Charlemagne's Influence On Charlemagne

Whether known as Charlemagne, Charles the Great, Charles I, or even Carolus Magnus, there is no denying the extent of the first Holy Roman Emperor’s power, influence, and legacy on the former Western Roman Empire. Initially disparaged as an illegitimate claimant to power by the Byzantine court, during his reign, he would go on to reform the vast majority of Western Europe; eventually leading them out of an era marked by warfare, and a near abandonment of cultural achievements and emphasis on education. Despite Charlemagne’s illiteracy, he learned to speak both Latin and Greek, in addition to his native Old High German. Accompanying his proficiency for languages, he was an aficionado of rhetoric, religion, academics, culture, and both the

These literary changes allowed consumers of these texts to improve their literacy by minimizing their exposure to flawed composition. Alcuin, integral to the Carolingian Renaissance, inherited the responsibility of revising said works of literature. Moreover, with the blessing and guidance of Charlemagne, he expanded the teachings at Aachen and a similar schooling system flourished throughout the empire. Furthermore, due to his loyalty to the Christian church, alongside his own personal beliefs, Charlemagne emphasized on literacy as he considered it to be essential to piety. The implementation of these schools was done so by various orders and laws enforced by the emperor; many of which called for knowledgable religious leaders, such as monks and clergy, to study the Bible and educate

He stabilized a shaky currency system by introducing the denier, which became the standard coin of that era. Additionally, he implemented annual trade fairs where English merchants could buy or trade with and from the Carolingians. With trade and commerce prospering in the Roman Empire, Charlemagne enacted the use of a lingua franca; Latin. A lingua franca or a common tongue adopted between speakers of different native languages, was essential to trade and economic development. In point of fact, it is an essential business tool used today. Given that due to tourism primarily, the adopted common tongue for many countries is English, merchants and consumers do not use a lingua franca in the literal sense of the term. However, the prime notion of knowing how to speak to your potential customers is quite widely used. For example, a sales person would not use certain terms and slang whilst speaking to an older couple. Moreover, he or she would not use an extensively verbose vernacular while trying to communicate with a younger