critically analyze Einhard’s Life of Charlemange. what sort of Biography is it? what subjects seem to interest the author? what kind of man doe Charlemagne appear to be?

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Introduction
The Life of Charlemagne is a biography written by Einhard on King Charlemagne’s public and private lives, character as well as successes. It is the initial medieval life history believed to be penned between the years of 817-836 (Dias 79). It is a direct description since Einhard was a close friend of the King and worked at the palace school at the time of the Charlemagne’s rule. In this essay, the writer will critically analyze Life of Charlemagne biography discussing the type of biography it is, themes that interested Einhard and how he depicted King Charlemagne.
The kind of Biography it is
It is a historical biography. Historical biographies deal with rebuilding and depiction of a historical person’s life. Therefore, these biographies include more events surrounding the person not only his or her life’s representation. Einhard’s biography represents that life of past King Charlemagne of the Franks (771-814) (Dias 80). A historical biography includes life events, the account of a particular time, as well as the explanation of the event’s features. Einhard’s work is a representation of King Charlemagne’s qualities and an account of key events such as the Franks’ wars with the Saxons. It thus, tells the history of this period through King Charlemagne’s life. Moreover, it puts the King in the middle of the story, rather than a broader examination of dynamics as well as events.
Secondly, the biography uses the non-hagiographic model where Einhard writes about the life of a non-ecclesiastical ruler.

The majority of the medieval biographies concentrated on the life history of saints, clerics as well as other church leaders. However, in Einhard’s biography, he pens the life of an emperor, Charlemagne who was not an ecclesiastical leader.
Instead of using the conventional hagiographies as well as the medieval writings, the author shapes the biography borrowing from Suetonius’s texts. Nevertheless, Richard Sullivan expressed that this was not plagiarism rather it was the schooling which made Einhard depict Charlemagne in the ways Suetonius applied to depict Roman kings. (Richard 122) In agreement, David Ganz applauded the author’s uniqueness for looking for “Ciceronian articulacy” that was discarded by Christians within their hagiographies. (Ganz 39) Undeniably Einhard was aware of the medieval panegyric writing technique in which kings were depicted in military expressions; however, he chose to use the classical method having more human depiction. Some scholars have criticized this style as being very pagan (Dias 80). He chose this style since he desired to store for posterity the reminiscence of the king’s noble actions and as a remarkable person, whom he profoundly valued.
Themes That Interested the Author
First, in the preface, the author articulated a feeling of duty to document the reminiscence of his “Lord and foster father,” aware that he is the one best suited to pen the King’s life and actions since he was there during their happening. (Einhard 11) He was a close friend to the King and worked at the palace, therefore, he had a firsthand information and observation to the King’s actions. He bewailed that the life very wonderful as Charlemagne’s who was very caring and big-hearted to him, and praiseworthy, must be penned with “Ciceronian articulacy” instead of frail effort. (Einhard 13) From the author’s expressions it is comprehensible that the biography is a literary piece of glorification emanating from the feeling of duty to write it and thus, should be understood to bear to some extent biasness. Einhard was penning the life as well as the actions of a person to whom he believed he was indebted.
Secondly, he concentrates on the theme of allegiance as well as honor. Similar to his dad, King Louis held Einhard in high regard, giving him many properties following Charlemagne’s demise, in line with the tradition of kings to honor servants loyally serving the kingdom with presents as well as raise them to immense honors. (Dutton 44) Therefore, by King Louis reward Einhard with presents, it illustrates that he served King Charlemagne loyally and with honor. Further, Rosamond McKitterick contended that the biography functioned to strengthen Louis’s legality as the king after his dad’s death with Einhard attempting to please Louis through referring to his mother within the work (McKitterick 123). Furthermore, Paul Dutton avers that his attempt to please Louis is additionally supported when Einhard omitted to talk about the letter of the separation of the Kingdom that he took to Rome (North 247). He ignored this letter since it was opposed to King Louis’s position (before 830) of an inseparable kingdom. It implies that the author knew the political connotations of all he was to write and being the loyal worker, he did not want to anger Louis.
Thirdly, Einhard was interested in the theme of military conquests. Every state or community that Charlemagne fought against was tackled in distinct section in a rather Suetonian style. The author paints an image of a very systematic monarch who planned many invasions to enlarge his territory. (Ganz 47) Einhard constantly emphasized the imperial virtue of faithfulness. He describes him as the ruler who excelled every king of his period in intelligence, and he did not encounter any problem that prevented him from attaining things he desired to do since Charlemagne was skilled to tolerate anything that emerged, without believing in the deceiving goodwill of fortune in success. (Einhard 30) The use of fortune, in his work, has been observed as the influence of paganism in his life. (Ganz 45) Besides the bravery in conquest, the author stressed the king’s benevolence to other rulers as well as states and the forgiveness he had to communities he defeated. For example, in recounting the war with the Saxons, Einhard indicated how the king captured over 10,000 people and relocating them to various regions in Gaul and Germany (Einhard 28).
