The Historical Geography of Europe, Vol. I, TextFreeman, Edward A. (Edward Augustus)
History
The Historical Geography of Europe, Vol. I, Text
Freeman, Edward A. (Edward Augustus)
Europe -- Historical geography
It is further to be noted that the same kind of change which now
happened to the Christian Empire, had happened earlier in the century
to the Mahometan Empire. The establishment of a rival dynasty at
Cordova, even though the assumption of the actual title of Caliph
did not follow at once, was exactly analogous to the establishment
of a rival Empire in the Old Rome. The Mediterranean world has now
four great powers, the two rival Christian Empires, and the two rival
Mahometan Caliphates. Among these, it naturally follows that each
is hostile to its neighbour of the opposite religion, and friendly
to its neighbour’s rival. The Western Emperor is the enemy of the
Western Caliph, the friend of the Eastern. ♦Rivalry of the Empires and
Caliphates.♦ The Eastern Emperor is the enemy of the Eastern Caliph,
the friend of the Western. Thus the four great powers stood at the
beginning of the ninth century. And it was out of the dismemberments of
the two great Christian and the great Mahometan powers that the later
states, Christian and Mahometan, of the Mediterranean world took their
rise.
♦Extent of the Carolingian Empire.♦
It is a point of geographical as well as of historical importance that
Charles the Great, after he was crowned Emperor, caused all those who
had been hitherto bound by allegiance to him as King of the Franks
to swear allegiance to him afresh as Roman Emperor. This marks that
all his dominions, Frankish, Lombard, and strictly Roman, are to be
looked on as forming part of the Western Empire. Thus the Western
Empire now took in all those German lands which the old Roman Emperors
never could conquer. Germany became part of the Roman Empire, not by
Rome conquering Germany, but by Rome choosing the German king as her
Emperor. ♦Contrast of its boundaries with those of the elder Empire.♦
The boundaries of the Empire thus became different from what they had
ever been before. Of the old provinces of the Western Empire, Britain,
Africa, and all Spain save one corner, remained foreign to the new
Roman Empire of the Franks. But, on the other hand, the Empire now took
in all the lands in Germany and beyond Germany over which the Frankish
power now reached, but which had never formed part of the elder Empire.
♦Conquest of Saxony. 772-804.♦ The long wars of Charles with the Saxons
led to their final conquest, to the incorporation of _Saxony_ with the
Frankish kingdom, and, after the Imperial coronation of the Frankish
king, to its incorporation with the Western Empire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account