Guide to Total War: Attila is a very extensive compendium of knowledge about this hard and challenging game. Mostly you will find here practical advices about mechanics found in the game, thanks to which skirmishes with enemy will be far easier and your chances for victory will become greater. Charlemagne: Empire and Society, edited by Joanna Story Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity by Rosamond McKitterick 'Carolingian Contacts' by Janet L. Nelson, from Mercia: An Anglo-Saxon Kingdom in Europe, edited by Michelle P. Farr “Offa” by S.E. Kelly, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
- Age Of Charlemagne Mercia Guide
- Age Of Charlemagne Mercia Guided
- Total War Attila Age Of Charlemagne Mercia Guide
| Total War: Attila | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Creative Assembly |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Mike Simpson János Gáspár |
| Composer(s) | Richard Beddow |
| Series | Total War |
| Engine | Warscape |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Release | Windows & OS XLinux
|
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy, turn based strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Total War: Attila is a strategyvideo game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, released on 17February 2015 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. It is the ninth standalone game in the Total War series of video games.
The game begins in 395 AD, during what is now called Late Antiquity (the transition period from Classical Rome to the Medieval age in European history). While the title character will be able to become the leader of the Huns, he is not yet in power at the start of the campaign. Due to its setting near the Dark Ages, the game is possibly a spiritual successor to Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion.
Gameplay[edit]
Campaign map[edit]
The campaign map for Total War: Attila spans from Bactria to Lusitania and from Caledonia to Garamantia in the Sahara. Provinces are groupings of three regions, and each region within a province can be conquered separately. The number of cities and regions is different from Total War: Rome II, but the size of the map is similar. The map of Total War: Attila further extends into modern-day Russia in lieu of the eastern provinces of the Hindu Kush found in Total War: Rome II, shifting the player's attention to the nomadic Huns. The largest settlement in a province is designated as the province capital. These province capitals have more building slots than the other settlements and are also walled at the start of the game, though in a change from Rome II the small settlements can eventually be upgraded to have walls.
Historical setting of Roman factions[edit]
At the dawn of the Dark Ages the Roman Empire descends into chaos due to volcanic changes rocking the empire as apocalyptic signs foretell of a great scourge to sweep across Europe. Upon the death of Emperor Theodosius I in 395 AD, the empire is divided between his sons who each rule a half: Honorius in the West, and Arcadius in the East. Since the days of Diocletian it has become a custom to divide Rome as the pressures to govern the empire have become too much for a single emperor to handle. With the split of the empire both sides face multiple threats on all sides, including internal instability undermining each of the young emperors' control as part of the long-term repercussions of the Third-Century Crisis. When the game begins, playing as the Western Roman Empire, players will face waves of hordes entering their borders as the arrival of the Huns in the east and the devastation they have caused have forced them to flee in search of new homes. Since the death of Emperor Valentinian I and the division of the empire, the weaknesses in the West have rapidly begun to show and edge the empire closer to ruin. With depleted funds from centuries of internal mismanagement and corruption, the West is unable to muster an effective army to combat the invaders. While players will start the campaign with vast territories under their command, it will quickly become a game of survival as Rome's legions are stretched to breaking point to protect a decaying empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, however, has profited from the division to take control of the civilized world as it begins its transformation into a new empire. With the new administrative capital in Constantinople serving as the gateway for trade between Europe and Asia, along with economic reforms, the eastern empire has become an economic powerhouse in the game. Yet, the Eastern Romans face an initial threat from the Visigoths led by Alaric I in Greece, who makes a direct assault on Constantinople itself, and remain wary of the Sassanid threat in the East. The Romans must find new ways and technologies to cope with this changing world if they are to survive as the old technologies and antiquity systems no longer apply, along with the increasingly growing power of the Church becoming ever more influential. If players choose to play either of the Roman empires, they will be tasked with saving and preserving the once-great empire, and if possible unite Rome under a single emperor.
Features[edit]
As Total War: Attila embraces an era of great change with the people of Europe migrating across the campaign map, Attila adds a new dimension in the form of a faction's religious conversion in the game that brings an array of unique benefits across the player's empire depending on the religion that they choose to favour. The presence of a faction's state religion offers bonuses, including provincial edicts assigned, temple buildings, churches, and even character traits. These factors all play an important role in how dominant the player's religion is over a province. If a province has a population with several religions, it can have a negative effect on public order and thus lead to revolts. Factions also suffer or gain religious penalties when engaging in diplomacy with each other depending on their chosen religious affinity. Should the player choose to convert to a new religion, their faction's overall population must have at least 35% of that religion to convert. To find which religion is dominant in a region, the campaign map may be searched using the religion filter provided. For players who choose Christianity as their state religion, the five cities of Rome, Constantinople, Aelia Capitolina, Antioch, and Alexandria that formed part of the Pentarchy have the exclusive option for their churches to be upgraded to 'Holy See' status, which comes with major bonuses. The game includes a total of 13 religions available throughout the campaign map, although the effects of minor religions are not fully understood.
