Charlemagne was one of the greatest leaders of the Middle Ages. He presided over the transition from a classical civilization to a medieval civilization and helped introduce what would become a European civilization during his 40 year rule. Charlemagne was a great warrior and an efficient administrator who was known for his patronage of the arts, the Church, and education.
Charlemagne was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the Middle Ages. Born around 742, Charlemagne assumed the throne of the Frankish kingdom in 771 and ruled until 814. Upon assuming power, Charlemagne immediately began expanding his kingdom, attempting to unite all Germanic people into one kingdom. His other priority was religious: he wanted to convert all Frankish people to Christianity (Kreis, 2006).
Just as Justinian assimilated Roman law during his reign (c. 482-565), by 800, Charlemagne's empire included parts or all of modern France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Spain. He assimilated these disparate lands into an effective administration by dividing his kingdom into numerous units, appointing military governors, and sending observers
(both civil and religious) who reported to him on local affairs throughout the kingdom (Kreis, 2006).
Charlemagne can be said to have patterned his reign on Constantine because not just because both presided over territorial expansion, but also because just as Constantine recognized Christianity in 311, Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo in 800. Both these events resulted in both the acceptance and spread of Christianity throughout Europe.
Charlemagne's interests in education and Christianity coalesced in his advocacy of monks. He greatly improved their education, introducing classical and literary education to the clergy (Kreis, 2006).
In addition, Charlemagne was a lavish supporter of the arts. For example, C
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