Hi all! My name is Ed Roberts and I'm a lecturer in early medieval history in the School of History and Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent (Canterbury, UK). My research focuses on later Carolingian and Ottonian Europe, and I'm the author of Flodoard of Rheims and the Writing of History in the Tenth Century.
This is a book about historiography, in every sense of the word - how history was perceived and written in the tenth century, and how subsequent historians have approached and understood that period in the light of its surviving narrative sources. Flodoard, one of the period's rare chroniclers, has traditionally been read as a passive observer of a "darkening" tenth century in which political authority disintegrated and religious standards collapsed. I argue that we have been too ready to take Flodoard at his word. He was in fact a very discerning author who crafted quite deliberate narratives of his time. Bad things happened to him and his community of clerics in Rheims; he was pessimistic about his own day and nostalgic for an imagined idyllic past. In offering a corrective to misapprehensions of Flodoard and his works, I suggest that the West Frankish (French) political community of the earlier tenth century was not the morass of violent conflict it has long been portrayed as, and that the period was far more culturally innovative than has tended to be recognised. You can read a bit more about why I wrote the book here.
I'm happy to chat about anything related to the history of Western Europe in the tenth century, or indeed the early Middle Ages up to c.1100. I've also researched and published on early medieval legal practice, including legal documents (charters), literacy and languages (i.e. Latin and the vernaculars), and canon law (esp. the Pseudo-Isidorian forgeries). My current research looks at bishops from c.900-c.1100, asking how redefinitions of what it meant to be a bishop contributed to the triumph of the "reform papacy" and the "Gregorian revolution" in the late eleventh century.
I'm also interested in digital humanities and public history. I helped build Charlemagne's Europe, a database of charters from the reign of Charlemagne (768-814), and lately I've begun incorporating Wikipedia editing into my teaching and asking my students to think about the powerful role it now plays in the dissemination of historical knowledge.
You can also find me on Twitter @e_c_roberts. I'll be here from 3pm BST (10am EDT) until at least 7pm, and I'll do my best to answer your questions!
EDIT: It's coming up to 9pm here and I'm going to have to call it a day for now! Thank you so much for so many excellent questions. There are a lot more here that I'd really like to answer, so I promise I'll return tomorrow and in the coming days to answer more (some of my answers might have been a little long, apologies!) and to check for follow-ups. Once again, many thanks, and I hope you enjoyed reading my responses!
Hi Dr Roberts, one thing I always wonder about these chroniclers from Medieval and Ancient periods is what their purpose was in writing these chronicles, exactly? Did 'history' really exist in the same way it does today, and who was it for? When Flodoard was writing his histories, who was the intended audience - was it other religious men of his own time, or did he have a sense that he was 'preserving' history for later generations? Or was it very simply something that many religious figures did because, frankly, they had the time?
Apologies if this is an overly-simple question as I am a layman with an interest in history but not a huge deal of knowledge of this era.
At what point did people who lived in modern France stop thinking of the region as Gaul and start thinking of it as Frankia/France? I periodically see scholars use terms like "Merovingian Gaul" in reference to the area well after Frankish settlement.
How does Flodoard compare to other historians of his time? Does his pessimism and look for an idyllic past reflect more about him and his place compared to other, more optimistic writers or was it a broader cultural trend that Flodoard represents?
Morning, Dr. Roberts! Thanks so much for doing this AMA! My understanding is that field of women's history is a fairly recent addition to historiography and how we think about the human past. In your work as you look at the writing of Flodoard and his contemporaires, how do you approach "women's history"? That is, how do you approach the role of women in an era when their words may not have been (likely weren't) chronicled and captured in the same way men's words were? Or does my question lack a gap in my own understanding in how early medieval historians approach their work? Thanks!
What language did the Carolngian Franks speak? and which is it closer to, German or French?
Hi Doctor Roberts,
I've always wandered how the interaction with the papacy helped the Franks to increase their power compared with their neighbours (especially saxons and lombards).
