Charlemagne was indeed one of the greatest medieval kings ever to reign. Not only was he a legend in his lifetime, but he was also known to voice and act upon his major opinions. His world views included two values to which he devoted much of his life in developing: the importance of education, and the importance of a monotheistic devotion to G-d. These two values of Charlemagne's world view are exemplified through various actions he took during his lifetime, which, in turn, resulted in a high degree of social change.
Charlemagne was born on April 2nd of the year 742 to Pepin the Short and Queen Bertrada. As the first eleven years of his life are not documented, his place of birth remains unknown. It is known, however, that Charlemagne was of German blood and speech. Charlemagne loved books, and through them mastered Latin and Greek. In 771, his brother Carloman died, deeming Charlemagne, at age twenty nine, the sole ruler of the Franks. Two years later, he received an urgent appeal for aid against the Lombard Desiderius, who was invading the Papal States, from Pope Hadrian II. Charlemagne besieged and claimed Pavia, assumed the crown of Lombardy, confirmed the Donation of Pepin, and "accepted the role of protector of the Church in all her temporal powers" (Durant 188). On Christmas Day of the year 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Emperor by Pope Leo III. Even before he was bestowed this title, however, Charlemagne was the leader of many conquests, through which he aimed to convert the pagans to Christianity. Not only were these conquests organized by Charlemagne himself, but he actually partook in them. Charlemagne's readiness to partake in the development of all he thought to be vital in a successful society is what enabled him to be the great ruler that he was. As he felt education to be of great value, he took responsibility for the institution of schools throughout his empire, and, therefore, facilitated the intelligence of his subjects.
