Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information KINGSHIP AND POLITICS IN THE LATE NINTH CENTURY This is the first major study in any language of the collapse of the pan- EuropeanCarolingianempire andthe reignof its last ruler, Charles III ‘the Fat’ (876–88). The later decades of the empire are conventionally seen as a dismal period of decline and fall, scarred by internal feuding, unfet- tered aristocratic ambition and Viking onslaught. This book offers a fresh interpretation, arguing that previous generations of historians misunder- stood the nature and causes of the end of the empire, and neglected many of the relatively numerous sources for this period. Topics covered include the significance of aristocratic power; political structures; the possibilities and limits of kingship; developments in royal ideology; the struggle with the Vikings; and the nature of regional political identities. In proposing new explanations for the empire’s disintegration, this book has broader implications for our understanding of this formative period of European history more generally. Simon MacLean is Lecturer in History at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought Fourth Series General Editor: d. e. luscombe Research Professor of Medieval History,University of Sheffield Advisory Editors: christine carpenter Reader in Medieval English History,University of Cambridge,and Fellow of New Hall rosamond mC kitterick Professor of Medieval History,University of Cambridge,and Fellow of Newnham College The series Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought was inaugurated by G. G. Coultonin 1921; Professor D. E. Luscombe now acts as General Editor of the Fourth Series, with Dr Christine Carpenter and Professor Rosamond McKitterick as Advisory Editors. The series brings together outstanding work by medieval scholars over a wide range of human endeavour extending from political economy to the history of ideas. For a list of titles in the series,see end of book . © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information KINGSHIP AND POLITICS IN THE LATE NINTH CENTURY Charles the Fat and the end of the Carolingian Empire SIMON MACLEAN © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge cb2 1rp, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge, cb2 2ru,UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, ny 10011–4211, USA 477 WilliamstownRoad, Port Melbourne, vic 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcon´ 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org C SimonMacLean 2003 This book is incopyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the writtenpermissionof Cambridge University Press. First published 2003 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge Typeface Bembo 11/12 pt. System LATEX 2ε [tb] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data MacLean, Simon. Kingship and policy in the late ninth century : Charles the Fat and the end of the Carolingian Empire / Simon MacLean. p. cm. – (Cambridge studies inmedieval life andthought ; 4th ser., 57) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-521-81945-8 1. Charles, le Gros, Emperor, 839–888. 2. France – Kings and rulers – Biography. 3. France – History – To 987. 4. Holy RomanEmpire – History – 843–1273. I. Title. II. Series. DC77.8M33 2003 944.014092 –dc21 2003043471 isbn 0 521 81945 8 hardback © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information CONTENTS List of maps and figures page vii Acknowledgements viii List of abbreviations xi Note on names,terminology and citations xiv Outline chronology xv 1 introduction 1 The endof the Carolingianempire inmodernhistoriography 1 The shape of politics in the late ninth century 11 2 un-frankish activities: charles the fat in the eyes of contemporary annalists 23 The Annals of Fulda 24 Bad advice 28 The Vikings and the siege of Asselt 30 Royal inactivity 37 History and politics in the late ninth century 42 3 themenwhowouldbekings:the ‘supermagnates’ and the ‘rise of the aristocracy’ 48 The rise of Odo 49 Politics and identity in Abbo’s Wars of the City of Paris 55 The supermagnates and the empire 64 Conclusion 75 4royal politics and regional power in the late carolingian empire 81 Alemannia and Alsace 83 Italy 91 Franconia, Saxony and Bavaria 97 West Francia 99 The north Frankish circle 102 Geilo of Langres 110 v © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information Contents Royal politics and aristocratic identity in late ninth-century west Francia 115 Conclusion 120 5 the end of the empire i: politics and ideology at the east frankish court 123 The restorationof the empire, 884–5 124 The attempted legitimationof Bernard, August–October 885 129 The positionof Arnulf, 876–85 134 The revolt of Hugh, September 885, and the origins of ‘German’ royal consecration 144 6 the end of the empire ii: response and failure 161 Carolingian unity and the adoption of Louis of Provence, April–June 887 161 The royal divorce, summer 887 169 The career of Liutward 178 The empress and the archchancellor 185 The depositionof Charles the Fat, November 887 191 7 history, politics and the end of the empire in notker’s deedsofcharlemagne 199 The date of the Deeds of Charlemagne 201 Notker’s bishops 204 Contemporary references in the Deeds of Charlemagne 213 Notker and the imperial succession 218 Charles the Fat and Charles the Great 222 Conclusion 227 8 conclusion 230 Bibliography 236 Index 258 vi © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information MAPS AND FIGURES MAPS 1 The late Carolingian empire page xviii 2 Alemannia 84 3 Landholding around Pavia 92 4 NorthernFrancia 105 5 Carinthia and Pannonia 137 6 Fiscal rights granted to Otting¨ in D CIII 128 140 7 Liutward’s Italian interventions 181 8 Richgard’s monastic empire 187 FIGURE 1 The Carolingian family xvii vii © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have incurred manydebts inthe completionof this book, onlya few of which can be acknowledged here. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from some excellent teachers. In the first place I must thank Jinty Nelson, who supervised the PhD thesis of which this book is a revised version. Her encouragement and generosity with ideas and criticisms have improved both versions immeasurably. I have also learned much from Stuart Airlie, who not only inspired my interest in Carolingianhistory inthe first place andsuggested Charles the Fat as a suitable subject for research, but also commented helpfully on parts of my work. I am grateful to Rosamond McKitterick for acting so efficiently as my editor and making many valuable criticisms and corrections. Several other people were kind enough to read all or part of the original thesis, and forced me to think harder about my interpretations: in particular I should like to record my gratitude to my PhD examiners, Paul Fouracre and the late Tim Reuter, as well as to David Ganz, Matthew Innes, Paul Kershaw and Geoff West for their generous help. Naturally, I take full responsibility for the multitude of errors which doubtless remains. I have also benefited from conversations with many friends and colleagues: inparticular, I am grateful to Guy Halsall andAlanThacker for help and encouragement. Financially, I am fortunate to have been supported by two bodies without which my postgraduate study would have been impossible: the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (from which I held a Major Scottish Studentship) and the Institute of Historical Research (which granted me a Scouloudi Fellowship). Thanks are also due to the fellows of Trinity Hall in Cambridge, who elected me to a Research Fellowship which allowed me to begin writing this book. More recently, I am grateful to my colleagues inthe Departmentof Mediaeval History in the University of St Andrews for making it possible for me to finish it. The staff of Cambridge University Press have been extremely helpful, especially Bill Davies. The cover picture for the book was supplied by Bildarchiv Foto Marburg. I am also indebted to my friends for moral support and keeping me sane, in particular Anne Jenkins, John Kyle, viii © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521819458 - Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire Simon Maclean Frontmatter More information Acknowledgements Steve Marritt and the players and touring squad of Eskbank Thistle F.