How was important?
Hey Dr. Roberts!
Is Charles Martell too early?
To what extent does Flodoard rely on older models of historiography (e.g. Herodotus, Tacitus etc) and to what extent does he depart from them? Does he have what we would consider a scientific attitude toward documents, or does he rely primarily on oral sources?
To what extent, if at all, did the Franks ever have political control over the AngloSaxon kingdom of Kent? There seems to have been a great deal of cross-Channel exchange. Did it ever amount to more than that?
Hello Dr. Roberts,
Thank you for making this AMA thread here on Reddit! I would ask you to be a bit "forgiving", since my question may be a bit too basic.
When Charlemagne's son, Louis I, died, he divided the empire into 3 kingdoms : West Francia, East Francia and Lotharingia (aka Middle Francia). Of these, three, West Francia survived as France and East Francia as the HRE and, afterwards, as Germany. However, Lotharingia went into oblivion. It kind of "had a comeback" in the Late Medieval Period as the Duchy of Burgundy, but this kingdom faded with time. My question to you is why this has happened and do you see any alternate decision/event that could have avoided its doom?
Thank you in advance, and good luck with your book!
Hello Doctor Roberts,
One thing that has interested me around this time is how the Frankish dealt with the "Northmen" (Vikings)? The common narrative seems to be that they pillaged West Francia freely in the 9th century ( I think? Might be wrong), but what were some policies you may have come across from your 10th century sources of any policies, political or military, to help counter the Vikings? Were they effective or not?
You mention you've researched medieval legal practice - what did that look like? Like, were there legal battles over inheritances back then, and stuff like that?
Hi Dr. Roberts!
Do you think Flodoard's impression of a "darkening" age was influenced by the book of revelations? Did he think the end times would be upon them soon enough? I'm just wondering if they had millennialist thoughts (and a sense of impending doom) in the run up to the end of the first millennium of Christianity, in the same way people were open to millennialist movements in the 19th and 20th centuries?
Hi Dr Roberts,
Thank you for doing this! My teacher in high school was actually taught by Paul Fouracre too, what a small world! He actually made me read Late Merovingian France and Story’s Charlemagne: Empire and Society at the time (even though it was a modern history class).
So I’ve always heard about how during the Carolingian Renaissance, Alcuin’s actions changed the way Latin was developed and apparently froze its natural transformations. Would you mind elaborating on this? I’m wondering about the long term consequences of this, especially on the later developments of Scholastic and Vernacular culture.
This might be a bit early, but we often hear about the collapse of the Roman tax structure a century or so after the “fall” of the Western Empire, I’ve always wondered how this happened? Did the state just stopped employing or training tax collectors? And within the Carolingian period, how did the absence of tax revenue impact Aachen’s policies?
I’m also wondering about the texts that are yet to be translated, and what information they hold.
What was the closest thing to Wikipedia in the Middle Ages?
Thanks so much for hosting this AMA! I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind.
(1) Medieval historiography can snarkily be summarized as "150 years of saying, 'Well, this part wasn't so bad after all.'" Do you have any ideas about why 10th century continental Europe, especially modern-day France and Germany, has lagged behind the rehabilitation of other era-areas?
(2) The world grown old/world in decline theme is pretty common in literature by medieval authors. What sets Flodoard's perception/use of the idea apart from that of other medieval chroniclers (earlier or later)?
I heard that Charlemagne had a bunch of wives and concubines. Was the church cool with this kind of polygamy, and was it common in Carolingian France/Germany? Or, if not, then why was Charlemagne an exception in this regard? Or, if this isn't true, then where does that rumour originate from?
How important would you consider the writing of Gregory of Tours? How accurate would you consider his histories considering he was politically and relgiously quite biased?
Hi Dr Roberts! Thank you for doing this AMA!
You mentioned that Flodoard was a careful editor of material drawn from the episcopal archive at Rheims. Was his History of the Church of Rheims a hagiography of the church, a hagiography of West Francia, or of both? Can we tell from other historical sources what Flodoard deliberately omitted from his history, and why?
