Charlemagne: The Man and Ruler

We know a fair amount about Charles from the biography by Einhard, a scholar at his court and an admiring friend. Einhard stresses that Charles was very fond of all his family, friendly to "foreigners," lively, athletic, and strong-willed. Of course this view must be taken with a grain of salt due to the realization that Einhard held the king he had so loyally served in high esteem; but it still serves as an excellent …

…virtually disappeared as a tribe. In conclusion, Charlemagne defeated Lombardy, Saxony, and Bavaria in cruel ways deleting them from existence. These three cultures, and his priests and warriors who died for him are all victims who suffered as a result of Charlemagne’s rule. I feel that Charlemagne was a great ruler who accomplished a lot in his forty-six years of reign. Charlemagne should be approached with more criticism, but his accomplishments outweigh his pitfalls.