The game also introduces the ability for players to use their armies to raze settlements once they have been conquered. This new feature allows the player to enact a 'Scorched Earth policy' which destroys the land around the nearby settlement, crippling the enemy's food and money supply. Attila also lets a faction who did not originally begin the campaign as a horde to abandon its settlements at the cost of burning those former settlements or simply abandon a chosen number of cities which before being destroyed, will provide a small amount of wealth to the treasury. However, it is advised to analyze which settlements players destroy; recolonizing it would cost a faction a hefty amount of gold, a separate cost from building expenses to reach its former state.
Based on historical accounts, a mini Ice Age in this period plays a part for the people of Northern Europe to move to the more fertile south as the winter cold moves further down and engulfs Europe in longer winters as the game progresses. As an added new feature included in Attila, the Fertility of a region plays a crucial part when settling in a region if playing as a migrating horde or creating important buildings that deliver food throughout your empire. The campaign map is divided on various fertility levels that are color-coded and labeled; from highest-lowest: Rich, Good, Average, Poor, Meagre, Infertile. The greater the fertility level, the greater the amount of food can be cultivated with the appropriate buildings. However, the amount of food harvested is affected by a number of various external and internal factors. These include: building consumption costs, razed areas within your controlled province, provincial edicts, character traits, foreign armies raiding within your borders.
The game features 56 factions, 40 of which are unplayable. Each faction has their own unit roster and agenda. Ten factions are playable in the game at launch, with others added via downloadable content (DLC) packs.
Factions[edit]
Factions by Culture[edit]
Nomadic Tribes
Roman Empire
Eastern Empire
Great Migrators
Barbarian Kingdoms
Norsemen
Celts
Desert Kingdoms
Slavs
Factions in The Last Roman[edit]
Factions in The Age of Charlemagne[edit]
Downloadable content[edit]
Several DLC packs are available and planned for future release. These add factions, units and new standalone campaigns to expand the original game.
The first of these, 'Viking Forefathers', was released on 17February 2015, adding three new playable factions: the Danes, the Jutes and the Geats. The second, 'Longbeards', was released on 4March 2015 adding a further three factions: the Langobards, the Alamans and the Burgundians, as well as introducing a new narrative chain, 'Lay Of Ybor', which when completed unlocks the titular Ybor as general, with traits tailored by the story.
A third faction pack was released on 25March that contains three Celtic factions: the Picts, Ebdanians and Caledonians.
On 29April 2015, The Creative Assembly released Assembly Kits on Steam, which is a pack that features modification or 'mod' tools that allow players to create, edit, process or customize campaign maps, database entries and textures as well as other features.[2]
On 25 June 2015, The Creative Assembly released its first Campaign Pack, titled the Last Roman. The Campaign focuses on the Wars of Justinian I in the former Western Roman Empire as he sends a Roman Expeditionary force led by his general Belisarius to reclaim the western provinces from the various Barbarian kingdoms that have torn it apart. However, the prospect of rebuilding the Western Empire may influence men to make other agendas such as becoming emperor themselves which is made possible in the campaign once a settlement has been taken. The campaign is unique in that the Expedition functions as a horde using Roman units, and that any captured settlements are controlled by the Emperor unless the general declares independence. It also allows you to play as the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Franks or the Vandals. In addition, the Campaign Pack also includes the Historical Battle of Dara. A free DLC pack, released the same day made the Suebians playable in the Grand Campaign as well.
A fourth faction pack, titled 'Empires of Sand' was released on 15 September 2015. This pack adds three new playable factions: the Tanukhids, Himyar and Aksum. Along with it, 3 new religions were introduced into the game each with their own benefits: Eastern Christianity, Judaism, and Semitic Paganism. A Free DLC pack, was released the same day and added the Lakhmids as well.
An expansion, titled Age of Charlemagne was released on December 10, 2015. It is set in the early Medieval Age and features new units and a new campaign that stretches from modern-day Portugal to Western Romania and from Scotland to Sicily. It is in this period from which the medieval kingdoms begin to form. The campaign begins in 768 A.D., depicting Charlemagne's rise to power as the King of the Franks with his brother Carloman I, later becoming the first since Imperial Rome to unite most of Western Europe under a single ruler with the title of Holy Roman Emperor. After centuries of warfare, a leader must rise to bring peace to an entire continent.[3] In addition, a free DLC pack was released the same day making the White Huns playable in the Grand Campaign.
On 25 February 2016 a fifth faction pack was released entitled 'Slavic Nations' along with a free DLC that includes the Garamantians as a free faction. These nations have been tipped to be the 'world's best hope to defeat the Huns'. This new pack includes the Anteans, Sclavenians, and the Venedians each with settlements in the nearby proximity of the Hunnic Hordes advancing into Western Europe. Each faction enters the game with a formidable cultural trait including immunity to snow attrition and becoming the only factions to recolonize razed settlements for no cost.
