Coronation of Charlemagne
From the Biography of Pope Leo III
After
these things, the day of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ having come,
all were again gathered in the aforesaid basilica of the blessed Peter
the Apostle. And then the gracious and venerable pontiff with his own
hands crowned him [Charles] with a very precious crown. Then all the faithful
people of Rome, seeing the defence that he gave and the love that he bore
for the holy Roman Church and her Vicar, by the will of God and of the
blessed Peter, the keeper of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, cried
with one accord in a loud voice: “To Charles, the most pious Augustus,
crowned by God, the great and peace-giving Emperor, life and victory.”
While he was invoking diverse saints before the holy confession of the
blessed Peter the Apostle, it was proclaimed three times and he was constituted
by all to be Emperor of the Romans. Then the most holy pontiff anointed
Charles with holy oil, and likewise anointed his most excellent son to
be king, upon the very day of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; and
when the Mass was finished, then the most serene lord Emperor offered
gifts.
From
the Frankish Royal Annals (Annales regni Francorum)
On
the most holy day of our Lord’s birth, when the king, at Mass before the
confession of St. Peter, rose up from prayer, Pope Leo placed on his head
a crown; and he was acclaimed by the whole populace of Rome: “To Charles,
Augustus, crowned by God the great and peaceful emperor of these Romans,
life and victory!” And after these praises he was adored by the pope in
the manner of ancient princes; and, the title of patricius being dropped,
he was called emperor and augustus.
From
the Annales Laureshamenses
And
because the name of emperor had now ceased to exist in the land of the
Greeks and because they had a woman as emperor, it was seen both by the
apostolic Leo himself and all the holy fathers who were present in that
council [i.e., the council held to decide the fate of Leo III and before
which he took his purification oath] and the rest of the people, that
they ought to name as emperor Charles himself, king of the Franks, who
now held Rome itself, where the Caesars were always accustomed to have
their residence, and the rest of the places which they held in Italy,
Gaul, and Germany. For Almighty God conceded all these places into his
hands, and therefore it seemed to them to be just, that he--with the aid
of God and with all the Christian people asking--should not be lacking
that title. King Charles did not wish to deny their request, and with
all humility, subjecting himself to God and to the petition of the priests
and all the Christian people, he received the title of emperor through
the coronation of the lord pope Leo on the day of the birth of the Lord.
And the first thing he did was to recall the holy Roman Church from that
discord which existed there to peace and order.
From
Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne
His
last voyage [to Rome] was a result of another cause. The Romans having
caused Pope Leo many injuries--torn out his eyes and blinded him--were
moved to ask the aid of the king. Therefore, coming to Rome in order to
put to order that which was causing too much disturbance in the order
of the Church, he passed the whole winter there. It was at this time that
he accepted the title of emperor and augustus. But at first he was so
much opposed that he affirmed that, even though it was an important feast
day, he would not have entered the church that day if he had known in
advance the plan of the pope. He bore with great patience the envy of
the Roman emperors, who were indignant at the title he had taken; and
by his magnanimity by which he was so much superior to them he conquered
their anger by sending to them many legates and by calling them “brothers”
in his letters.
From
Theophanes’ Chronicle
In this year in the month of December, Charles, the king of the Franks,
was crowned by Pope Leo.
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