Becoming Charlemagne: A Look at the Rise and Fall of the Roman Leader

Pope Leo III put the old Rome crown on a Germanic king named Karl on Christmas morning in the year 800. With a single event, the man subsequently known as Charlemagne asserted his empire and permanently influenced the landscape of Europe. Becoming Charlemagne informs the account of the international power dispute that has contributed to this world-changing occurrence. Sypeck recounts in vivid detail the events that led to Charlemagne becoming a German barbaric king, a name now connected with the concept of a larger Europe, the Holy Roman Empire. It is not a complete biography of Charlamagne, but instead, the author focuses on a handful of years of coronation and constructs the image of the era in as much detail as possible. The book is divided into two sections. The first segment introduces the rise of Charlemagne as a dispute between three communities, the Franks of Western Europe led by Charlemagne and Pope Leo III; the Byzantine domain in Constantinople led by Irene; and the Muslim empire of Haroun al-Rashid in Baghdad. The second brings together the information from the first section and uses narrative elements to establish the events that help define Europe's next millennium.

Sypeck explores the rise and collapse of Charlemagne and records all the leaders following him. Sypeck's primary hypothesis that Charlemagne was an important historical figure is strongly constructed. Charlemagne's empire impacts are studied throughout the globe through the histories of many distinct nations. His heritage are genuinely an excellent historical instance that impacts so many people. The picture is put in the opening paragraph, with the author's mention of the Frankish king's funeral that would become recognized as Charlemagne, an event, he says, that would not have been achieved without a “Saxon abbot ; a Greek empress ; an Islamic caliph and a Jew named Isaac who gently made his journey back from Baghdad to Western Europe, followed by an elephant named Abul Abaz.” It is an engaging and dynamic study of the evolution of Charlemagne as one of the first of the Holy Roman Emperors, a title that would last, more or less, for some hundred years. What I could recall from the data mentioned throughout the novel, according to Sypeck, is that Karl had an admirable impulse to civilize. He did not possess a extremely advanced empire or a responsive bureaucracy, unlike his counterparts in Constantinople and Baghdad, but aspired to produce both. At about the same time, the knowledge of excellent governance by Karl in the eighth century implied that his issues extended beyond physical matters. He believed as a Christian ruler that his people's hearts were in his mercy. Karl also revised the Frankish law code, which Clovis, the first Frankish king to embrace Christianity, had written down in the sixth century.

The Salic Law exempted women from heritage, emphasizing patrilineal succession, and it was the source of the Frankish custom to divide an inheritance between brothers. But these are just some of the few accomplishments of Karl. Sypeck does a great job of describing what exactly Charlemagne embodied as a ruler and this brief summary pretty much sums it up, “The scene is a fine one to freeze in time: Karl, white-haired, widowed, inquisitive, vibrant, consulting ambassadors about foreign lands; his daughters and their children gathering, awestruck, to touch Abul Abaz; his sons returning from wars with prisoners and loot; his counts administering justice; his peasants farming and feeding the empire; his monks preserving the Christian faith through books and ceaseless prayer, This is Karl at his peak, the founder of a Holy Roman Empire, the 'father of Europe,' the man whom posterity will call Charles the Great. Deeds he never does will inspire the Crusaders, and medieval wise men will rank him alongside Arthur and Alexander as one of the worthiest rulers ever to live. But for now, in 802, he is a father and a Frank, the emperor who gained an elephant, a devout warrior for a new Christian order, a defender of the faith, and the most important person in Europe. Looking for precedents, as poets are wont to do, his flatterers praised him, obeyed him, and hoped that he might be, in their own wonderful optimism and faith, their David. Instead, unbeknownst to them, he was becoming Charlemagne.” As long as it may be, in my understanding, this reference correctly demonstrates Sypeck's perspective of Charlemagne. He was a great leader, respected by many, which at the time they were in is a very hard position to be in. The author, Sypeck, utilizes his imagination to present us not an enhanced image of Charlemagne, but how his peers would have viewed him during the term that he governed.

In the first half of the book, Sypeck starts talking about Western Europe, Pope Leo III presumed the pope after having retained it for fifty years by the competing Roman household. The pope then governed them, not wanting to offer up the power of the lands, the people then conspired to get rid of Leo III. As part of a religious procession, they had him abducted while he was riding through Rome, forcefully separating him from his horse and pulling him into a neighboring church. They attempted to gouge his ears out repeatedly and slice his tongue out, failing badly on both occasions, this then left him in a “close to dead” state before the altar. Leo III later survived and escaped Rome. He then headed north to Aa Chen, where he was to take refuge and promote Charlemagne's court, then the Frankish Empire's ruler. Together with an increasing amount of others, Empress Irene became frustrated with her child Constantine VI, who was far from being a successful ruler. She conspired by ordering several of her men to gouge his eyes and have him removed, this act was successful. In that Byzantine law does not permit dismembered rulers, Irene's son was out of work, sent into exile where he died a few days. The Jews of Europe experienced a long span of safety and tolerance under the rule of Charlemagne. Charlemagne himself sent a Jewish person, known to historians as the Jew Isaac, as ambassador to Haroun al-Rashid's tribunal in Baghdad, expecting to create connections that would help him in Constantinople against Irene. It took a long time to travel, so it wasn't until years later that Isaac traveled to Aachen, Germany with items from Haroun al-Rashid including an elephant named Abul Abaz, the first to be seen in several hundred years.

With the coronation of Karl as the Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in 800 AD, Sypeck begins and ends his book. In the final chapters of Becoming Charlemagne, the reader could see that Karl and his counselors had no clear understanding of what an emperor was meant to do compared to that of a King. Karl clearly feels a renewed feeling of concern about documenting rules and implementing some extensive legal changes in the instant wake of the coronation, but it was merely seen to be a bit of a redesign. This was a very intriguing aspect I believe Sypeck included in his novel, further creating the fact that Charlemagne was a great leader with many achievements during his reign, further shaping the history of the world, in a way.

I found the book more enjoyable than I thought, even though at times I didn't really understand the contents. Not all are because of Sypeck's writing, but my overall interest in the subject at hand. Sypeck's method in his novel is similar to an actual story. As one who is used to learning world history from a textbook, I discovered this fresh approach somewhat uncomfortably different. Becoming Charlemagne is not a novel to read at leisure, but as a reference, it would definitely achieve excellent use. My main problem with this novel is that it's especially hard to follow. It's not well organized, chronologically, as well as the particular locations he's speaking about. Some major events are discussed in several places throughout the book and it can be difficult for a young student or someone who is not a historian and does not enjoy reading historical novels to immerse themselves in the story. Another minor comment I have was that various words were used by the author Sypeck to define the same individuals, locations and events. Again, I, as a teenage student, had a challenging time following this as well. For example, Charlemagne would be referred to as 'Karl' or 'Charles' in the text. This shows that the author assumes his readers are already knowledgeable about the era and events that take place at this time.

Aside from these things, Sypeck utilizes a range of literary and structural methods to educate the viewer about Charlemagne's past easily. His story-like structure helps the reader to comprehend the book's contents. Becoming Charlemagne is at best analysis of the powerful groups and individuals of the times, whether religious or military, with accurate portrayals of the essence of significant history, from Europe and Italy to Constantinople and Baghdad. Documenting what exactly it was that shaped Karl into becoming Charlemagne.