Paul Fouracre - The Age of Charles Martel

THE AGE OF CHARLES MARTEL

THE MEDIEVAL WORLD

Editor: David Bates

Paul Fouracre

First published 2000 by Pearson Education Limited

Published 2013 by Routledge
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ISBN 13: 978-0-582-06476-8 (pbk)

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Typeset by 35 in 11/13pt Baskerville MT

To my family.

Charles Martel ( c. 688-741) is a figure of well-night heroic proportions in much twentieth-century historiography. At the heart of this reputation are the famous victory over an Islamic army at the battle of Poitiers in 732 or 733 and his contribution to the eventual establishment of his Carolingian descendants as the ruling family over the Frankish lands. He can be portrayed not only as saving Christendom in what is often seen as one of the decisive battles of world history, but as preparing the ground for the enormously important reign of his even better known grandson, Charlemagne. Since achievements on this scale would appear to demand special explanations, Charles has been identified not only as a great warrior, but as someone who prepared the way for the final deposition of the Merovingian kings in 751 by his son Pippin and who revolutionised the military organisation of the Frankish state. His patronage of missionary activities amongst the pagans to the east is seen as making the Carolingians into the papacy's favourite family, thereby explaining papal support for Pippin's removal of the Merovingians.

Paul Fouracre's new treatment of Charles and his times examines critically each element of this reputation and places Charles securely within the social, political and cultural setting of the eighth century. In order to do this, the book supplies a panoramic appraisal of power, kingship and aristocratic values, which leads to a reassessment of most aspects of Charles's career. The great warrior remains at the centre of the picture, but the long-term goals and innovative policies frequently attributed to him are for the most part rejected in favour of an analysis which sees him as an extremely able embodiment of the norms and values of contemporary politics. Thus, for example, while Charles's attitudes were certainly motivated by a family-centred drive to keep the Carolingians at the heart of the politics of the Frankish world, his success in regaining his father's position as mayor of the palace to the Merovingian kings was based on immediate personal concerns over status and power. The brief period at the end of his life when he did not install a new Merovingian king was an episode which his sons speedily brought to an end and which did not therefore lead inexorably to the disappearance of the Merovingians. Even the victory at Poitiers was one event in a broader struggle against Islamic attacks and should not be seen as the one decisive moment. The cooperation of missionaries, papacy and Franks largely conformed to already existing patterns.

Paul Fouracre's extensive research and publications on the history of the early medieval Frankish kingdoms make him a superbly qualified author to contribute this latest book to the Medieval World series. His skilful reinterpretation of key sources allows him to reassess many key later eighth- and ninth-century narratives whose prime purpose was to present Carolingian triumph as a logical and legitimate process. By stripping away this misleading veneer, he is able to give Charles Martel's life a much more realistic context and to use it for a wide-ranging reappraisal of the political life of the Frankish kingdom in the seventh and eighth centuries. The result is a book which illuminates the forces which both threatened and sustained the geographically vast kingdom of the Franks. Accessibly written and presenting every historical controversy clearly, the book fulfils magnificently the series' aim of using an individual's life to illuminate a wider subject.

David Bates

This book has been more than a decade in the making, or, rather, eight years of inaction followed the signing of a contract to write it, and then came two years of fitful writing. I must therefore thank David Bates, the series editor, and Longman, for their patience. I hope that I am wiser than I was when I first thought of writing a book about Charles Martel, and that the delay has allowed me to develop a more subtle understanding of this subject. The intervening period has certainly seen some excellent work on the subject of Frankish history, much to my benefit.