HIST 313A Charlemagne and the Birth of Europe
On Christmas Day, 800, the Frankish king Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome. This revival of the imperial title for the first time in centuries is one sign of the emergence of a new Europe. This course will explore the history of Charlemagne and his dynasty, the Carolingians, and their impact on European society. We will consider issues including the Carolingian Renaissance, the cultural flourishing that saved much of what we know of the Latin classics for posterity, transformations in family structure and the idea of marriage, and the building of a European empire. One of his court poets called Charlemagne "the father of Europe." Drawing on the literature, art, and histories of the period, this class will investigate what that meant.