Hi Dr Roberts,
I’d like to be a historian/history professor as my career of choice.
I was wondering if you could share what the process was like and if you think it’s worth it!
Hi Dr, Roberts!
I want to ask a logistical question:
For those of us who are not in school and trying to do research for fictional works, how accessible are professors to having their brains picked by non-students? Is there am etiquette to these sorts of things, where you want to pick a professor's brains for 2 hours and make some notes? A way to ask, a way not to sully the well of goodwill, things like that.
In my case, I'm working on a Charlemane mod for a very old game, but I want to have some level of roleplaying so it's not enough to what Charlemagne did but the possible ramifications of not doing them. Like what may have been the consequences of Charlemagne NOT cutting down the Irminsul, how could he have been more carrot and stick with the Saxons to keep them from constant rebelling? And how could that have gone wrong?
Those are questions I cannot find answers to in a book.
So knowing how to get professors or other historical experts to talk to me would be the most valueable thing I could learn today.
What, if any, cultural, military, or religious cross-pollination occurred between the Iberian Umayyads and the Carolingian Empire?
Hi doctor Roberts, I have a question concerning the break up of the Carolingian empire. Why did they think splitting the kingdom into three parts for each son would be a good thing? Why not just simply leave all of it In the hands of one?
This is amazing, thank you. I'm leaving additional questions in case you happen to have the time and interest to return to this later.
My specific interest is in where the Norse and the Franks intersected in the 10th century. To that end, I'd love to know:
--What is your opinion on the great stirrup controversy?
--How do you think the military technology, tactics, and capabilities varied between the Norse and the Franks at the very beginning of the 10th century (the Rollo to William Longsword range)? Aside from motte-and-bailey being a Norman idea (that presumably spent some time developing in Normandy before coming in pre-fab pop-n-conquer format to England), and that Alfred the Great tried to copy longships and make them bigger, were there other technologies with which the Norse or Franks (or other nearby peoples) led the arms race? Tangentially related to the stirrup controversy, do you feel the Normans also led the way with heavy cavalry (perhaps hand in hand with their pop-up castles?). I'm particularly curious about the state of the arms race 150-ish years *before* Hastings and what was brewing in Normandy that later exploded on England.
--What is your opinion on the idea that selective female infanticide may have led to the Norse diaspora? (Into Normandy and elsewhere.)
--What is your opinion on the existence of Gisele/Gisela as a daughter of Charles III?
How much do Frankish manorial practices owe to late Roman institutions such as the colonate and villa? How much do they owe to Germanic practice?
What do you think would be the best part of Frankish history to make a meme about?
Dr. Roberts,
Thank you for doing this AMA - I think it's the most interesting time in history so this really exciting.
In your opinion, are there good sources for understanding and tracking familial interrelationships between the ruling families and, if so, could you name a few? I ask because books don't always provide a background for various individuals, and I think familial bonds that I don't fully understand may influence alliances and how certain events play out. So, though I'm not interested in genealogy for its own sake, is there a database or a series of books that explore how the ruling families (Saxony, Flanders, Hainault, etc. etc. etc.) intermarried and formed alliances?
Hello, what are your thoughts on the term "Dark Ages" often being used to describe the medieval period? Do you think we need to shed that term? Thank you.
Hope this isn't too much outside of your area, but I always wondered about the development of republican systems in the middle ages/early modern era.
How much do we know about the developments in the 10th/11th century that lead later in the early 13th century to republican governments like those in Lübeck in the time before it actually was adopted?
What development and ideas in Ottonian and Carolingian Europa played a role in this actually becoming reality later on? How do we go from a realm ruled by the nobility to something that in theory doesn't is independent of nobility (even if not in practice)? What role does historiography play in this process, was this for example something that was founded in stories about roman times?
Since you are a supposed expert on Franks, which is better Hebrew National or Oscar Mayer?
