Coronation of CharlemagneThe coronation of Charlemagne is one of the most important events of his time and yet the events preceding the coronation are scarcely mentioned in historical texts. Historians often disagree on the details of the coronation due to a lack of adequate and sometimes contradictory historical documentation. This article seeks to answer questions about the meaning and driving forces of the coronation of a Western emperor and to expose the truth about what really happened in the years leading up to the event. Many historical documents, including the Annals of Lorsch, the Frankish Royal Annals, and letters, provide the primary sources that are scrutinized by historians such as Alessandro Barbero, Paul Dutton, Neil Christie, and Rodger Collins in an attempt to reveal the truth about Lorsch's coronation. Charlemagne. To discuss the motivations behind the coronation, it is necessary to establish what actually happened before that Christmas Day in the year 801. Since there are many historical contradictions among the primary sources of the time, for the moment we will rely on the summaries presented by historians and deal with contradictions later. Barbero provides the most complete summary in chapter four of his book Charlemagne.1 Starting around the year 700 there was a divergence between the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire. The emperor was Greek and ruled from the eastern half, while the Pope resided in Rome, located in the western half. A barrier developed between the two that transcended language. The emperor diverged in his theology by adopting iconoclasm, or the destruction of idols. This was in direct conflict with Roman theology, which celebrated images of Christ and the saints. In... middle of the paper... they attempted to refuse.10 This cultural attitude fits perfectly with the way stories are written and explains why this was the way the king wanted information to be given to the public. Thus the contradictions between the primary sources are reconciled. Charlemagne's coronation is now easier to understand after examining the historical evidence. It is clear that Pope Leo is the driving force behind the coronation in order to expand papal authority and protect his own position from accusations. The general events of the time show that Empress Irene's decision to assume the role of emperor is the key to allowing Charlemagne's coronation. Finally, through a careful study of the primary sources and identifying the writer's point of view, it is possible to deduce the real events before the coronation despite the contradictions between the sources.