Pope Leo Iii Crowned Charlemagne Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Pope Leo Iii Crowned Charlemagne?
Pope Leo III was a pivotal figure in the history of the Catholic Church. He is best known for crowning Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day, 800 AD, a move that marked the beginning of the Middle Ages and the establishment of Europe’s first great empire. Pope Leo III was born in Rome around 750 AD and came to power in 795 AD following his predecessor’s death. His election was hotly contested by anti-papal forces, and he barely escaped being assassinated when he fled to Francia. In 799 AD Charlemagne marched into Rome with his army to restore Pope Leo III to power. After this event, Pope Leo III saw an opportunity: If he crowned Charlemagne as emperor it would increase both his own prestige and that of the papacy itself. On Christmas Day 800 AD, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome; this act symbolized not only a political alliance between Church and State but also a spiritual partnership between Christianity and secular rule. The coronation of Charlemagne as emperor was significant for many reasons: It established Europe’s first great empire; it provided stability after centuries of warfare; it created clear political boundaries throughout Europe; it spread Christianity more widely than ever before; and it set high standards for justice, law, education, culture, art and architecture which still influence us today. The coronation also marked a shift away from classical antiquity towards medieval feudalism as well as new forms of governance such as monarchies with hereditary rulers supported by powerful religious authorities like the pope himself.