Hello mr. Roberts and thank you for your time. My question is: how large of a part did slavery and slave taking(and selling to the moors or whoever outside of the carolingian empire) play in the economics of charlemagne's and his successors' states? I've heard it suggested enslavement and selling of former carolingian subjects in the numerous civil conflicts of charlemagne and his successors contributed to population decrease and the economic collapse of the carolingian state. Is there any truth to this? And how much did slave taking and trading in general (such as saxons enslaved during the many wars) factor into the financials of the state? Thank you so much for your time
I’m a novelist who spent three years researching the Carolingian empire and the myths of Charlemagne. I believe that the chansons de geste are the real foundational texts of so much storytelling and literature. I’ve written short stories and novels based on the historical settings and that literary research but I haven’t been satisfied with them. I found it’s so difficult to portray many of the stories without feeding into the narratives of ethno-nationalism in present day Europe.
As an educator, can you help me figure out how to present this exciting time in history without falling into the pitfalls of co-opted messages?
One kingdom I've always had trouble wrapping my head around was Burgundy, simply because it was significant in the past but they seemed to have been completely assimilated at this point into France and Belgium. Do we know why the Burgundians lost their unique identity, whereas others like the Bretons maintained it?
Hi Dr. Roberts, I'm looking forward to reading your book, I actually wrote my BA dissertation on how history has viewed Charlemagne's brother, so this sounds right up my street.
Sorry if this question is outside the scope of this AMA, but I'm going to be starting a Masters in history in September, and was wondering if you had any tips for someone looking to forge a career in historical academia?
I think history is quite good!
Hello, thank you for offering this opportunity. My question would be:What was the every day life of an average person like compared to the every day life of an average person at the present time?
So, for context, probably 70% of my undergrad was Medieval Studies, I’m not a stranger to a good primary history or chronicle — But on a lark I took a class on Herodotus, and as you may know, there is a quiet millennium long debate as to who gets to be the ‘first historian’. The author of the Old Testament book of Kings being disqualified, for example, for being an uncritical Chronicler, and Homer for being more poet than interested in accuracy. Herodotus-stans put him as first because he consciously sought the Causes of Historical events. My question being, how conscious would a medieval writer like Flodoard be of such distinctions? Would Bede be like, ‘Ok, I finished two thousand words of Chronicle, time to put on my analytical hat, and write some History!’?
Thanks for doing this AMA! To what extent did the average Carolingian commoner know about Rome and the Germanic migrations? Was it still part of local folklore, or did only really educated people know of it?
Would Flodoard, or others in your area of study, have considered themselves part of a “Western tradition” or “Western civilization” going back to ancient Greece? Or is that idea a later creation?
How did Western Europe at the time of the Carolingian Empire interact with Eastern Europe? Was it similar to today with the sort of division between the two with a sort of rivalry like between Russia and its allies versus the US and its allies or was it more interconnected?
Any insight or behind the scenes information on why Pope Gregory centralized all power under the authority of the Pope? Was there some scandal or driving force behind it?
Hi, is it true that was the inheritance system to cause the Franks downfalls?
Hello Dr. Roberts,
I have always wondered about this: Were the Franks a Germanic tribe, originally? If so, how did the language of Western Francia, France, become "French", i.e. a mix of Latin and Gaulish but not Germanic?
Or as an alternative approach: In which way did the Germanic heritage show through in the realms of the Western part of the Frankish dominion?
And hello again, Dr. Roberts,
I am also wondering how the three successor Kingdoms of Charlemagne's Frankish Empire were defined. By that I mean what kind of identity did they have back then to justify a split along these borders? Western and Eastern Francia seem easily defineable in terms of culture and language, but what about "Middle Francia", i.e. Lotharingia?
Was it simply a makeshift invention based solely on the necessity of creating something for son number three, or was there some defining criterion to constitute it as its own subdivision?
