The Carolingian World

Transcription

1 The Carolingian World At its height, the Carolingian empire spanned a million square kilometres of western Europe from the English Channel to central Italy and northern Spain, and from the Atlantic to the fringes of modern Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. As the largest political unit for centuries, the empire dominated the region and left an enduring legacy for European culture. This comprehensive survey traces this great empire s history, from its origins around 700, with the rise to dominance of the Carolingian dynasty, through its expansion by ruthless military conquest and political manoeuvring in the eighth century, to the struggle to hold the empire together in the ninth. It places the complex political narrative in context, giving equal consideration to vital themes such as beliefs, peasant society, aristocratic culture, and the economy. Accessibly written and authoritative, this book offers distinctive perspectives on a formative period in European history. marios costambeys is Senior Lecturer in the School of History at the University of Liverpool. His previous publications include Power and Patronage in Early Medieval Italy: Local Society, Italian Politics and the Abbey of Farfa, c (Cambridge, 2007). matthew innes is Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London. His previous publications include State and Society in the Early Middle Ages: The Middle Rhine Valley, (Cambridge, 2000). simon maclean is Senior Lecturer in the School of History at the University of St Andrews. His previous publications include Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire (Cambridge, 2003).

2 Cambridge Medieval Textbooks This is a series of introductions to important topics in medieval history aimed primarily at advanced students and faculty, and is designed to complement the monograph series Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought. It includes both chronological and thematic approaches and addresses both British and European topics. For a list of titles in the series, see /medievaltextbooks

3 . THE CAROLINGIAN WORLD. MARIOS COSTAMBEYS University of Liverpool MATTHEW INNES Birkbeck, University of London SIMON MACLEAN University of St Andrews

4 University Printing House, Cambridge cb2 8bs, United Kingdom Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Information on this title: / Marios Costambeys, Matthew Innes and Simon MacLean 2011 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published rd printing 2012 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Costambeys, Marios. The Carolingian world / Marios Costambeys, Matthew Innes, Simon MacLean. p. cm. (Cambridge medieval textbooks) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn (hardback) 1. Carolingians History. 2. France History To France Civilization. 4. Europe, Western History. 5. Europe, Western Civilization. 6. Europe History Civilization, Medieval. I. Innes, Matthew. II. MacLean, Simon. III. Title. IV. Series. dc70.c dc isbn Hardback isbn Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

5 For Rosamond McKitterick and Jinty Nelson

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7 CONTENTS. List of illustrations List of maps Acknowledgements List of abbreviations The Carolingian family (simplified) The children and grandchildren of Charlemagne page ix xi xiii xv xx xxi 1. Introduction 1 The dawn of the Carolingian age 1 Was there a Carolingian world? 9 The sources for the Carolingian world The creation of Carolingian kingship to Replacing the ruling dynasty 31 The Merovingian world and Carolingian origins 34 Charles Martel and the extension of Carolingian power 44 Securing Carolingian hegemony: Pippin III 51 Charlemagne as king Belief and culture 80 The problem of Christianisation 81 The problem of sin 110 Christian leadership and learning Inventing the Carolingian empire: politics and government, Introduction 154

8 viii Contents The imperial coronation 160 Governing the empire 170 Dynastic politics, c Kingship and subkingship 208 Revolt and recovery: dynastic politics Villages and villagers, land and landowners 223 Introduction: interpreting Carolingian society 223 Villages 229 Landowning and landowners 241 Community and mobility 246 Landlords and manors 252 The problem of economic growth 258 The powerful and the poor: social conflict in the Carolingian countryside 263 Conclusion: community and conflict Elite society 271 Introduction 271 Aristocratic identity: vocabulary, appearance and lifestyle 275 Aristocratic behaviour: upbringing, morality and culture 296 Aristocratic families 304 Aristocratic resources and relationships: honores, benefices and lordship Exchange and trade: the Carolingian economy 324 Introduction: interpreting the Carolingian economy 324 Mechanisms of exchange 329 The North Sea economy 338 The transformation of the emporia: the ninth century 347 The Vikings and the Frankish economy 353 Italy and the Mediterranean economy 358 Conclusion: was there a Carolingian economy? Sustaining the Carolingian empire: politics and government, Introduction: fraternal rivalry, Fraternal love, Government and resources 407 The end of the empire, Epilogue 428 Bibliography 436 Index 495

