlemagne becomes a model for centuries to come.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n",true,false,"On 25 December 800 , Charlemagne is crowned emperor in Rome. Whatever the exact motivations and balance of forces, the event changes political language: the",1778543119687]