Around the time of Charlmagne and his brother, What was the average amount of education available to the common people? I do know about elite education and that the peasants were not free enough to pursue an education, but on average what was the average amount of education a Frank could receive?
How strong was central authority in the Carolingian empire? John France's book on the following period talks at some length how the line between king and landlord was blurry in Western Europe, with the nobles acting like kings in miniature, while kings functioned as landed nobles writ large. To what extent would this description of feudal politics apply to the Carolingians?
Thank you for your time and patience Dr. Roberts! Since english is not my native language i beg pardon for any mistakes.
I have several questions about the time of the early carolingians, even tho im unsure, if they all fall in your area of expertise.
Dr. Roberts, what are the major works that one should read on Charlemagne and Frankish history? I’m specifically interested in the timeline as well as education & religion (the cathedral schools, Alcuin, Paul the Deacon, chant and liturgy, among other things). I know that Paschalius Radbertus on the eucharist is now in translation, which is great, but other than that, I’m not sure what’s available.
Hi, thanks very much for running this and I hope I'm not too late... I've been listening to (The British History Podcast) over the last year, and he (presenter Jamie) goes on to say there were some links between Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and French ones. I was wondering how much of a link was there? Was it purely trading, diplomatic, or military alliance, etc. Thanks in advance, David.
What's your favorite chivalric romance based on a Carolingian knight?
Personally, I'm a fan of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.
As a non-historian reading Einhard's Life of Charlemagne years ago, I have so many questions about events as they were portrayed by Carolingian authors. Could you just elaborate on this passage from the Einhard book:
"At an assembly of the Frankish nation held at Worms (July ? 772) Charles announced his purpose of carrying war into the country of the Saxons, and in the early summer he marched with a large army, accompanied by a multitude of bishops, abbots, and presbyters, into the territory of the Angarii, the central tribe. The frontier fortress of Eresburg was taken, and the invaders pressed on to the place where, in the midst of a sacred grove, stood the celebrated Irminsul, a column fashioned to imitate the great world-sustaining ash Yggdrasil, which was the chief object of worship of the Saxon tribes. The idol was hewn down, the temple overthrown, the hoard of gold and silver ornaments deposited there by generations of devout Saxons carried off into Frank-land. The work of destruction lasted three days."
How likely is it that we could find remnants of "Irminsul" or corroborating evidence of what took place near Eresburg? Do the Angarii appear anywhere else in history? Would the "multitude of bishops, abbots, and presbyters" have been there to establish the church directly after the pagan religion was burned down?
If you know anything about the seven concentric walls of the Avars mentioned in Einhard, I'd love to know more about that as well! Thank you!!
What do you think of Edward Gibbons?
Hello Dr Roberts,
Having no knowledge of this part of history all I can ask who were the Carolingians?
Hello Dr Roberts, I was wondering - Charles “The Hammer” Martel vs Charlemagne. Death match. Who wins and why? Would it matter if the were mounted or on foot? Weapon of choice for each? These questions keep me up at knight so Thank you in advance
Thank you!
Dr. Roberts, thank you for taking the time today for questions. Could you speak to the role you think Wikipedia plays in learning and diseminating history? Is it work you suggest to students?My younger brother (18) has become very into the classics and he always seems to be on historical wikipedia pages of obscure (to me) Medieval figures.
Hi Dr. Roberts! What would the spread of Carolingian minuscule have looked like "on the ground?" (and by ground, I actually mean scriptorium). Would it have been a group of scribes receiving directives from higher administrative authority to abandon their local script and getting on board with the new standard? Would it have been scribes seeing Carolingian minuscule in manuscripts and deciding to adopt it on their own (and if so, what sort of manuscripts? cartularies? bibles? letters?) Would it have been a individual scribes, trained elsewhere, being assigned to, say, Laon, and bringing the new standard with them?
I'm also interested in understanding why this happened later in Britain and Spain than in the rest of Western Europe, and what happened led to the distinctive Insular and Spanish scripts eventually dying out and being replaced with scripts more similar to Frankish scrips.