Reception[edit]
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Total War: Attila received 'generally favorable' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[4]
Dan Griliopoulos from PC Gamer gave the game 83/100, praising the in-game representation of history, enjoyable multiplayer, stunning music, animation and sound-effect, improved army and character management as well as the themes, which he stated 'has reflected the era accurately' and the new family system, which adds new complexity into the game. He also praised the developer for fixing the long-term problems in the series. However, he criticized the extreme difficulty, AI problem, laggy chat in multiplayer, frame rate issues and bugs. He concluded the game by saying that '[Total War: Attila] is a barbarous twist on Rome II, with a handful of fixes. The Total War games still need work to reach that perfection they’re aiming for, and the bugs this close to release are worrying, but Attila shows that Creative have been listening.'[10]
TJ Hafer from IGN gave the game 8.1/10, praising its dynamic campaign, AI, improved interface, siege battles and utilities, new army types, and enhanced pacing in the real-time battle, which he stated 'adds an extra layer to the choice of army composition'. He also stated that the game has helped people understand 'the perspective of these ancient people, notorious for raiding and pillaging.' However, he criticized the game for its impenetrable, non-user-friendly and frustrating internal politics and diplomacy, occasionally nonsensical AI and the disappointing Celtic factions, which are non-playable and lack their own roster or models. He stated that 'Total War: Attila' is a cleaner, better thought-out experience. It is an adept refinement of Rome 2 instead of a glorified expansion pack for its predecessor. In fact, Attila is proudly its own game, and puts a firm foot forward in contrast to Rome 2's initially unsatisfying jumble.'[9]
Atlas Burke from GamesRadar praised the graphics, audio-design, and new additions. He stated '[New additions] seem to be direct responses to the Rome 2 backlash'. He also praised the satisfying gameplay, outstanding tactical battles, improved AI and UI, the option to turn settlements into armies, and the heavy emphasis on political machinations. However, he criticized the excruciating build turn, technical issues, over-simplistic interface, and unbalanced units. He summarized the game by saying that 'Total War: Attila is a damn fine strategy game in its own right, without having to compare it to its oft-lamented predecessor.'[8]
Writing for Destructoid, Greg Tito was slightly more negative about the game, giving the game 6.5/10. He praised the choice of setting and improvements to the real-time battles. But he was less positive about the campaign side. He criticized the changes to the political system and issues with trade and diplomacy. He thought there was 'a lot to like' in Total War: Attila, and that it 'doesn't need to reinvent its formula each time,' but 'setting even a well-made sequel in the crumbling legacy of the once-mighty may not have been a good choice.'[5]
References[edit]
- ^'Total War: Attila Performs Miserably On Linux - Phoronix'. www.phoronix.com.
- ^Nunneley, Stephany (30 April 2015). 'Official mod tools for Total War: Attila are now available'. VG247. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
- ^Purchese, Robert (24 November 2015). 'Total War goes medieval with Attila expansion Age of Charlemagne'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ ab'Total War: Attila for PC reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ abGreg Tito (12 February 2015). 'Review: Total War: Attila - Be the barbarian'. Destructoid. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^Griffin Vacheron (12 February 2015). 'Total War: ATTILA review'. Game Revolution. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^Nick Capozzoli (12 February 2015). 'Total War: Attila review: Horders'. GameSpot. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ abAtlas Burke (12 February 2015). 'Total War: Attila review'. GamesRadar. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ abTJ Hafer (13 February 2015). 'Total War: Attila review: Greatness from the Ashes'. IGN. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ abDan Griliopoulos (12 February 2015). 'Total War: Attila review'. PC Gamer. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^Colin Campbell (12 February 2015). 'Total War: Attila review: The Empire'. Polygon. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^Thew, Geoff (13 February 2015). 'Review: Total War: ATTILA'. Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
External links[edit]
Born: 742 at Paris? Father: Pepin III 'the Short' (714-68) Spouse1: Himiltrude (disowned 770, commoner) Children: At right top, a portrait from FHL book on The Netherlands, below a pic of a statue of Charlemagne on Clark's book cover (c1350 Reliquary, Aachen Cathedral Treasury) >> |
tIoC cvr | 9 Oct 1991 at Nijmegen Charlemagne's castle | by Albrecht Duerer c1512 Vintage, 2005, 226pp, Mustang |
tIoC p39 | tIoC p66 | tIoC p104 | France p68 |
From tIoC:
Few names in European history inspire greater thoughts of medieval romance and glory than Charlemagne. In fact, only mythical figures like King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Robin Hood, and Charlemagne's own loyal servant Roland have inspired as many legends ... One reason is [his] historic role in establishing the traditions of European royalty and nobility. Another ... was his interest in education and the arts. He invited scholars and artists throughout Europe and England to work and live at his court, and he financed the finest library collections in the Western world. As a result, more written history has been preserved about this early medieval king than about many later rulers. About 830, Einhard, Charles' close friend, adviser, and administrator in his royal govt, wrote a biography entitled Vita Caroli (The Life of Charlemagne) ... Although the HRE that [he] founded began to crumble just 27 yrs after his death, his influence lived on in the military and cultural traditions of the European nobility [e.g. French, German, Italian]; in the secular power of the RCC; and in the restoration of art, literature, and education, which he began.'
