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Charlemagne was not prepared for his coronation and may not have wanted to be crowned by the Pope. If the Pope had the power to crown Charlemagne king, the Pope might also have the right to remove the crown.

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11y ago
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13y ago

Most simply put, the problem was that it looked to many people like the pope was claiming that the Byzantine Empire belonged to Charlemagne.

At that time, the terms "Byzantine Empire" and "Holy Roman Empire" were not in use. The Byzantine Empire was officially called the "Roman Empire." Nevertheless, when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as emperor, he called the empire of which Charlemagne was made monarch the "Roman Empire."

We cannot know why Leo did this. It happens that the Byzantine Empire of the time was ruled by Empress Irene, and some people took the pope's action to indicate he regarded the rule by a woman as not legitimate. Other people have claimed that Charlemagne's empire was intended to be a renewal of the West Roman Empire. There might be some motive no one has guessed at.

There are some relevant background facts that might help a person understand this:

  • The Roman Empire was divided into to administrative halves in the 3rd century. The thing that happened in the 5th century was not the fall of the Roman Empire, but the fall of the western half, or the West Roman Empire.
  • The East Roman Empire picked up the pieces as best it could, and continued to call itself the Roman Empire. It was also called by this name by people of the time.
  • With the passing of time, people of Western Europe came more and more to call the Byzantine Empire the Empire of the Greeks, which was not an official name. (A thought: maybe Pope Leo III always called it by this name and did not know the official name was the Roman Empire.)
  • Charlemagne's Empire was called the Roman Empire, for reasons we do not know. It was, in fact, nearly the size of the West Roman Empire, and had the city of Rome under its protection.
  • The current term today for Charlemagne's Empire is the Carolingian Empire, and it is regarded as having existed from 800 to 888. After 888, the title of emperor still existed until 924, when the last person to claim it died.
  • Today we regard the Holy Roman Empire as having been founded in 962. It was called the Roman Empire at the time, and was not called the Holy Roman Empire until 1157.
  • The Byzantine Empire continued to call itself the Roman Empire until it was destroyed in 1453. The term Byzantine Empire was introduced in 1557.

Much of the modern terminology is used because it avoids certain causes of confusion. Nevertheless, it obscures the relationship between the ancient Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. The term Carolingian Empire has come into use to clarify the relationship between Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire, but it might separate the two excessively.

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11y ago

he thought it was a devine tittle

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Q: Why were the people of the Byzantine Empire upset when the pope crowned Charlemagne the Holy Roman Emperor?
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What city was Charlemagne crowned emperor of?

Charlemagne was not crowned emperor of a city. He was crowned Emperor of the Romans, implying that he was ruler of the Roman Empire. There was, and still is, much controversy over this event. We do know know what the intent was or even who was behind it. Charlemagne is said to have taken the position that the coronation was a surprise to him, but many people have found that hard to believe. The Byzantine government, which still called itself the Roman Empire, took issue at the whole thing, as can well be imagined.


Where was Charlemagne crowned emperor?

Charlemagne was crowned emperor in St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome, on December 25, 800. This act created what historians call the Carolingian Empire, which was ancestral to both the the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France. Charlemagne is considered Charles I of both countries. At the time of the coronation, and for quite a while after, the empire called itself the Roman Empire. Unfortunately the Byzantine Empire also called itself the Roman Empire. Modern historians use the terms they do to avoid confusion. For more, please use the link below.


Who crowned Charlemagne emperor?

Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor in St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome, on December 25, 800 AD. At the time he crowned Charlemagne, he referred to the empire as the Roman Empire. Today, historians call Charlemagne's empire the Carolingian Empire, but at the time, people in Western Europe called it the Roman Empire, as Pope Leo III had. The people of the Byzantine Empire of the time, who had always called their country the Roman Empire, and would as long as it existed, were not very happy about this. The Carolingian Empire divided into France, and a country we call the Holy Roman Empire, but which called itself the Roman Empire for some time. If all this sounds confusing, imagine how it sounded to the people of the time. There are a links below.


Who was crown the newRoman emperor in AD 800?