How did the Germanic Franks dissapear from Gaul?
Thanks for the AmA and the awesome subject.
I am from a scandinavian country and I admit to having a very rudimentary and hazy understanding of this time period - specially when it comes to relations between our lands and then peoples and the rulers of Europe at the time. So in short, how did say charlemagne's empire and the scandinavian lands relate to each other? Were there official relations of trade or war etc or were the scandinavian vikingesque realm "disconnected" so to say from european affairs to the degree of being merely "savages of the north" or something of sorts? Thanks in advance for any clarification.
Hi Ed,
Great thread. Thanks for taking the time to inform me and others of such a fascinating time and place. What I have always found interesting is how information was disseminated in a pre-literate society. Was that a primary function of churches and courthouses? Any insight into this process is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Would you happen to know any specifics regarding the military equipment of the time of Charlemagne? I've tried to find specifics but there doesn't seem to be much of a consensus, for example I read that some contemporary artistic depictions of his army were deemed influenced by more Eastern art rather than first hand evidence.
How was the clergy changing in this time? What effects did this have on the legal system and the structure of society in general?
What effect did the Carolingian Renaissance have on other European states, and if so, to what extent?
Apologies if the question is too broad to be answered precisely.
Good morning Doctor Roberts! Thank you for your time.
Of the successors of the Carolingian empire, which of those do you think is the most interesting in this time frame Flodoard lives in? What biases does he show towards specifics groups or persons?
Hi Dr. Roberts, thanks for taking the time to do this AMA!
You mentioned that canon law lies within your ambit, so I thought I'd at least give something sorta related a shot.
I recently picked up a 1956 copy of Fritz Kern's Kingship and Law in the Middle Ages in a used book store for $1.50. How does his work hold up again the current scholarly consensus? I am a little suspect, of course, of his characterization of the rise of centralized, absolutist rule as a revival of "the Emperor-worship of the East", contrasted with the freedom-loving nature of the Germanic tribes. But is the distinction he draws more generally between "tribal customary law" and "positive ecclesiastical law" still recognized? How much is still made of the so-called "Germanic Right of Resistance"? Thanks again!
Ah, how come I'm never on time for these things.
Who were the target audience for the non-religious, non-philosophical written works during those days? What writing techniques did they employ to make it easier to read and comprehend their works?
In the 11th century would a Norman be treated differently for his or her Viking descent? Was it even something that was considered and known? And how did the perception or Normans change after the invasion and conquer of England? Was it considered part of France or rather a backwater island colony?
Is it true most peope of European descent, descend from Charlemagne ?
Was the east/west divide in the Frankish Empire inevitable? Could we have possibly seen a Frankish nation with a culture that spread through to both modern France and Germany? Or was partible inheritance inconsequential compared to larger factors that lead to this split?
Hello i was always interested in this often ignored part of history.What was the life organised like.Was it Feudal in Charolingian empire and it's succesor kingdoms or an other class system.My question is basically how was life organised.Were there larger and urban cities or were they basically large villages?
Hi Dr. Roberts, hope you're well! My question is this: How is the papacy and it's relation to Frankish leadership seen by local churchman like Flodoard in the 10th century? (Broadly or specifically, depends on how much time you have!)
May I ask a slightly puckish question about historiography?
In your introduction, you mentioned your subject's "imagined idyllic past." This pattern of comparing the present to a lost Paradise appears to have been with us all along. That is, as a 40 something father, I feel it... And it would be tempting to blame the Christian Paradise narratives, but years ago I was reading the Ten Books On Architecture by Vitruvius, his self-advertisement to Octavian. Throughout this book he laments the lost good days when people knew how to do things right. The priestesses would let the blood of a calf on the banks of a stream where a settlement was to be and read the portents, but lo these great arts are lost...
I took from this that the only Good Green Past humanity has known is one lodged in its imagination, which is likely also participating in the modern figment of a Great Green Future. No cynicism intended.
