Famous Men of the Middle Ages · Ch. IX, part 1 · Unit 4: The age of Charlemagne
14. Charlemagne, part 1: Wars, Roland and the crown
Goal: Your child can name Charlemagne's main wars, tell the story of Roland at Roncesvalles, and say what happened on Christmas Day, 800.
You'll need
- The book, open to this chapter
- A map of Europe and the Mediterranean (a free online map or a globe)
- Paper and colored pencils
- Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)
What's in the book
Chapter IX, section I (768-814 A.D.): Pepin's son Charles, called Charlemagne, Charles the Great, fights the Saxons for thirty years until their chief Wittekind submits. He drives the Lombards from the Pope's lands, and in 778 helps Moorish friends in Spain. On the way home Roland's rear guard is crushed by Basques in the pass of Roncesvalles. In 800 the Pope crowns him Emperor of the Romans in St. Peter's. The chapter describes his palace at Aix-la-Chapelle and the armor of his day.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find the Pyrenees and the pass of Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. Then find Aachen (the book uses its French name, Aix-la-Chapelle) in Germany, near Belgium. Then find Rome.
Read the chapter
Read section I aloud, up to the description of the coat of mail. It begins:
Pepin had two sons, Charles and Carloman.
Tell it back
Prompts:
- Who were the Saxons, and how long did Charlemagne fight them?
- Why did he go into Spain?
- What happened to Roland in the pass?
- What happened in St. Peter's church on Christmas Day?
Talk it over
Read the words the Pope said:
Long live Charles Augustus, Emperor of the Romans.
Ask: Rome had had no emperor in the West for more than three hundred years. Why do you think the title still mattered so much?
A note for you: the book says many Saxons became Christians after they were conquered. Historians record that many were made to be baptized by force.
Roland
SayThe book says many songs were written about Roland and his friend Oliver. The most famous is an old French poem, The Song of Roland, still read today. It is a legend built on a small real battle.
Remember it
Add to the timeline: "800 Charlemagne crowned emperor." This is one of the easiest dates in the book to remember. Say it together three times.
Extra (optional)
Draw a knight in the armor the book describes: iron helmet, breastplate, and a coat of mail made of small linked rings.
Afterwards
Ask: What happened on Christmas Day in 800? until it comes easily.
Tip
The footnote under the crowning explains that the emperors in Constantinople still called themselves Roman Emperors. Older children find it interesting that there were now two "Roman" emperors.
Answers to the book's problems
The Saxons were a German people, still pagans; Charlemagne fought them for thirty years. Moorish friends in Spain asked for help against a Muslim leader from Damascus. Basques on the cliffs rolled rocks and tree trunks down on the rear guard and then attacked; Roland and all his men were killed. The Pope placed a crown on his head and proclaimed him Emperor of the Romans. The title linked him to the old glory of Rome and made him the greatest ruler in the West.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.