CHARLEMAGNE (shar-le-man'), Charles the Great, King of the Franks, and subsequently Emperor of the West, was born in 742, probably at Aix-la Chapelle. His father was Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, son of Charles Martel. On the decease of his father, in 768, he was crowned king, and divided the kingdom of the Franks with his brother Carloman, at whose death in 771, Charlemagne made himself master of the whole empire, which embraced, be sides France, a large part of Germany. His first great enterprise was the con quest of the Saxons, a heathen nation living between the Weser and the Elbe, which he undertook in 772; but it was not till 803 that they were finally subdued and brought to embrace Chris tianity. While he was combating the Saxons, Pope Adrian implored his as sistance against Desiderius, king of the Lombards. Charlemagne immediately marched with his army to Italy, took Pavia, overthrew Desiderius, and was crowned King of Lombardy with the iron crown. In 778 he repaired to Spain to assist a Moorish prince, and while re turning his troops were surprised in the valley of Roncesvalles by the Biscayans, and the rear-guard defeated; Roland, one of the most famous warriors of those times, fell in the battle. As his power increased, he meditated more seriously the accomplishment of the plan of his ancestor, Charles Martel, to restore the Western Empire. Having gone to Italy to assist the Pope, on Christmas day 800 he was crowned and proclaimed Cmsar and Augustus by Leo III. His son Pe pin, who had been made King of Italy, died in 810, and his death was followed the next year by that of Charles, his eldest son. Thus of his legitimate sons one only remained, Louis, King of Aqui tania, whom Charlemagne adopted as his colleague in 813. He died Jan. 28, 814, in the 47th year of his reign, and was buried at Aix-la-Chapelle, his fa vorite and usual place of residence.
Charlemagne was a friend of learning, and deserves the name of restorer of the sciences and teacher of his people. He attracted by his liberality the most dis tinguished scholars to his court (among others, Alcuin, from England), and es tablished an academy in his palace at the sittings of which he attended with all the scientific and lit erary men of his court.
He invited teachers of language and mathematics from Italy to the principal cities of the empire, and founded schools of theology and the liberal sciences in the monasteries. He strove to cultivate his mind by intercourse with scholars; and, to the time of his death, this inter course remained his favorite recreation.
mar, and several Latin poems. His em pire comprehended France, most of Cata lonia, Navarre, and Aragon; the Nether lands, Germany as far as the Elbe, Saale, and Eider, Upper and Middle Italy, Istria, and a part of Slavonia. In private life Charlemagne was exceed ingly amiable; a good father and gener ous friend. In dress and habits he was plain and economical. In person he was His mother-tongue was a form of Ger man, but he spoke several languages readily, especially the Latin, and was naturally eloquent. He sought to im prove the liturgy and church music, and attempted unsuccessfully to introduce uniformity of measures and weights. He built a light-house at Boulogne, con structed several ports, encouraged agri culture, and enacted wise laws. He con vened councils and parliaments, pub lished capitularies, wrote many letters (some of which are still extant), a gram strong and of great stature. He was succeeded by his son Louis (le Mon naire).