Perhaps there is an evolutionary explanation, but what I'd liked to ask you is how common is this pattern? As a historian, is it something you come across regularly, or no? Do you have any interesting anecdotes about how historiographers think about this tendency?
Thank you.
Hi Dr. Roberts, bit of a lighthearted question: what's your favourite early medieval name/s? And a followup, do you ever wish they came back into fashion?
Can you explain anything to us about the medieval cats, though? r/medievalcats
What’s your thoughts on Stuart Airlie’s work on the Carolingians and Ottonians? I studied under him in my third year at Glasgow University just there and he was very passionate about this subject and I enjoyed his course a lot
Doctor,
Why was the Empire divided three ways after Chalamagne’s death? Didn’t the government, nobles, and Church consider that a divided empire was weaker than a united one? Thanks for your answers already and this one!
What happened to the Goths? Is there any record of their continuity anywhere?
what are your favorite works of fiction that take place in your area of expertise?
In the late 1970s, near Paris, was discovered a large cemetery dating from the Carolingian era. A company was digging the foundations for a mall. An archeologist, Mr. Zuber (I think that was his name) was put in charge of the project. Because time was limited, he asked pretty much every single person he knew to come and help dig out the graves. My mother was one of the people who he knew. So my mother, my father and I (I was maybe 7 years old at the time) dug out this one grave. There was only the body in it, no artifacts. But it was in fairly good condition. So it ended up in the basement of the Louvre museum, with my mother's signature attached.
You wouldn't know anything about this unusual part of my childhood, would you?
Sorry beforehand if this is a stupid question. I once read that in medieval Europe there was a period when people had no names. I am not sure if it means no family name or no name at all. I've tried googling this but given the search terms i have, i am not able to find anything. Could you give me some direction on where i could find more information on this topic? Thanks
20th century Historians Oswald Spengler and Arnold Toynbee discussed the impact of Islam on Frankish culture - everything from art, to marriage customs, to architecture, and even religious rites. How accurate is this? Were they overstating Islam’s influence on medieval French culture, or is there something to this claim.
I have a question about the Attila to Charlemagne genealogy, is it true?
Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne claim ancestry from one of the most evil and barbaric people in the world sounds like a stretch for propaganda and it is in the case of Honoria being Attila’s wife (unconfirmed).
However Attila did have a daughter that married the king of the Gepids and so on and so on (in progeny)
Is Attila the ancestor of Charlamagne?
Is the genealogy correct, disregarding Roman princess and biblical characters and what not?
Link below
Hi there Doctor Roberts! So my question is a relatively simple one but one I've been curious about for a while. It also has a couple parts to it! What did the average person living in France at the time of the Danelaw in England know about those invasions into England by the Danes and the Norse? What could a person in France expect of their own defenses against such attacks or invasions?
Why do you think this period in time is less well known in popular culture and is there anything you wish people knew about it? From what little I know, it seems a fascinating period to learn about, but the early middle ages seem to just be "knights and crusades" for most people.
Hello Dr Roberts,I have a question,Couldn't Charlemagne have been crowned western roman emperor? Wouldn't the eastern empire accept that?
When did artillery and gun powder find its way to Eurpore especially western europe. And how did Europe survive the Ottomon and Mongol on slaught?
What made you interested in your field? I'm a historian of labor politics in Latin America because I'm passionate about labor rights and a lot of pour over from what happened a long time ago now. But I could never in all my years of studying and research could find anything remotely interesting about medieval history and I very much admire people who do! What made you decide to research and study what you do?
Sorry for missing the main session. I'm currently trying to make a case for the blasé attitude of the Merovingians leading to the Church supporting the Carolingian usurpation. I've got lots of examples of bad Christian Merovingians from Gregory and Fredegar (I know this wasn't his real name, but you know what I mean), but don't really have any knowledge of Church documents relating to Francia. Do you know anything about Merovingian- / Carolingian-relevant sources held by Church archives (presumably in Rome)? Also, as I haven't read Flodoard, does he cover the Merovingians enough / in such a way that his work might be relevant to my study? I know he is considerably later than either of the two authors mentioned above. Thanks in advance for taking the time to do this.