Background: Charlemagne incorporated much romanitas, preserved in the form of descendants of Roman military commanders and governors who remained in Gaul long after the fall of Rome in 476 and were respected by the Germanic and Frankish leaders. The Great Migration (East to West) began at the fall of Rome (beginning 3 centuries of Lombard v. Byzantine struggle for Italy, the former winning by 568). Another Romanizing influence was the RCC, which especially influenced Clovis and the Merovingians. Admiring the heirarchy of the RCC (which had been adopted from the Roman aristocracy), Clovis 'built the first aristocratic Frankish govt, which became the dominant model for most European govts until the 20C' (13). The 5C Greek historian Procopius described the Frankish 'nation in matters of trust [as] the most treacherous in the world' (14), a reputation for bravery and ruthlessness they had already gained by the time of Clovis (481 AD). After Clovis, power flowed toward local counts and bishops in the 3 succeeding kingdoms (Austrasia, Neustria, Burgundy, i.e. centralized power 'was not part of Frankish culture' 15). This decentralized 'system of private govt and military service that began during the time of the weak [later] Merovingian kings [was called] feudalism (from feudum, the Latin word for fief ... a piece of land granted by one noble to another) ... In 613 the Merovingian king Clothar II awarded new titles to 2 powerful and wealthy Frankish families in Austrasia for their strong military and diplomatic support. The head of one of these families, Arnulf, was named Bishop of Metz, the richest and most important city in the realm. Pepin (I), the head of the other loyal family, was named mayor of the palace of Austrasia' (19) ... [both are] ggggfathers of Charlemagne ... When Arnulf's son Ansegisel m. Pepin's dau Begga, these 2 roots merged to form the trunk of Charlemagne's family tree (20) ... [Austrasian] Pepin II, the gson of both Arnulf and Pepin I, helped the Merovingian king Theuderic III gain control of all 3 Frankish realms [he was clearly in charge, the king was a mere figurehead] ... [But] when Pepin II d. 16 Dec 714 ... his fragile political alliances broke apart ... The house of Pepin might have faded into history ... had it not been for his bastard son, Charles Martel ... gfather of Charlemagne, was the first in his family line to bear the name Charles ... The name Martel, which means 'the hammer' in Latin, was added by later Carolingian historians to signify [his] military and political strength ... [tho built in part by giving church lands to (often immoral) political allies, angering the RCC and damaging it spiritually, he's also famous for repulsing the Muslim Moors at Tours 732, he d. 22 Oct 741] ... Although Charles had never assumed the title of king, most Franks apparently thought of him as their king ... when Merovingian king Theuderic d737, Charles didn't bother naming a successor ... Charles divided most of his kingdom between 2 sons, Carloman, the oldest, and Pepin III, aka 'the Short,' the father of Charlemagne ... [Charles' death sparked unrest by ambitious nobles, so his sons set up the puppet king Childeric III (found him in a monastery), Carloman and Boniface focused on church purity, Pepin on politics, Pepin in Nov 751 dethroned Childeric III and became the first Carolingian king after Carloman left politics for a monastery] ... This seemingly insignificant move was to have great implications for the politics of Europe for several centuries [i.e. succession needn't be hereditary, more merit-based, opening path to challengers, Pope legitimized Pepin in return for securing/donating 'Papal States' in Italy, remained to 1870!] ... In addition to the conquest of [previously independent] Aquitaine, Pepin led campaigns against Arab colonies in S France and against Saxon and Frisian barbarians in N Germany. As Pepin's fame and influence spread, so did the intl recognition of the Frankish kingdom, tho still remote and barbaric v. Byzantine and Arab civilizations ... [When Pepin III d. 24 Sep 768, he] divided his kingdom between his 2 sons' ... [uneasy alliance arranged by their mother Bertrada involving m. to Desiderata in 770, created peace, but Charles felt stifled, he rebelled 771, div. Desiderata, Carloman died suddenly 771 age 20].
Charlemagne: Our best source of info on him is Einhard's book, tho it is clearly hagiographic (Charlemagne and Louis rewarded Einhard richly as a trust friended and adviser). He took his Christian faith seriously and sought to uplift all his subjects in mind, body and spirit. Like Charles Martel and Pepin III, Charlemagne sought to build 'a powerful central govt in the style of the Romans' (48). He kept his nobles too busy to rebel by conducting constant warfare against foreign threats - real or imagined (48). Charlemagne most wanted to conquer Saxony, which had 'resisted colonization and Christianization since the time of the Romans ... still worshipped Othin [Odin, Woden => wood, wooden, Wednesday], the Germanic tree god' (51) ... 1rst Saxon campaign cut short by urgent call from Pope ... forces led by C and his uncle Bernhard [connection?] ... C's friendship w/Hadrian (met on 1rst visit to Rome) had lasting effects in binding RCC and Frank-led HRE, C 'fell in love w/Rome and its traditions, pledged to restore Rome to its original glory and prestige as capital of the great Roman Empire, no cause nearer to his heart' (53) ... 'The Saxons had long been natural enemies of the Franks. They represented the old Germanic tribal culture from which the Franks had evolved. Both ... had migrated west from N and C Europe during the Great Migration 3-5C. No significant boundaries separated them, so they had often fought for the same land' (54, C wanted to impose Frankish feudalism v. German tribalism, hmmm see br-oei) ... p/u at p57 ...