9 ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. A charter from St Gallen. Stiftsarchiv St Gallen, i51(chartae Latinae antiquiores i, no.76) page The altar of Ratchis (ara di Duca Ratchis). Museo Cristiano del Duomo, Cividale del Friuli, Italy. Reproduced by kind permission of Dr Neil Christie, University of Leicester The Tassilo chalice. The Art Archive / Kremsmünster Stiftsbibliothek / HarperCollins Publishers 71 4a. Abbey of Lorsch, Germany, gatehouse. C DeAgostini Picture Library / Scala, Florence 117 4b. Abbey of Korvey, Germany, Westwerk. Scala C Photo Scala, Florence The Stuttgart Psalter, Anima. Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Biblia Fol. MS 23, fol. 55r Mosaic, apse of the chapel at Germigny-des- Prés, France. The Art Archive / Gianni Dagli Orti Plan of St Gallen. St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS Mosaic of Charlemagne and Pope Leo III, Rome. akg-images / Andrea Jemolo 164

10 x List of illustrations 9. Aristocratic assembly from the Utrecht Psalter. Utrecht, Universiteitsbibliotheek, MS 32, fol. 83r. Reproduced by kind permission of the Utrecht University Library a. Plan of Aachen palace and chapel. After K. J. Conant, Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture (4th edn, New Haven, CT, 1978), p b. Reconstruction of palace at Ingelheim. Kaiserpfalz Ingelheim ArchimediX Portrait of Louis the Pious from Hraban Maur s De laudibus sanctae crucis. Rome,Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Reg. lat 124, fol. 4v Reconstruction of a hilltop settlement (curtis) at Miranduolo, Tuscany. Reproduced with kind permission of Professor Marco Valenti, Dipartimento di Archeologia e Storia delle Arti, Università degli Studi di Siena King as lawgiver, from the Golden Psalter of St Gallen. St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 22, fol A nobleman, fresco in church of San Benedetto, Malles Venosta, South Tyrol. The Art Archive The earliest Confraternity Book of St Gallen. St Gallen Stiftsarchiv, c3 b55, p Silver denarius minted at Dorestad. Reproduced by permission of the Syndics of The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Portrait of Charles the Bald from the Codex aureus of St Emmeram. Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. lat. 1400, fol. 5v 410

11 MAPS. 1. Europe (relief) page xxii 2. Places mentioned in Chapter 2: The creation of Carolingian kingship to The expansion of the Carolingian empire. After map by T. S. Brown, from D. Ditchburn, S. MacLean and A. Mackay (eds.), The Atlas of Medieval Europe (2nd edn, London, 2007), p Cultural centres in Carolingian Europe Places mentioned in Chapter 4: Inventing the Carolingian empire: politics and government, Places on Charlemagne s itineraries, Source: R. McKitterick, Charlemagne (Cambridge, 2008), p Places mentioned in Chapter 5: Villages and villagers, land and landowners Places mentioned in Chapter 6: Elite society Landholdings of Hraban Maur s family. Source: M. Innes, State and Society in the Early Middle Ages (Cambridge, 2000), p The lands in the will of Eberhard and Gisela of Friuli. After map in D. Ditchburn, S. MacLean and A. Mackay (eds.), The Atlas of Medieval Europe (2nd edn, London, 2007), p