Hi Dr. Roberts, how did you approach your analysis of Flodoard? Historical (and pseudo-historical) texts which attempt to re-write the past beyond a reasonable bias seem easy to identify and critique once they have shown their true colors, however it surprises me how much we rely on a singular historical narrative. Was there a certain rhetoric used by Flodoard that caught your eye and thus tipped you off that perhaps all was not as it seemed? Did you delve into the political, religious, or personal motivations that he may have had that propelled him towards writing what he did? Observing the state of our world today, your AMA hastened me to think of how futures generations will remember today, and of the power found in simply writing an account of one’s thoughts on the events of their time. Thanks!
Hi Dr Roberts,
I am curious about the formation of the Carolingian Empire. In 774 Charlemagne defeated the Lombard Kingdom, and annexed it, followed by Bavaria, Carinthia, Saxony, and northern "Spain". Was there a tipping point where his coronation as Emperor became fait accompli? Was it in response to a new political situation? Surely, in terms of power and prestige, his influence was out sized since 774 (even earlier). The heart of my question(s) is: was the title available to Charlemagne earlier (and was it a goal of his) and/or why was it created (or resurrected) at the turn of the century?
Hi Dr. Roberts! I have three questions, why did the Franks adopt Gallo-Roman language, where does the title mayor of the palace come from, and is there a reason related to the Franks of why we use “frank” as a synonym of “honest”?
Thanks so much for sharing
Hello Dr. Roberts! There's been a great deal of debate in recent years on the matter of the "feudal revolution" of the post-Carolingian era, particularly the emergence of Duby's new knightly aristocracy. Barthelemy in particular has come out strongly against a great many things I used to take for granted. I'm really not sure what the state of the debate is, which obviously impedes my work on here to a degree. I was hoping you might have some thoughts on the matter.
How old is baby George??
Afternoon Dr Roberts! Hope you're having a great day. Do you believe the Gauls are as significant to France culturally as the Normans were. In a similar light do you believe the romano-britons are of any significance to England. It seems to me that they arnt, and that the only significance they have is purely inhabiting the land we live on now.
Hi Dr. Roberts! I have four different questions that I have been looking an answer for a while.
First of all, I have always wondered since when the Benedictine monks began to wear black and what led the church to make that decision. Also, why the mitre only started to be used in the 11th century?.
Secondly, I was wondering where the idea that Charlemagne had a beard comes from, taking into account that the coins he issued during his life and the statue (exhibited in the Louvre) that was made after his death, he is portraied with a mustache. In fact, where does the common portrait of bearded medieval kings come from?
Thirdly, when and how did a regional identity develop in the Franco-Eastern kingdom? How did such a vast territory with various tribes and varied languages come to have the same identity?
Finally, I was wondering why the art of the High and High Middle Ages is mostly static and figurative. Why, with the exception of some examples, the idea of portraying relevant figures as in ancient times was left behind?. Why are there so few sculptures in Carolingian and Ottonian art that have survived to this day? Is there a book on this topic?
Thank you very much for providing this space!
P.S: Sorry for my bad English, it is not my native language
I always wondered one thing. Why surviving Carolingians (after all, the dynasty survived well into 12th century) accepted so easily the transition of power into the hands of Capetian and Ottonian dynasties? Why there were no attempts to recover their patrimony?
Hey Dr. Roberts!
I was recently able to trace my lineage directly back to quite a few Capets (most recently Marie b. 1198). Would you say this lineage is common for people of European descent?
How much of Romanian history and the literature impact the middle ages?
HOW DID I MISS THIS????
Thanks for what you did here and also for why you do. I will read through everything and if you’re still willing and able to answer any questions I would be very appreciative.
Were knights ransoms actually a thing?
And if they were, How they were arranged?