The romanticization of Charlemagne (see 'The Matter of France' in br-doka) 'became the model for later romances about King Arthur and his knights of the round table ... the basis for many medieval ideals of what a king is supposed to be and how he is supposed to act ... courage, loyalty, heroism, originality [v. dull routine] ... youth, adventure, interest, excitement, gossip, scandal ... a heartening man. To be near him was to be near the fire ... Before his day it was by no means a foregone conclusion that kingship would be a romantic tradition of high idealism and lofty devotion, of respect for law, care for religion and zeal for education. The man who made it this was [Charlemagne]. He designed and cut out the pattern of the perfect monarch, which was to guide the judgment of mankind at large for a thousand years to come ... The atheist and the republican today test bishops and kings, not by a rule of their own, but by [Charlemagne's] rule' (65-6, which is based on Christian ideals, we might add).
772 1rst Saxon campaign (cuts down Irminsul or holy tree at Paderborn)
773 Lombardia invaded, (capital) Pavia besieged
774 C's 1rst visit to Rome, Pavia falls, C declares himself King of Lombardia
775 invades Saxony, defeats Westphalians and Eastphalians
777 General Assembly at Paderborn declares annexation of Saxony
778 unsuccessful invasion of Spain, defeat at Roncesvaux (orig. of Roland legend), Witikind leads Saxon raids on Austrasian border
781 2nd visit to Rome, 2 sons bap., Pepin anointed K of Italy, Louis K of Aquitaine
782 mass execution of 4,500 Saxons at Verden
784 Saxony devastated, 10s of thousands d. of flooding, famine
785 Witikind surrenders
787 3rd visit to Rome, Bavaria invaded, Duke Tassilo submits
788 Tassilo condemned, Bavaria annexed
793 Failure of Karlsgruben canal project
795 Pepin conquers Ring of Avars in Hungary, Pope Hadrian III dies, Leo III elected
797 Wihmodia conquered, 50K Saxons deported
799 Conspiracy in Rome, Leo escapes to Paderborn to C's protection
800 Trial of Leo III, then C crowned HRE in Rome by Leo III
801 Louis captures Barcelona and other Spanish strongholds, est. Spanish March
806 C announces plan to partition empire among 3 sons
810 Pepin dies
813 C's Rhine bridge at Mainz burns, C falls ill
814 C dies, Louis becomes emperor
840 Louis the Pious dies
841 Battle of Fontenoy
843 Treaty of Verdun permanently breaks up HRE (see Lothar)
Will Durant's The Age of Faith (Volume IV in his 10-volume The Story of Civilization, Simon & Schuster, 1950, own) has a 10-page section on Charlemagne, 'the greatest of medieval kings ... of German blood and speech, and shar[ing] some characteristics of his people - strength of body, courage of spirit, pride of race, and a crude simplicity many centuries apart from the urbane polish [and cynical artifice] of the modern French ... [2yrs after becoming king, responded to an urgent appeal from Pope Hadrian II to defend the Italian papal states against the Lombard Desiderius, which he did] ... Returning to his capital at Aachen, he began a series of 53 campaigns - nearly all led in person - designed to round out his empire by conquering and Christianizing Bavaria and Saxony, destroying the troublesome Avars, shielding Italy from the raiding Saracens, and strengthening the defenses of Francia against the expanding Moors of Spain ... [responded to a 777 request at Paderborn by Ibn al-Arabi, Moslem governor of Barcelona, to help fight against his own caliph [HQ1 Baghdad, HQ2 Cordova] by invading the Basque region of NE Spain, but Arabi's promised raiding help failed to appear, forcing Charlemagne to retreat, which is when he lost the famous noble Hruodland (Roland) to a Basque attack] ... loved admin more than war, and had taken to the field to force some unity of govt and faith upon a Western Europe torn for centuries past by conflicts of tribe and creed ... [introduced many improvements in admin, greatly advancing civilization ... held parliament-like assemblies at] Worms, Valenciennes, Aachen, Geneva, Paderborn ... Barring his wars, Charlemagne's was the most just and enlightened govt that Europe had known since Theodoric the Goth ... [greatly supported Church, sholarship and learning] ... Palaces were built for [him] at Ingelhiem, Nijmegen, Aachen [his favorite capital ... bur. there under the dome of the cathedral, hmmm, same as St. Mary's at Aix-la-Chapelle?].' The next section on the Carolingian Decline discusses rising pressures from Vikings (N), Magyars (E) and Muslims (SE); 'In 846 - while the Saracens were attacking Rome - the Northmen conquered Frisia, burned Dordrecht, and sacked Limoges' (474). Durant notes that Louis I was 'so absorbed in piety as to seem unfit to govern a rough and treacherous world' (471). Similarly, 'the last Carolingian kings - Louis IV, Lothaire IV, Louis V (d987) - were well-meaning men, but they had not in their blood the iron needed to forge a living order out of the universal desolation [left by attacking Vikings]' (475). So when Louis V d. w/o issue in 987, the nobles chose one of their own, Hugh Capet.
Playing cards celebrate 4 great kings in history: Charlemagne is the king of hearts, David spades, Alexander the Great clubs, and Julius Caesar diamonds.