12 xii List of maps 11. Exchange and trade: the North Sea and the Baltic Sea Dorestad. After Fig. 2 in W. A. van Es, Dorestad centred, in J. C. Besteman, J. M. Bos and H. A. Heidinga (eds.), Medieval Archaeology in the Netherlands (Assen and Maastricht, 1990) Exchange and trade: the Mediterranean Sea Places mentioned in Chapter 8: Sustaining the Carolingian empire: politics and government, Viking raids, c.835 to a. Ninth-century divisions: The partition of Verdun, b. Ninth-century divisions: The Carolingian kingdoms in c. Ninth-century divisions: The partition of Meersen, 870. After maps in R. McKitterick, Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians, (London and New York, 1983), pp. 381, 382, Viking raids, Viking raids, Places on the itineraries of Charles the Fat (876 88) 423

13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Our initial thanks are due to Rosamond McKitterick and to Jinty Nelson, for first presenting each of us with the challenge of teaching the history of the early Middle Ages. As many of the references in this book testify, the work of these two scholars has fundamentally influenced the development of this field over the last few decades, and during our PhD research and since we have also been privileged to learn from them in person. We also owe warm thanks to Elina Screen. Her contribution extends well beyond the formal aspects to which we initially asked her to pay attention; both form and content would have been much the poorer without her diligent work. We would like too to thank Sally Lamb, on whose work Maps 15, 17 and 18 are based, and all those who read parts of the book in draft, or discussed particular problems or issues with us. All offered useful comments, though of course none is responsible for the views we have expressed. From the start we envisaged that undergraduates would form an important part of our readership, and indeed the idea for this book first arose when two of the authors covered some of Rosamond McKitterick s lecturing duties at the University of Cambridge during a period of research leave. Teaching and writing history are genuinely interconnected activities, and we are grateful to our friends and students at the Universities of Liverpool, Birkbeck London and St Andrews not just for road-testing drafts of some chapters, but also for helping us form and clarify our ideas. We are also indebted to successive commissioning editors at CUP

14 xiv Acknowledgements for their encouragement, efficiency and patience: Bill Davies, Simon Whitmore, Michael Watson and Liz Friend-Smith. Our most profound gratitude goes, of course, to our families, for support, encouragement, and welcome distraction: to Greg and Joe, and Naomi and Evan, and to Charlotte, Jayne and Claire.

15 ABBREVIATIONS. AB Annales Bertiniani [Annals of St Bertin], ed. F. Grat, J. Vielliard, S. Clémencet and L. Levillain (Paris, 1964), trans. J. L. Nelson, The Annals of Saint-Bertin (Manchester, 1991) AF Annales Fuldenses [Annals of Fulda], ed. F. Kurze, MGH SRG in usum scholarum separatim editi ix (Hanover, 1891), trans. T. Reuter, The Annals of Fulda (Manchester, 1992) AL Annales Laureshamenses [Annals of Lorsch], ed. G. H. Pertz, MGH SS i (Hanover, 1826), pp AMP Annales Mettenses priores [Earlier Annals of Metz], ed. B. von Simson, MGH SRG in usum scholarum separatim editi x (Hanover and Leipzig, 1905) Annales HSS ARF AV Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales Annales regni francorum [Royal Frankish Annals], ed.f.kurze,mgh SRG in usum scholarum separatim editi vi (Hanover, 1895), trans. B. Scholz, Carolingian Chronicles (Ann Arbor, MI, 1970) Annales Vedastini [Annals of St Vaast], ed. B. von Simson, Annales Xantenses et Annales Vedastini, MGH SRG in usum scholarum separatim editi xii (Hanover and Leipzig, 1909); extract (a )