The Kind of Man Does Charlemagne Appear
In the biography, the author got very personal and depicted King Charlemagne as a family gentleman. He illustrated the love as well as care the king had for the siblings, sons and daughters. The author demonstrates that Charlemagne did not permit his daughters to marry since he loved them and could not stand being separate from them. The King knew the sexual indignities that implicated his daughters; however, he overlooked them. Einhard mentioned this parenthetically, implying that the author could have felt it was not his duty to reveal the King’s household’s predicaments.
Secondly, the author utilized personal features as well as behaviors to depict the king as people’s man. The king is portrayed as a “stately as well as patrician,” but taking pleasure in lowly activities such as hunting as well as swimming. He liked the temperate Aachen springs and could request his sons, aristocrats, associates and, sporadically, his bodyguards (Cassel 27-31). The author also depicted how Charlemagne liked to don in normal, ordinary attire and he could only wear the royal attire when the event required (Einhard 58). Moreover, Charlemagne was very modest with his eating habit as well as drinks. He liked listening to songs as well as read books written by medieval writers during his meal time. Thegan on the other hand, portray King Louis as having rejected the “barbarous” music his dad kept (Dias 85). Whereas Einhard emphasized the “horizontal connections” between King Charlemagne and the subjects, Thegan emphasized the reverse regarding King Louis (Dias 84). But King Charlemagne’s friendliness was maybe heavenly motivated.
Lastly, the author illustrated the way King Charlemagne loyally valued Christianity, as well as build friendship with outside sovereigns to assist the Christians staying under their power. He further received Christian outsiders who could come to the kingdom and afforded them with the security they needed. If the author should be trusted, King Charlemagne did not harbor the intent to become the ruler of the Roman Kingdom, even though he enjoyed a strong connection with the Roman Catholic popes (Einhard 64). Whereas Notker had depicted King Charlemagne as exceptionally religious, Einhard opposed such overt Christian expression since Charlemagne’s feeling of eminence could not just be Christian (Notker 96). Therefore, Einhard’s view of Charlemagne’s demise was to a larger extent the worldly death of a conqueror (Dias 85). Einhard recounted that ahead of the king’s demise, several signs were witnessed. For example, there were eclipses, earthquakes, as well as lightning which the king allegedly identified as warnings but acted as if they were unrelated to him (Einhard 73) Therefore, according to Einhard, Charlemagne was spiritual but not extremely and his eminence was largely an individual quality.
Conclusion
Einhard wrote the life of Charlemagne after the death of Charlemagne and during the reign of his son, King Louis. This biography is a historical one that uses the non-hagiographic model. Instead of using the conventional hagiographies, Einhard shapes the biography borrowing from Suetonius’s texts. In penning the biography, the author focuses on the themes of duty to write the work, honor and allegiance in serving the king. He also looked at the subject of military conquest in which he wrote how Charlemagne conquered nations. Lastly, he describes Charlemagne as a family man, loved by his subjects and loyally valued Christianity.
Works Cited
Primary Sources
North, William “Agobard of Lyons, On the division of the Empire (to Louis the Pious), trans. By W. North from the edition of L. Van Acker, (Turnholt: Brepols, 1981), pp.245-50. http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/source/830agobard.asp
Cassel, Christopher. “The Dark Ages: The Fall of Civilization, the Rise of a New World Order.” DVD. Directed by Christopher Cassel. New York: A&E Television Networks, 2006.
Einhard. “Life of Charlemagne.” Translated by Samuel Epes Turner. New York: American Book Company, 1880.
Notker the Stammerer. “Charlemagne.” In Einhard and Notker the Stammerer: Two Lives of Charlemagne,” translated by Lewis Thorpe, 93-172. London: Penguin Books, 1969. http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/stgall-charlemagne.asp
Secondary Sources
Dias, Aida. “Einhard: The Lasting Influence of The Life of Charlemagne and Other Works.” Saber and Scroll 4.2 (2015): 8. http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1147&context=saberandscroll
Dutton, Paul Edward, ed. and trans. “Charlemagne’s Courtier: The Complete Einhard.” Toronto: Broadview Press, 1998.
Ganz, David. “Einhard’s Charlemagne: the Characterisation of Greatness.” In Charlemagne: Empire and Society, edited by Joanna Story, 38-51. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2005.
McKitterick, Rosamond. “History and Memory in the Carolingian World.” New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Accessed December 6, 2016. HYPERLINK “http://apus.aquabrowser.com//?itemid=%7clibrary%2fm%2fapus%7cebr10131663” http://apus.aquabrowser.com//?itemid=%7clibrary%2fm%2fapus%7cebr10131663.
Richard E. Sullivan, “The Gentle Voices of Teachers: Aspects of Learning in the Carolingian Age.” Columbus: Ohio State University Press (1995) 122. https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/24693/1/THE_GENTLE_VOICES_OF_TEACHERS.pdf