Jeff Sypeck's 2006 book Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of AD 800 (HarperCollins, Mustang) mentions the '9 worthies' compiled by Medieval scholars: 1 Joshua c1300 BC, 2 Hector [Troy] c1200 BC, 3 David c1000 BC, 4 AlexGrt d332 BC, 5 Judas Maccabeus 'the hammerer' c160s BC, 6 Julius Caesar 1C BC, 7 King Arthur c450-519 AD, 8 Charlemagne c750-814 and 9 Godfrey of Bouillon famous in 1st 1097 Crusade. i.e. they were all successful empire builders, mostly Christian but also classical or Jewish.
See Merovingians and Carolingians
See Smokykin page
Contemporary (8C) events (mostly from BN HT and CHME):
- cf Pepin2 for earlier events
- 700 Arabs capture Tunis (in today's Tunesia), N African Christianity nearly exterminated; Lindesfarne Gospels produced
Age Of Charlemagne Mercia Guide
- 702 Arabic made ofcl language of Egypt, Ethiopians attack Arabs in Red SeaAge Of Charlemagne Mercia Guided
- 705 BE36 Justinian II 'Rhinotmetus' to 711 6yrs- 707 Muslims capture Tangier (Algeria?), Ceuta (?) in 709
- 710 BE? Justinian II confirms papal privileges; Roderic, last Visigoth king in Spain to 711 1yr
- 711 Moors (Arabs and Berbers from Morocco) conquer Spain (and Portugal), Roderic defeated, 'Andalusia' begins; ldr (Berber) Tariq ibn Ziyad (came ashore at Gibraltar, name comes from Arabic 'Jebel al-Tariq' Hyby p94); BE37 Philippicus Bardanes to 713 2yrs
- 712 Muslims est. state in Sind (in today's Pakistan)
- 713 BE38 Anastasius II to 715 2yrs
- 715 BE39 Theodosius III to 717 2yrs; monk Eadfrith creates Lindisfarne Gospels (Hyby p94)
- 716 2nd Arab siege of Constantinople to 717, fails
- 717 BE40 Leo III to 741 24yrs, repelled 2nd Muslim siege of Constantinople
- 718 Visigoth prince Pelayo fnds kingdom of Asturias in Spanish mtns, but Moors now hold most of Spain and Portugal, advancing N. Christians defeat Moors in Spain at Battle of Covadonga; icon disputes begin 719 (CHME p50)
- 725 Christian Copts in Egypt rebel, volcano rocks Constantinople (Leo interprets as 'God's fury' for icon-worship, CHME p50); 1st record of a mechanical clock in Tang China (likely at capital city Chang'an [Xi'an] pop. 2M, little survives today (Hyby p93)
- 726 BE40 Leo III begins Iconoclast Movement (response to Islam?), but Pope Gregory II opposes him (excom's Leo in 730); K Ine of Wessex 1st levies 'Peter's Pence' tax to support a college in Rome
- 731 Brit monk Venerable Bede (d735) completes 'History of English Church'
- 732 Charles Martel defeats Moors at Tours, halting their N advance
- 733 Leo III w/d Byz provinces of S Italy from papal jurisdiction
- 735 Venerable Bede dies (b673 72yo), author of English Church History
- 737 Charles Martel again defeats Moors at Narbonne (France)
- 739 Another Coptic rebellion in Egypt
- 741 Pepin II 'the Short' succeeds his father, Charles Martel, as 'mayor of the palace' (i.e. real ruler of Franks); B41 Constantine V 'Copronymus' [? impolite 'horsey smell' ZHC p141] 741 < 1yr
- 742 BE42 Artabasdus < 1yr
- 743 BE43 Constantine V (again) to 775 32yrs
- 746 Greeks retake Cyprus from Arabs
- 749 [St] John of Damascus dies circa here (b. c650 99yo, Temp p112)
- 750 end of [660- 90yrs] Umayyad Dynasty (Damascus, last member escapes to Spain, est. emirate at Cordoba, Hyby p94), start of Abbasids of Baghdad (to 969 219yrs); Tiwanaku, Bolivia, a city in the Andes at its height (Hyby p94)
- 751 Arabs (led by new Abbasid caliph Abu al-Abbas, Hyby p94) defeat Chinese near Samarkand (at Talas River in today's Kyrgyzstan, Hyby p92); Pepin II crowned King, fnding Carolingian Dynasty (ending Merovingian); Lombards under Aistulf capture Ravenna from BE
- 754 St Boniface dies (martyred), English bishop and missionary to Frisians; 'Pepin's Donation' i.e. Pepin III (Charlemagne's dad) gave part of Italy ('the papal states') to the pope in return for the RCC's approval and a royal title; E council at Hiera near Chalcedon, icons condemened w/pro-iconers John of Damascus and Germanus (ZHC p141)
- 756 Papal States fnd'd in Italy (i.e. politically cntl'd by Vatican, after Pepin II leads an army to protect Pope Stephen III from Lombards); al-Rahman (desc. of) Muawiya est. Omayyad Dynasty at Cordoba, Spain
- 757 Offa, King of Mercia to 796 39yrs, builds Offa's Dyke v. Welsh
- 762 famous 'round city' of Baghdad built by Mansur, Haroun's gdad (cf br-70waw)
- 767-72 5yrs Yet another Coptic revolt in Egypt
- 771-814 Charlemagne (son of Pepin II) king of Franks (1st HRE 800-14)
- 772 Charlemagne subdues Saxons, (forcibly) converts them to Christianity
- 773 Charlemagne annexes Lombard kingdom (N Italy)
- 775 BE44 Leo IV to 780 5yrs
Total War Attila Age Of Charlemagne Mercia Guide
- 778 Moors and Basques defeat Franks at Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees (hmmm, origin of Roland tale?)