16 xvi AX Bede, HE Capit. i, ii CC CCCM CCM CCSL CDL Chron. Moiss. CL Conc. i, ii DA Dipl. Dipl. Kar. i List of abbreviations trans. P. E. Dutton (ed.), Carolingian Civilization: areader, 2nd edn (Peterborough, ON, 2004), pp Annales Xantenses [Annals of Xanten], ed. B. von Simson, Annales Xantenses et Annales Vedastini, MGH SRG in usum scholarum separatim editi xii (Hanover and Leipzig, 1909); extract (a.882 6) trans. Dutton (ed.), Carolingian Civilization, pp Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica A. Boretius and V. Krause (eds.), Capitularia regum francorum, MGH Leges sectio iii, 2 vols. (Hanover, ) Codex epistolaris Carolinus, ed. W. Gundlach, MGH Epp. iii (Epistolae merovingici et karolini aevi i) (Berlin, 1892), pp Corpus Christianorum, continuatio medievalis Corpus consuetudinum monasticarum (Siegburg, 1963 ) Corpus Christianorum, series Latina L. Schiaparelli, C. Brühl and H. Zielinski (eds.), Codice diplomatico longobardo. 5 vols. Fonti per la storia d Italia 62 6 (Rome, ) Chronicon Moissiacense [Moissac Chronicle], ed. G. Pertz, MGH SS i (Hanover, 1829), pp ; extracts trans. in P. D. King, Charlemagne: Translated Sources (Kendal, 1987), pp K. Glockner (ed.), Codex Laureshamensis, Arbeiten der historischen Kommission für den Volksstaat Hessen 3. 3 vols. (Darmstadt, ) A. Werminghoff (ed.), Concilia aevi Karolini ii.1 and ii.2 (Hanover, ) Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters Diplomata E. Mühlbacher et al. (eds.), Die Urkunden der Karolinger i: Die Urkunden Pippins, Karlmanns und Karls des Großen. MGH Diplomata Karolinorum i (Hanover, 1906)

17 Dipl. LG Dipl. Loth II DNB EHD EHR Einhard, VK List of abbreviations xvii P. Kehr (ed.), Die Urkunden Ludwigs des Deutschen, Karlmanns und Ludwigs des Jüngeren. MGH Diplomata Regum Germanie ex stirpe Karolinorum i (Berlin, 1934) T. Schieffer (ed.), Die Urkunden Lothars I und Lothars II. MGH Diplomata Karolinorum iii (Berlin, 1966) H. C. G. Matthew, B. H. Harrison, L. Goldman (eds.), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, 2004) D. Whitelock (ed.), English Historical Documents, 2nd edn (London and New York, 1979) i: c English Historical Review Einhard, Vita Karoli [Life of Charlemagne], ed. O. Holder-Egger, MGH SRG xxv (Hanover, 1911), trans. P. Dutton, Charlemagne s Courtier: The Complete Einhard (Peterborough, ON, 1998), and D. Ganz, Two Lives of Charlemagne (Harmondsworth, 2008) Early Medieval Europe EME Ep., Epp. Epistola, Epistolae [Letter(s)] Fred., Cont. Fredegar, Continuations, ed. and trans. J. M. Wallace-Hadrill, The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with its Continuations (London, 1960) HL HZ LHF Paul the Deacon, Historia langobardorum [History of the Lombards], ed. L. Bethmann and G. Waitz, MGH SRL (Hanover, 1878), pp Historische Zeitschrift Liber historiae francorum [Book of the History of the Franks], ed. B. Krusch, MGH SRM ii (Hanover, 1888), pp LP i, ii Liber pontificalis [Book of the Popes], ed. L. Duchesne, Le Liber pontificalis. Texte, introduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Paris, 1886 and 1892); amplified 3 vol. edn ed. C. Vogel (Paris, ), trans. in three books by R. Davis, The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis), revised edition (Liverpool, 2000); The Lives of the Eighth-Century Popes (Liber Pontificalis)

