08-29-2008, 12:47 AM
Of course it was prepared. There was an embassador from Harun ar-Rashid and representatives of the Roman city came to greet Charlemagne at the twelfth milestone, as was common when one saluted an emperor.
What went wrong, was the way the emperor was crowned. Our sources (Einhardt being the main one) are not really clear, but it seems that the celebration was planned for the 25th, when the Frankish army would proclaim Charlemagne Imperator, and the city council/Senate would recognize him as Augustus or Caesar. That would have been as it ought to happen, ancient Roman style.
The Pope had different plans. In Constantinople, the emperor was crowned by the Patriarch, just like Samuel had anointed Saul and David, and the Pope had anointed Charlemagne's grandfather and father. On 24 December, when Charlemagne went to the Saint Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo surprised him.
According to Einhardt, Charlemagne was furious and said that if he knew what was going to happen, he would not have gone to church that night. That makes sense, in the above context: the one who crowns is greater than the one who is crowned. Charlemagne was in fact humiliated.
Several years later, he personally crowned his son Louis, making sure that in the future, the imperial title could be obtained without Papal intervention. However, Louis later had himself recoronated by the Pope, creating a precedent.
What went wrong, was the way the emperor was crowned. Our sources (Einhardt being the main one) are not really clear, but it seems that the celebration was planned for the 25th, when the Frankish army would proclaim Charlemagne Imperator, and the city council/Senate would recognize him as Augustus or Caesar. That would have been as it ought to happen, ancient Roman style.
The Pope had different plans. In Constantinople, the emperor was crowned by the Patriarch, just like Samuel had anointed Saul and David, and the Pope had anointed Charlemagne's grandfather and father. On 24 December, when Charlemagne went to the Saint Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo surprised him.
According to Einhardt, Charlemagne was furious and said that if he knew what was going to happen, he would not have gone to church that night. That makes sense, in the above context: the one who crowns is greater than the one who is crowned. Charlemagne was in fact humiliated.
Several years later, he personally crowned his son Louis, making sure that in the future, the imperial title could be obtained without Papal intervention. However, Louis later had himself recoronated by the Pope, creating a precedent.