- 779 Offa of Mercia becomes King of all England
- c780 Bishop Timothy becomes patriarch of Eastern Christianity, based at Seleucia (near Baghdad, d823 in his 90s, cf br-lhc); BE45 Constantine VI 780-97 17yrs (his mother Irene was regent, banished 790, returned 792, see note below); 780-823 Nestorian monks spread gospel into India, Turkestan, China, Persia and Syria (CHME p60)
- 782 Alcuin (740-804 64yo), a 42yo [B&N 50yo?] scholar for Northumbria's K Athelred I L32 r774-9, leaves York for Francia, becomes Charlemagne's leading scholar, ldr of palace school at Aachen -> revival of learning in Europe (Sypeck p50, cf br-70waw)
- 786 Haroun al-Rashid becomes 5th Abbasid caliph (head of state), made Baghdad a cntr of learning, xlated anc Grk/Rom texts into Arabic, some '1001 Nights' stories relate to him (Hyby p95)
- 787 1st Danish (Viking) invasion of Britain (start of 'Viking Age' of invasions 800-1100); Haroun al-Rashid Caliph at Baghdad to 809 22yrs (zenith of Abbasid dynasty); 2nd Council of Nicaea (church's 7th, last general, called by Irene) denouced 'adoptionism' (the idea that Jesus is not God's Son by nature) and iconoclasts, allowing Christians to revere - but NOT worship - images (icons, controversial, some say they mandated worship of them)
- 788 Charlemagne annexes Bavaria
- 791 BE45 Constantine imprisons his mother Irene for her cruelty and assumes sole power
- 793 1st recorded Viking attack (at Lindisfarne), no warning, caused widespread horror and alarm (Hyby p95)
- 796 Offa dies, end of Mercian supremacy in England
- 797 BE46 [Empress] Irene to 802 5yrs, 1st Empress, son blinded and imprisoned, 22yr rule, 17 as regent for her minor son, Irene later deposed, had a doctrinal dispute w/Charlemagne when she tried to 'impose Byzantine image-reverence on the West, an idolatrous practice [to] the RCC' (AMF p41, Byz bk ends w/Irene)
- 800 Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne in Rome as 1st HRE of West; Vikings invade Germany; the 'Donation of Constantine' document surfaced c800, claimed REConst had given the pope pwr over all other bishops and large portions of Italy, later shown to be a forgery
- cf LouisItP for later events
On BE45 Constantine VI: 'Strange as it may seem to us today, [Charlemagne et. al.] did not think of the Roman Empire as a thing of the past. They viewed the Byzantine Empire ... as [its] continuation ... [standing for] civilization, stability, tradition ... [and] still regarded Constantine VI, the boy emperor, as the RE. Therefore, in 798 the West was shocked by news that the young emperor had been overthrown by his ambitious mother, Irene ... [Charlemagne] undoubtedly perceived Irene's revolt as a sign of weakness in the empire and ... [of] opportunity for himself' (tIoC p97 [cf Roman.html], i.e. set off a sequence of events leading to his crowning as 1st HRE, seen as a legit. continuation of RE, still disputed how much he himself was involved, key turning point as West ceased to see Byzantines as 'above' them, latter's own fault thru corruption, might've been different).
From ToN.html: Amy Chua's 2007 bk 'Day of Empire' looks at 'big 8' 'hyperpowers' 1 Persia [6-4C BC] 2 Rome [3C BC - 5C AD] 3 Tang China (r618-907 AD began w/Li Yuan, cf BWH) 4 Mongols [12C AD] 5 Spain [15C] 6 TDR [17C] 7 British [18-9C] and 8 USA, says 'tolerance' 1rst builds, then (angry reaction) undermines empires, and that 'in its [8C] heyday, Tang China was by far the greatest power in the world' (p81, Taizong r626-49, Ming Huang r712-56, at its zenith, China had 60M pop. v. [Damascus-based] Umayads 36M [+ Baghdad-based Abbasids pop.?], Byz 13M and [Trier-based] Franks 10M)
In theory, the HRE title made its holder the heir of the ancient Roman emperors and [thus] the ruler of the [old] Western [Roman] Empire. In reality, HREs only ruled portions of C Europe. German kings possessed the title from AD 962 to 1806, when Napoleon abolished it. Since the 5C the West had descended into (tribalism or) decentralized feudalism ('futilism' acc. to Calvin and Hobbes), and this was an attempt to re-ignite the empire and a higher level of civilization (CHME p48).
One reason Islam made such rapid progress in the East was that the Church (both RCC and Eastern Church) had already rejected N African (esp. Copts) and other Christians who held the '1-Nature' theology. So many of them viewed Islam as 'a better deal' and cooperated in changing their churches into Mosques. Also, Muslims generally respected other 'people of the book' (Christians and Jews), tho they were saddled w/some disadvantages. But perhaps even so many were treated better than under their former distant Christian rulers (CHME p50).