18 xviii List of abbreviations (Liverpool, 1992); The Lives of the Ninth-Century Popes (Liber Pontificalis) (Liverpool, 1995) McKitterick, R. McKitterick, History and Memory in the History and Carolingian World (Cambridge, 2004) Memory MGH Monumenta Germaniae historica MIÖG Mitteilungen des Instituts für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung n.s. new series NCMH ii R. McKitterick (ed.), The New Cambridge Medieval History ii: c.700 c.900 (Cambridge, 1995) Notker, Gesta Notker Balbulus, Gesta Karoli magni imperatoris, ed. H. F. Haefele, MGH SRG, n.s. 12 (Berlin, 1959), trans. D. Ganz, Two Lives of Charlemagne (Harmondsworth, 2008) P&P Past and Present PBA Proceedings of the British Academy PBSR Papers of the British School at Rome PL Patrologia Latina: Patrologia Cursus Completus, Series Latina, ed. J.-P. Migne, 221 vols. (Paris, ) Poet. Poetae QFIAB Quellen und Forschungen aus italienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken Regino, Regino of Prüm, Chronicon, ed. F. Kurze, Chronicle MGH SRG l (Hanover, 1890), trans. S. MacLean, History and Politics in Late Carolingian and Ottonian Europe: the Chronicle of Regino of Prüm and Adalbert of Magdeburg (Manchester, 2009) s.a. sub anno s.n. sub nomine SRG Scriptores rerum Germanicarum SRL Scriptores rerum Langobardicarum SRM Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum SS Scriptores Story (ed.), J. Story (ed.), Charlemagne: Empire and Society Charlemagne (Manchester and New York, 2005) TRHS Transactions of the Royal Historical Society

19 UBF UBMR VMPIG List of abbreviations xix E. E. Stengel (ed.), Urkundenbuch des Klosters Fulda. Veröffentlichungen der historischen Kommission für Hessen und Waldeck 19 (Marburg, 1936) H. Beyer, L. Eltester and A. Goerz (eds.), Urkundenbuch zur Geschichte der jetzt die Preußischen regierungsbezirke Coblenz und Trier bildenden mittelrheinischen Territorien i: Von den ältesten Zeiten bis zum Jahre 1169 (Koblenz, 1860) Veröffentlichungen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Geschichte

20 Arnulf Bp of Metz Ansegisel Begga Pippin I Grimoald Married union Unmarried union b. = born m. = married d. = died K = king Bp = bishop Pippin II d.714 Mayor of the palace m. 1. Plectrude 2. Alpaida Childebert the Adopted d.662 Drogo (1) d.707 Grimoald (1) d.714 Charles Martel (2) b.688, d.741 Mayor of the palace Childebrand d.751 Carloman monk from 748 d.755 Pippin III b.714/15, d.768 K of the Franks 751 Grifo d.753 Chiltrude m. Odilo, Duke of the Bavarians Charles (Charlemagne) b.747/8, d.814 K of the Franks 768 K of the Lombards 774 Emperor 800 Carloman d.771 K of the Franks 768 Tassilo Duke of the Bavarians 748 deposed 788 Pippin the Hunchback b.770, d.811 Charles the Younger b.772/3, d.811 Pippin ( Carloman until 781) b.777, d.810 Louis the Pious b.778, d.840 K in Aquitaine 781 Emperor 813 (at least) 16 other children Lothar I b. c.795, d.855 K 814 K in Italy 822 Emperor 833 Pippin I b. c.797, d.838 K in Aquitaine 814 Louis the German b. c.806, d.876 K in Bavaria 817 K in E. Francia 833 Charles the Bald b.823, d.877 K in Neustria 838 K in W. Francia 840 K in Italy 875 Emperor 875 Louis II b.825, d.875 Emperor 855 Lothar II b.835, d.869 K in Lotharingia 855 Charles b.845, d.863 K in Provence Irmingarde Boso of Provence d.887 K in Provence Karlmann b. c.830, d.800 K in Bavaria 876 K in Italy 877 abdicated 879 Louis the Younger b. c.835, d.882 K in Franconia 876 K in Bavaria 879 K in Lotharingia 880 Charles the Fat b.839, d.888 K in Alemannia 876 K in Italy 879 Emperor 881 K in Franconia, Saxony, Bavaria 882 K in W. Francia 885 Louis the Stammerer b.846, d.879 K in W. Francia 877 Louis of Provence ( the Blind ) b. c.880, d.928 K in Provence 890 K in Italy 900 Emperor 901 Zwentibold b.870/1, d.900 K in Lotharingia 895 Arnulf, d.899 K in E. Francia 888 Emperor 896 Louis the Child b.893, d.911 K in E. Francia 900 Louis III b. c.863, d.882 K in W. Francia 879 Carloman II b.866, d.884 K in Aquitaine 879 K in W. Francia 882 Charles the Simple b.879, d.929 K in W. Francia 898 deposed 922 The Carolingian family (simplified)