Charlemagne wascrownedRomanEmperorbyPopeLeoIII. He become the emperor of the Frankish empire which has been called by historiansCarolingianEmpire. The Pope gave him title of Romanemperorto signify that by allying with Charlemagne andcrowninghimemperor, westernEuropeandCatholicismbecameIndependentfrom the Byzantine Empire, which had up to that point controlled parts ofItaly, including Rome and the bishop of Rome (the Pope).


Who was the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire?

CHARLEMAGNE

Related questions

Who was crowned the emperor of the holy roman empire?

Charlemagne


Who was crowned the new Roman emperor in ad 800?

Charlemagne was crowned the new Roman emperor in A.D. 800


What happened in ad 800?

Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans on December 25, 800 AD, in Rome. Today we call he empire the Carolingian Empire to distinguish it from the ancient Roman Empire, the Medieval Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), and the Holy Roman Empire.


Who served as the first holy Roman Emperor from to 814?

charlemagne...


Was Charlemagne emperor of Rome?

yes ----- The question of whether Charlemagne was Emperor of Rome was raised as soon as he was crowned emperor. Personally, I would say he was not, but others could disagree, and with some reason. The West Roman Empire was long gone, so clearly he was not emperor of that. The East Roman Empire still existed at the time he was crowned, under the name Empire of the Roman People. Today we call it the Byzantine Empire. Empress Irene, who was its monarch at the time Charlemagne was crowned, was quite upset that Charlemagne was crowned emperor of a country with the same name as her own, especially because it seemed to imply that he was the rightful ruler of her empire. Today, we use the term Carolingian Empire for Charlemagne's empire, and the term Byzantine Empire for Irene's, to avoid confusion. Neither term was used at the time. The Carolingian Empire dissolved, but was reestablished as what we call the Holy Roman Empire, a term used while it existed, though originally, it, too, was called the Roman Empire. The City of Rome, by the way, was not part of either the Carolingian Empire or the Byzantine Empire, but was part of the Papal States.


What city was Charlemagne crowned emperor of?

Charlemagne was not crowned emperor of a city. He was crowned Emperor of the Romans, implying that he was ruler of the Roman Empire. There was, and still is, much controversy over this event. We do know know what the intent was or even who was behind it. Charlemagne is said to have taken the position that the coronation was a surprise to him, but many people have found that hard to believe. The Byzantine government, which still called itself the Roman Empire, took issue at the whole thing, as can well be imagined.


Why was Charlemagne crowned emperor of the Romans?

Charlemagne was not crowned emperor of the Romans. He was crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor, which had nothing to do with ancient Rome. The so-called Holy Roman Empire was a Germanic kingdom of the Middle Ages.


Where was Charlemagne crowned emperor?

Charlemagne was crowned emperor in St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome, on December 25, 800. This act created what historians call the Carolingian Empire, which was ancestral to both the the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France. Charlemagne is considered Charles I of both countries. At the time of the coronation, and for quite a while after, the empire called itself the Roman Empire. Unfortunately the Byzantine Empire also called itself the Roman Empire. Modern historians use the terms they do to avoid confusion. For more, please use the link below.


When did Charlemagne rule?

Charlemagne was crowned King of the Franks in 768. He was crowned Emperor of the Romans, an empire we now call the Carolingian Empire, in 800. He ruled until he died in 814.


How did Charlemagne and the Carolingians build the Frankish Empire?

Supported the pope; pope crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Roman people


What was the king of the frankish empire crowned head of?

He (that is, Charlemagne) was crowned Emperor of the Roman Empire by the Pope.


Who crowned Charlemagne emperor?

Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor in St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome, on December 25, 800 AD. At the time he crowned Charlemagne, he referred to the empire as the Roman Empire. Today, historians call Charlemagne's empire the Carolingian Empire, but at the time, people in Western Europe called it the Roman Empire, as Pope Leo III had. The people of the Byzantine Empire of the time, who had always called their country the Roman Empire, and would as long as it existed, were not very happy about this. The Carolingian Empire divided into France, and a country we call the Holy Roman Empire, but which called itself the Roman Empire for some time. If all this sounds confusing, imagine how it sounded to the people of the time. There are a links below.