In 799 several Italian nobles wanted to control the RCC. Their candidate for pope was rejected [by RCC ldrs] in favor of Leo III. But the nobles were sore losers; they hired thugs to gouge out Leo's tongue. 2 Franks brought the injured bishop to Charlemagne's palace [at Trier], where Leo was warmly welcomed by Charlemagne. But the Italians were accusing Leo of misusing church funds. Leo would've appealed to the RE, but the West no longer had one! Empress Irene ruled in the East, but Leo refused to let a woman judge him. How to resolve? Aha! On 23 Dec 800 Charlemagne declares Leo innocent of all charges; 2 days later Leo crowns Charlemagne HRE (CHME p51-2, 1st time RCC had created an emperor).
The mandylion [likely the Shroud of Turin, which had come to Constantinople via Edessa in 944, and likely from Qumran before that. It was the #1 relic at Const.] was at the center of debate at the 787 Nicaea Council. Theodore, abbot of the Monastery of Studion in Constantinople, one of the most splendid centers of Byzantine culture ... was able to fight both intellectually and politically to reassert the need to worship [or at least venerate] images ... he was able to underline a perennially valid, timeless fact: Forbidding the cult of images can be very dangerous, for it lays the groundwork for the growth of heresies. Rejecting images in the name of religion made only of ideas and mental concepts prevents contact between believers and the human aspects of Jesus: This leaves believers exposed to the ever-lurking danger of taking Jesus Christ as nothing but a spiritual entity, a symbol of the possible contact between man and God (Temp 114-5).
get 'Christendom' quote from B&C Mar/Apr 2010 p20 (rats, I gave that issue away)
Charlemagne occupies an important place in Irvin Baxter's understanding of biblical prophecy i.e. his 800 AD coronation as the 1st 'Holy Roman Emperor' by Pope Leo III marked the 1st of the top 5 post-resurrection prophecy events.
Sources:
- tIoC = The Importance of Charlemagne, Timothy Levi Biel, Lucent Bks, 1997.
- Byz = Byzantium: The Early Centuries [to Irene], John Julius Norwich, pub?, yr?, Mustang.
- AMF = A Mighty Fortress [on Germany], Steven Ozment, pub?, yr?, Mustang.
- BN HT = History's Timeline, Barnes & Noble, 1981, own.
- CHME = Christian History Made Easy, Dr Timothy Paul Jones, Rose, 2005, own.
- Hyby = History Year by Year, DK, 2013, FHL.
- France = France: Enchantment of the World, Peter Moss and Thelma Palmer, Children's Press (Regensteiner), 1986, FHL.
- ZHC = Zondervan [HB to the] History of Christianity, Jonathan Hill, 2006, own.
- Temp = The Templars, Barbara Frale, Skyhorse, 2012, FHL.
Notes: DOKA (pp49-57) has several references to a Syagrius who lived in the later 5C (seems too late to be either of these, but possibly a descendent?). A Roman general named Aegidius established himself as an independent ruler of N Gaul c457. His son Syagrius succeeded him. Aegidius may be Geoffrey's model for Ambrosius Aurelius, son of parents who 'wore the purple and died in the devastation' (i.e. Roman sympathizers, possibly a Senator, 49). By 467, Aegidius has died and Syagrius 'dominated the North [Gaul], at some point, interestingly, adopting the title 'King of the Romans' (52). Possibly Syagrius received 'Arthur' on his arrival at the mouth of the Loire in France from Britain [to attack Saxons, smashing them near Angers, before being betrayed by Roman prefect Arvandus and then defeated by Euric the Visigoth c470]. Promised (by Syagrius) Roman troops who never came to help Arthur (Riotimus) would have come from Syagrius (56). Riotimus in Brittainy [Armorica], Ambrosius in Britain, Aegidius and Syagrius in N Gaul stood for Romanitas (57). The Franks had been on good relations w/Syagrius, but after Euric's victory, they turned against Syagrius 'and in 486 their next king, Clovis, captured his capital, Soissons [Syagrius killed?]. Clovis rose to supremacy in N Gaul and drove the Visigoths back toward Spain. Gaul became the land of the Franks - eventually France [might have been a revitalized 'Rome' had Arthur succeeded]' (57). Online (at www.smokykin.com, I think) was a reference to Deuteria, dau of Dux Syagrius 'king of Romans.' As Julius Caesar and Pompey were sparring (leading up to Pharsalus), Pompey's 2 able commanders in Spain were Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius (tIoJC p53, hmmm connected w/Afranius below?). tIoJC (see JuCaesar.html): Upon his return to Rome in July 46 BC (after defeating Juba the Numidian et al in N Africa; King Juba, Pompey's f-i-l General Metellus Scipio, Petreius d. fighting, Afranius executed (had been spared earlier in Spain), Pompey's sons Gnaeus and Sextus escaped to Spain, Marcus Cato committed suicide), Caesar began making reforms in Rome. Meanwhile Pompey's 2 sons [tried to regroup in Spain,] Caesar led his own army to Spain Nov 46, defeating them at Munda March 45' [terrible battle, 30K killed, 1K of Caesar's own k., he nearly lost his life, hardest and last battle of his life].