Two Lives of Charlemagne (Penguin Classics)

Charlemagne looms over the history of Europe. Nearly everyone knows that this Latin-derived name belongs to a now ancient Emperor. Fewer may know that "Charles the Great" has influenced European, and, along with it, western civilization for the past millennium. For one, the Renaissance revival of the eighth century script known as Carolingian Minuscule (from "Karolus," Latin for "Charles"), survives in modern lowercase type. Not to mention that his empire, the largest one in Europe following the fall of Western Rome, divided into kingdoms for his descendants provided the geographical and cultural foundations of modern Europe. Though following the path back to Charlemagne from the present would likely challenge many with even general historical knowledge, his name nonetheless rings out through the now murky ages as "the founder of Europe."The fall of the Western Roman empire in 476 probably remains the best starting point for situating Charlemagne's eventual rise. Following this fall, Europe became somewhat of a chaotic hodge-podge. Soon, groups of scattered tribes known as the Franks, inhabiting much of modern France, unified under Clovis. This succession, known as the Merovingian line, continued up until Charlemagne's father, Pippin III, overthrew the last Merovingian king, Childeric III, in the 750s. The death of Pippin's other son, Carloman, cleared the way for Charlemagne's rule and the Carolingian Renaissance. Sadly, this Renaissance was relatively short lived following Charlemagne's death. One person who witnessed this peak of Frankish rule was Einhard, one of Charlemagne's closest aids. Einhard wanted to honor this highly regarded Emperor to keep his greatness from being "swallowed up in the shadows of oblivion." He succeeded. The runaway success of "Vita Karoli" inspired others, including the intriguingly named Notker the Stammerer, who wrote apparently at the request of Charles III, or Charles The Fat, yet another of Charlemagne's countless descendants. The small volume "Two Lives Of Charlemagne" collects these rather distinct biographies, providing a fascinating juxtaposition. Whereas Einhard lived and worked with Charlemagne, Notker, born in 840, never met his famous subject or Einhard. By the time Notker wrote, Charlemagne had already drifted into the realm of legend.By contrast, Einhard's text displays unquestionable intimacy. It begins with a sort of an apology. Einhard wants to convince the reader that, by writing about the famous Emperor, he doesn't seek his own fame by association. He claims that, of all people, he remains the most qualified to preserve Charlemagne's memory. A short preface added later by Walahfrid Strabo, who knew Einhard, emphasizes this and mourns the dimming of the Carolingian Renaissance, where "studies are growing weak, and the light of wisdom because it is less loved grows rarer amongst most people." That Walahfrid died around 849 attests to the Carolingian Renaissance's short duration. Nonetheless, the influence of Einhard's book kept the memory alive.Einhard's book is short, comprehensive and very organized. So much so that Walahfrid easily added topical section headers (that seem to go out of synch during the second section, but this may result from skewed pagination). Einhard covers a lot of ground, beginning with the Merovingians, who he largely dismisses as "kings in name only." These potentially exaggerated claims may have served as Carolingian justification for the preceding line's overthrow. The rise and glorification of Charlemagne follows. So much so that one could categorize the book as an extended paean, though Einhard's prose remains level headed and dignified throughout. First tales of war appear, including the ending of the Aquitianian war, unfinished by Pippin, then the defeat of the Lombards, the Saxons, the killing of Roland by the Basques (the inspiration for "The Song of Roland"), the subjugation of the Bretons, the Beneventans, Duke Tassilo of Bavaria, the Slavs or Welatabi, the Avars and the Danes. An entire section praises Charlemagne for the territory he added to the kingdom, one of the most necessary of the traditional kingly duties. More praise follows for Charlemagne's treatment of "foreign peoples," a skill that likely helped keep his empire intact, his building projects, including the chapel at Aachen. Many know that Charlemagne enjoyed the intimate company of women, and Einhard names many concubines and wives who fathered the Emperor's children, though he admits that one concubine's name escapes him. More biography follows with the deaths of two sons and a daughter. Here Einhard admits that Charlemagne, though he possessed "greatness of spirit," nonetheless wept at these losses. The daughters that did live were not allowed to marry, which Einhard, and likely others, found strange. Another son, Pippin the Hunchback, tried to overthrow his father and was exiled. More personal information follows, including details of Charlemagne's physical stature, diet, clothing, hobbies and enjoyments, generosity and his studies. This section includes extensive footnotes showing the influence of Suetonius on Einhard, almost to the point where one could justifiably suspect that Einhard may have "tweaked the truth" to depict Charlemagne in the