Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/446

 376 Outlines of European History Charlemagne crowned Emperor by the Pope Charlemagne merited the title of Emperor Section 6i. Establishment of a Line of Emperors IN THE West But the most famous of all the achievements of Charle- magne was his reestablishment of the Western Empire in the year 800. It came about in this wise. Charlemagne went to Rome in that year to settle a dispute between Pope Leo III and his enemies. To celebrate the satisfactory settlement of the dispute, the Pope held a solemn service on Christmas Day in St. Peter's. As Charlemagne was kneeling before the altar during this service, the Pope approached him and set a crown upon his head, saluting him, amid the acclamations of those present, as " Emperor of the Romans." The reasons for this extraordinary act, which Charlemagne in- sisted took him completely by surprise, are given in one of the Frankish histories, the Chronicles of Lorsch, as follows : " The name of Emperor had ceased among the Greeks, for they were under the reign of a woman [the E^mpress Irene], wherefore it seemed good both to Leo^ the apostolic pope, and to the bishops who were in council with him, and to all Christian men, that they should name Charles, King of the Franks, as Emperor. For he held Rome itself, where the ancient Caesars had always dwelt, in addition to all his other possessions in Italy, Gaul, and Germany. Wherefore, as God had granted him all these dominions, it seemed just to all that he should take the title of Emperor, too, when it was offered to him at the wish of all Christendom." Charlemagne appears to have accepted gracefully the honor thus thrust upon him. Even if he had no right to the imperial title, it was obviously proper and wise to grant it to him under the circumstances. Before his coronation by the Pope he was only king of the Franks and of the Lombards ; but his con- quests seemed to give him a right to a higher title which should include all his outlying realms. The empire thus reestablished in the West was considered to be a continuation of the Roman Empire founded bv Augustus.