21 Himiltrude c.768 Unknown ( Gerperga?) daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards m.769 Hildegard daughter of Ct Gerold m. c.771, d.783 Charles (Charlemagne) b.747/8, d.814 King of the Franks 768 King of the Lombards 774 Emperor 800 Unknown Madelgard Gersvind Fastrada daughter of Ct Radulf m.783, d.794 Liutgard m.794x796, d.800 Saxonici generis Regina c.800 Adallind c.806 Pippin the Hunchback b.770, d.811 Hruodhaid b. c.784 d. after 800 Adaltrude Theoderic b.807, d. after 818 cleric Charles the Younger b.772/3, d.811 Louis, b. c.800, d.867 Abt of St Denis Arch-chancellor Adalhaid b.773/4, d.774 Rotrud b. c.775, d.810 Ct Rorico Pippin ( Carloman until 781) b.777, d.810 Louis the Pious b.778, d.840 K in Aquitaine 781 Emperor 813 Lothar b.778, d.779/780 Irmingard, daughter of Ct Ingram m.794, d.818 Judith, daughter of Ct Welf m. c.819, d.843 Bertha b.779/80, d. after 823 Angilbert, d.814 Gisela b. 781, d. after 800 Hildegard b.782, d.783 Nithard, d.845 Ct, lay Abt of St Riquier Theodrada b. c.785, d.844 Abbs of Argenteuil Hartnid Hiltrude b. c.787, d. after 800 Ruothild d.852 Abbs of Faremoutiers Ricbod, d.844 Abt of St Riquier Drogo, b.801, d.855 Abt of Luxeuil, Bp of Metz, Arch-chaplain Hugo, b.802/6, d.844 Abt of St Quentin and St Bertin Arch-chancellor Bernhard, fl.843 Abt of Moutier-St-Jean Bernard b. c.797, d.818 K in Italy 812/13 5 daughters Alpais, b. c.794, d. after 852 Arnulf, b. c.794, d. after 841 Ct of Sens Married union Unmarried union b. = born m. = married d. = died fl. = flourished K = king Ct = count Abt/Abbs = abbot/abbess Bp = bishop Lothar I b. c.795, d.855 K 814 K in Italy 822 Emperor 833 Pippin I b. c.797, d.838 K in Aquitaine 814 Rotrud b. c.800, d.841 Hildegard b.802/4, d. after 841 Abbs. of Notre-Dame, Laon Louis II, the German b. c.806, d.876 K in Bavaria 817 K in E. Francia 833 Gisela b.819/822, d. after 874 Charles II, the Bald b.823, d.877 K in Neustria 838 K in W. Francia 840 K in Italy 875 Emperor 875 The children and grandchildren of Charlemagne

22 Over 6000 ft ft ft ft Under 600 ft North Sea l t B a i c S e a ATLANTIC OCEAN Ardennes Sudeten Vosges Carpathians Massif Central u J r a A l p s Cantabrian Mts Iberian Peninsula P y r e n ee s A p e n A d r n i n Dinaric i a t i c Alps e s S e a Sierra Morena Sierra Nevada M e d i t e r r a n e a n Tyrrhenian Sea S e a Ionian Sea km Atlas Mountains miles Map 1. Europe (relief)