same light as the Roman Emperors. Almost. Despite his ability to speak and understand several languages, Einhard claims that Charlemagne never learned to write. The account of his famous crowning by Pope Leo in 800 also includes that claim that Charlemagne was tricked or surprised into receiving the crown, but that he bore it "with patience." Lastly, he declares his son Louis, who became Louis The Pious, as heir, dies on January 28 and is entombed in Aachen the same day. To further prove Charlemagne's legendary status, Einhard relates many portents of his death, some of which Charlemagne apparently chose to ignore. The book ends with a relatively lengthy, supposedly verbatim, note on how Charlemagne wanted his treasures divided up.Notker's book, "The Deeds Of Charlemagne" or "Gesta Karoli," differs greatly in tone, organization and narrative from Einhard's more formal text. Notker, a poet and a monk who described himself as "toothless and stammering," sometimes meanders away from Charlemagne into tales of wayward bishops or clerics, then digresses into heroics of Louis the Pious or other digressions. He catches himself and apologizes more than once for these diversions. The work also addresses Charles III "The Fat" directly in a few places. Charles III, both a King and an Emperor, ordered Notker to compose this somewhat sporadic but nonetheless entertaining work. Section 18 contains Notker's declaration, directly to the King, that writing this work may incur the wrath of other clergy, but the King's protection justifies any backlash. Notker tells numerous stories of Charlemagne's love of wisdom (including his patronage of Alcuin), mercy for the disadvantaged, and how he deals with immorality, which often come across as morality tale pranks. In section 7, after relating a story about lections and responsories, Notker doubles back, interrupting the flow, because he forgot to mention something in the previous section. Later he relates a story of a "hated man" who wins his master's favor by claiming a miracle in his name. He claimed to have caught a fox by merely stating "In the name of my master Recho, stay still and don't move." In reality he set two small dogs on the fox and snatched it from their jaws early enough to show no damage. Another story tell of a man who dresses as a leper "running with pus and in rags stiff with putrid gore" to show up a Bishop who had claimed to wash everyone in town in penance for eating meat during Lent. Yet another Bishop falls to drunkenness and sleeps with a woman "with the moves of a harlot" and pays a penance of weeping before his congregation. Section 29 tells the grisly tale of a man who promises Charlemagne to cast a bell of fine silver, but secretly keeps the silver and gets crushed and disemboweled by the bell's iron clapper when he pulls the cord. Other stories of Charlemagne, covering similar ground to Einhard, weave in and out of the text, then suddenly book one ends announcing the death of Werinbert, who had served as the source for many of the tales. No source, no book, so Notker turns to Adalbert, who served Charlemagne in the war against the Avars, as the source for the second book. The story of the Avar war, and the peculiar concentric hedgerows surrounding the Avar stronghold, opens the next and final book. One of the best stories appears in section six when one of Charlemange's envoys violates a solemn rule in Constantinople that foreigners cannot turn over their food when dining. He turns over his fish unknowingly and the King says he must be put to death, but first the king will grant him one favor. The envoy says that he wants everyone who saw him turn the fish over to have their eyes put out. At this, everyone conveniently forgets about the entire incident. "Fish? What fish?" The rest of the book spins in and out of stories about Charlemagne then turns to Louis the Pious and Louis the German and suddenly ends abruptly and in mid-sentence. A more sudden of an ending remains difficult to imagine. The ride just stops. Some have theorized that Notker had not finished the work when Charles III was deposed in 887 and, upon hearing of this, Notker simply stopped writing."Two Lives of Charlemagne" presents basically the same story in two dramatically different ways. Einhard comes across as more encyclopedic and courtly while Notker appears almost anarchic and frenzied. Though many will probably learn more about Charlemagne from Einhard's solid narrative structure, Notker's chaotic and occasionally Rabelaisian ride is overall more fun, though often less comprehensible. The book also includes excellent introductions to Charlemagne, Einhard and Notker. These give context, chronologies, a map and even a helpful lineage from Pippin I to Charles III. Voluminous end notes point out citations from numerous Roman and Biblical sources which both ancient authors drew from extensively. Lastly, the relatively recent translation of both texts flows smoothly throughout and presents an effortless and enjoyable read. These books possess the power to transform the reader back to an age of Kingdoms and Empires when modern Europe just began to show through the haze and mist. They also doubtlessly helped heighten the legend and the myth of Charlemagne to such an extent that many still know his name even today.

