Charlemagne and Louis the Pious : the lives by Einhard, Notker, Ermoldus, Thegan, and the Astronomer

Carolingian historical texts have long stood at the base of our modern knowledge about the eighth and ninth centuries. The ninth century gave birth to a new revival of secular biography, which has come to be recognized as one of the brightest bands in the spectrum of Carolingian historical writing. This collection brings together, for the first time in one volume, the five royal/imperial biographies written during the Carolingian period. Thomas F. X. Noble’s new English translations of these five important texts—Einhard’s Life of Emperor Charles, Notker’s Deeds of Charles the Great, Ermoldus Nigellus’s Poem in Honor of Louis, Thegan’s Deeds of Emperor Louis, and the Life of Louis by “the Astronomer”—are each accompanied by a short introduction and a note on “Essential Reading.” Offering details on matters of style, sources used by the author, and the influence, if any, exerted by the text, Noble provides a context for each translation without compromising the author’s intended voice. By “reuniting” these five essential medieval texts in an English translation, this volume makes these voices accessible to scholars and non-experts alike throughout the Anglophone world. Review “The new translations of these five lives and their very useful introductions and notes make this work a prodigious achievement and an extremely valuable and most welcome contribution to Carolingian studies.” —Steven Fanning, The Historian “Noble’s book has a very specific thematic focus that makes it especially appealing for use in lower-division classes. . . . Noble has presented us with lucid translations of five important works of secular biography from the Carolingian period, each adorned with learned . . . introductions and up-to-date bibliographies.” —Scott Bruce, The Medieval Review About the Author Thomas F. X. Noble is Professor and Chair, Department of History, at the University of Notre Dame.

Carolingian historical texts have long stood at the base of our modern knowledge about the eighth and ninth centuries. The ninth century gave birth to a new revival of secular biography, which has come to be recognized as one of the brightest bands in the spectrum of Carolingian historical writing. This collection brings together, for the first time in one volume, the five royal/imperial biographies written during the Carolingian period.

Thomas F. X. Noble’s new English translations of these five important texts—Einhard’s Life of Emperor Charles, Notker’s Deeds of Charles the Great, Ermoldus Nigellus’s Poem in Honor of Louis, Thegan’s Deeds of Emperor Louis, and the Life of Louis by “the Astronomer”—are each accompanied by a short introduction and a note on “Essential Reading.” Offering details on matters of style, sources used by the author, and the influence, if any, exerted by the text, Noble provides a context for each translation without compromising the author’s intended voice. By “reuniting” these five essential medieval texts in an English translation, this volume makes these voices accessible to scholars and non-experts alike throughout the Anglophone world.

Front Title Page Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Einhard, The Life of Charles the Emperor Introduction The Life of Charles the Emperor Notker the Stammerer, The Deeds of Emperor Charles the Great Introduction The Deeds of Emperor Charles the Great Enmoldus Nigellus, In Honor of Louis Introduction In Honor of Louis, The Most Christian Caesar Augustus, by Ermoldus Nigellus, an Exile Thegan, The Deeds of Emperor Louis Introduction The Deeds of Emperor Louis The Astronomer, The Life of Emperor Louis Introduction The Life of Emperor Louis Index "Translations of ninth-century lives of the emperors Charlemagne (by Einhard and Notker) and his son Louis the Pious (by Ermoldus, Thegan, and the Astronomer). Presented chronologically and contextually, with commentary"--Provided by publisher.