Charlemagne and the Restoration of Empire.

The first enduring attempt at a restoration of Roman culture since the fall of Rome was accomplished under the rule of Charles the Great (768–814), king of the Franks, known to history as Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus, in Latin; the "Carolingian" dynasty was named for Charlemagne and his grandfather, Charles Martel or Carolus Martellus). One of the many migrant Germanic tribes that came from the east to settle in early medieval Europe, the Franks were able to consolidate their power into a kingdom (more or less corresponding to present-day France, Germany, and the Benelux countries [or Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg]) of formidable size and strength. Charlemagne's ambition was stated on his royal seal—renovatio Romani imperii (restoration of the Roman Empire)—and in the realm of politics as well as culture and the...