Charlemagne

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Charlemagne (Charles the Great) born 2 April 742 in Aachen, France and died on the 28th day of January 814 at Aix-la-Chapelle, the palace which he had built for himself in Aachen, France. Charlemagne was a man cultured in the liberal arts; fluent in Latin. Most famous due to his conquest of western Europe, Charlemagne carried the Cross with him wherever he went, bringing the infidels under the sway of the Roman Catholic Church to which he was a devoted follower. His territory included: France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, as well as the greater portion of Germany and Italy as well as parts of Austria and the Spanish border. Crowned Holy Roman Emperor Christmas Day in 800, Charlemagne modestly accepted the crown for the hetherto unknown position. A man of honor, integrity, humility and compassion, Charlemagne excelled in organization. It was this organizational skill which was responsible for his military victories, which were usually led by Charlemagne himself. The physical description of Charlemagne is that he was a man about six feet tall with red hair and blue eyes. He had a stout neck and a merry face. His hobbies included swimming and horsemanship. He enjoyed eating, especially his favorite food, roast and was a man who practiced moderation in drink, disliking drunkenness in those around him as well. Charlemagne was renowned for his generosity and made a concerted effort to have friendly relations with the kings in areas where Christians were poor and suffering. He also sent funds to alleviate the suffering of these Christians in areas such as: Syria, Egypt, Africa, Alexandria, Carthage and Jerusalem. Charlemagne had sons: Louis "the Pious" whom he made his heir, Pepin I, and Karl "the Younger" and daughters: Adelheid and Rotrud by his consort, Hildegarde Von Vintzg one of 10 women with which he was reputed to be involved. He had a son, Theodorich with his consort, Adelinde. With his consort, Gerswinda of Saxony, he had a daughter, Gerswinda Adeltrud. Rothilde was his daughter with consort Maldegard. Another daughter, Hruodhaid whose mother's name is unknown, addded to his progeny. Sons Drago and Hugo were the offspring of consort, Regina. Pepin "Der Bucklige" was the son of Hililtrud. With Fastrada, Charlemagne had daughters: Theodrada and Hiltrud. All of Charlemagne's daughters remained with him, unmarried until after his death as he desired their company to be with him. Having suffered four years of poor health, suffering from pleurisy, Charlemagne summoned his only remaining son with Hildegarde, Louis, Kigi of Aquitainia, to his bedside where he named Louis the sole heir of the Empire. Strange omens preceded the death of Charlemagne including frequent eclipses of botht he sun and moon. The palace of Aix-au-Chapelle shook, the basilica in which he was later buried was struck by lightning and the roofs of whatever building he was in crackled as long as he was within them. Charlemagne was buried on the day of his death in the basilica which he had built himself. A gilded arch was built over his tomb with the inscription: "In this tomb lies the body of Charles, the Great and Orthodox Emperor, who gloriously extended the kingdom of the Franks, and reigned prosperously for forty-seven years. He died at the age of seventy, in the year of our Lord 814, the 7th Indiction, on the 28th day of January." Under Charlemagne, plants for the first time were catalogued. These records contain regulations concerning the instruction of the youth, the improvement of agriculture and the design of gardens. English benedictines inventoried plants grown in the imperial gardens of Lower Palatine containing six to seven different cereals, seventeen to eighteen types of fruit, thirty-eight types of vegetables and the production of fabrics. Monks were sent to Cordoba in Spain where the library at Cordoba had since 755 acquired some 660,000 volumes. The monks translated many of these volumes into Latin, however many of these translations contain errors and omissions. It is interesting to note that these early students of botony believed that the plants, noted by Aristotle and Theophrasus in the Mediterranean region would also be found in central Europe.