Charlemagne


 * Holy Roman Emperor, King of Franks
 * Son of Pepin the Short
 * Crowned by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day, 800 CE
 * The Paderborn or Aachen Epic described their meeting
 * Sparked the Carolingian Renaissance
 * Used the sword Joyeuse
 * Later used to coronate French kings
 * Lost at Roncevaux Pass
 * Einhard wrote a biography of him
 * His grandchildren split the empire into three parts in the Treaty of Verdun
 * Empire overseen by counts called centenarii who were aided by officials called missi dominici
 * Invaded:
 * Saxony
 * In a nearly 30 year conflict
 * Lombardy
 * Defeated Desiderius
 * Former ally
 * Besieged Pavia until he received the title of patrician
 * Negotiations with Nikephoros I ushered in the Pax Nicephori
 * Venice given de facto independence afterward
 * Received an elephant from Harun Al-Rashid
 * Deported 10000 Norbalbingian families and replaced them with immigrants from his homeland