Through this book, the illustrious, unconquerable Charles continues to influence and inspire people like me thousands of years after his time. Though the monk surely exaggerates, I greatly enjoyed his recounting of The Life of Charlemagne.

There is much to learn from reading "original" sources. Learned much about Charlemagne and his accomplishments. I much preferred Einhard's biography as giving me a better picture of the man. Classic. Intellectual. Eye-witness. But Notker the Stammerer's version perhaps exposed more of the times. The legend maker. Pandering to progeny. I was reminded of Conan the Barbarian's "Riddle of Steel" in the Stammerer's paean to Iron at pages 108-109 describing Charlemagne's arrival to set siege to Pavia in 755. Made me want to learn more about this period in Western History.

It's important to read your background material before you attempt this book, in order to understand its importance as one of our only real sources about the fascinating figure who was crowned Emperor by the Pope on Christmas Day, 800 AD. I recommend The Carolingian Empire by Heinrich Fichtenau first.I was more impressed by the work of Notker The Stammerer than by Einhard, although Einhard was closer n time to his subject and could thus be expected to know more, and contain more reliable information.The trouble is that Einhard does not understand to information he is bequeathing us. He is a breathless acolyte of the Great Charles and his admiration blind him to the inevitable flaws of all "great men." Notker is much more savvy and his Charlemagne is a living, breathing human being.All in all, this book is an invaluable account of a crucial figure in the transformation of Medieval Europe.

Read it a few times for it to sink in. This was translated as best as they could. If you are a Charlemagne 'fan', student, or not, it's a must read as this IS the first record - NOT A BOOK, NOVEL nor Sci-Fi adventure - whathaveyou - ever recorded by Einhard, his personal, say, secretary, confidant.The 2nd 'biography' is fine as well. There is no reason to not take this record seriously as well, as it was recorded not too long after Charlemagne's death in 814 by the Monk of St. Gall.What to worry about is those books published 1200 years later written based on 'other' documents hard to proof.those 'researchers' trying to spin Charlemagne's, Karl der Grosse, Karel de Grote, life story.

Don’t buy this book if you’re looking for background information on Charlemagne. It was no help at all. It was not written about Charlemagne rather from his perspective. No historical information.

Einhard's biography, as the editor makes clear, is modeled on Suetonius. In that way it is very organized, terse, and flows well. Einhard apparently knew Charlemagne and thus his account is authoritative, if perhaps too short. He presents Charlemagne as a successful king who won many wars, had a lot of children, and died as a Christian.Notker's work is...something else. Einhard gave me the basic plot so I have no wish to continue with Notker's. It's an incredibly slow and disjointed collection of stories, I guess. It's boring to me at least.

Book as advertised, needed this copy as well as another translation that I already owned.

This is not the Penguin Classics edition I thought I had ordered. It is a privately printed (inkjet) copy of a off in a type face too small to read comfortably. Very disappointing.

Further to knowing more about Charlemagne, these readings (there are two in the book) provide a very good sense of what it must have been like to live in that period, especially in respect of the overwhealming influence of catholicism at the time, not only in politics, etc. but in how people viewed their world and themselves: What they deemed to be reality. Then again, this is not a book for everyone, as it can be a bit accademic, but I would not be surprised if it was not for a wider audience than it currently enjoys.

Book in good condition. But a great deal of annotation in the margins.

A good history of Charlemagne from two points of view. The first written by someone who knew him very well, the second by someone years after he died.

very good book - arrived in excellent condition.