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Position:Home>History> Why were pre-medieval emperors, such as Charlemagne, illiterate?Question: Why were pre-medieval emperors, such as Charlemagne, illiterate!? I was listening to a history podcast and the guy who hosts it says that, for the most part, European rulers during the time of Charlemagne and up to the start of the Holy Roman Empire were illiterate!.
Well, Charlemagne did make an attempt to educate himself with his palace school!. However, people like Pepin the short seemed to not really care about learning to read!. Why didn't these powerful men learn to read!? They had money, they could've educated themselves!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: You’ve got some good answers up to now but if you are really interested in the “behind the scenes” aspects of History you’ll have to look at the what we call the “Sociology of History”, a segmentation of who and whys!. The methods used since the 80’s are a tracking of life styles (cluster & factor), a tracing of deep felt beliefs (psychological mapping), which bring you to the prime needs (sociological charting) and ends up with conceived priorities (demograohical weighing)!. Sound complicated but it’s just a marketing tool!. I'll lead you along!. The “Roman” life style (built on Greek, Etruscan and to a certain extent Eastern models), epitomized by the cursus honorum, was based on the belief that a “ruling capacity” required the art of knowledge, the art of speaking and the art of war!. This brought you to the need to “learn”, “talk in public” and “fight for your city”, which in turn placed studying, oratory, and military knowledge on an equal footing!. The “barbarian” style of life, epitomized by the sagas and songs of the bards, for we do not have much more to go on, basically of the Germanic tribes that overran the Empire, (but also common to the Pre-Roman Celts) was based on the ideals of a “Hero”, with a belief he should act “heroically”, which brought the prime need to show “bravery and valour” and the basic tenets of a “strength by feat of arms” priority!. Learning, wisdom and all “that” was left to the druids, to the priests and diviners, who were a strong influence, but had no role in the formal ruling of the tribe, except as counsellors!. Charlemagne, although not of “kingly” descent, was quite an exception, as was his court!. He was fascinated by all that the Roman Empire meant, including the customs and learning it had left behind, even though this had become the near exclusive bailiwick of the Church!. For a ruler to be “knowledgeable” meant he was “less heroic”, to be “studied” meant he was more “priestly” and less of a warrior!. Not a good start for a ruler who had to knock on people’s heads to be respected!. We still suffer from this malady today as our “barbarian” traits are far from being expunged!.Www@QuestionHome@Com With the fall of the western Roman empire, literacy declined throughout the west!. The Church was the only institution that maintained literacy during this time!. While the church didn't forbid teaching reading and writing, there simply wasn't that much of a demand!. The size of nations had shrunk, as well as a need for beaurocracy to maintain them!. Thus, minimal record keeping was needed!. But in a time where a king maintained his position through his military prowess, there was little time to learn such "unmanly" skills!. Oral historians/storytellers(bards) became the normal way to spread stories!. As the areas falling under a nation's control increased, so did the pressure to maintain records!. One can't collect taxes from people if you don't know they exist, or how much they owned, after all!. From there there also came an increased awareness of the classical writers, and some nobles began to recognise the advantages of both literacy and accounting!. And once the printing press made reading material widely available at relatively small cost, more people could engage in reading!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Charlemagne (2 April 742 or 747 – 28 January 814) Charlemagne took a serious interest in his and others' scholarship and had learned to read in his adulthood, although he never quite learned how to write, he used to keep a slate and stylus underneath his pillow, according to Einhard!. His handwriting was bad, from which grew the legend that he could not write!. Even learning to read was quite an achievement for kings at this time, of whom most were illiterate!. Charlemagne's mother tongue was the Old High German dialect called Frankish!. He also spoke Latin and understood some Greek!.Www@QuestionHome@Com yes, he could have, but the question that needs to be asked is "Why!?" he didn't really have a reason to learn as there wasn't really anything published!. it sort of would be like for the CEO of Wal-Mart to learn Latin!. yes, it would be nice, and would improve his education and intelligence level-- but he doesn't really need it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com What was there for them to read!? In those days, before the printing press, books were a rarity, and the ones that existed were mostly church theses, in Latin!. No Ludlum spy mysteries to curl up with then, you know!. Besides, with everyone else illiterate, too, it wasn't like any of the big shots would be embarrassed because they were illiterate!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Well, before the invention of the printing press, there really wasn't that much to read! It's not like there were daily newspapers, for example!. Monks, and other religious figures, had a need to learn to read and write, and they did!.Www@QuestionHome@Com In an age in which there was nothing widely published, there was no incentive!. The few areas in which literacy mattered were handled adequately by clerks and clerics!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Basically everybody besides monks in monasteries was illiterate in those times!.Www@QuestionHome@Com In those times, no one (not even kings) cared about education!. Their main focus was survival!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |