Charlemagne's Courtier: the Complete Einhard (review article)
Courtney M. Booker
C HARLEMAGNE ’ S OURTIER : T HE OMPLETE E INHARD A R EVIEW RTICLE by Courtney M. Booker Short, pithy, and entertaining, Einhard’s Vita Karoli has long served as a mainstay of the introductory Western civilization course—an em- blematic primary reading that complements “Carolingian civiliza- tion” lecture with great economy. 1 Yet, for many college undergradu- ates attending schools adhere to quarterly schedule, Carolingian society is often encountered only through this famous ninth-century biography Charlemagne. Little more space can be afforded sources pertaining relatively brief history Franks under rule Carolingians, given both ten short weeks an academic quarter, staggering chronological cultural sweep sketched course (usually running from Pre-history year 800 . .). Within such unfortunate, circumscribed configuration (Carolingian generally outlined in final lecture), Lewis Thorpe’s intro- duction English translation (Einhard Not- ker Stammerer, Two Lives Charlemagne [Harmondsworth 1969]) functioned admirably; inexpensive readily available Pen- guin Classic edition, it remained steadily print, hands students, last thirty years. But 1993, Paul Edward Dutton provided instructors students inviting alternative. Published Broadview Press modestly priced paperback, Dutton’s judiciously edited volume, Civilization, Reader, (henceforth Civ.) offers broad variegated spectrum texts translation, including its entirety. Readers now have opportunity explore Caro- lingian world variety sources—many hitherto unavailable translation—and evaluate critically stories repre- sentations found these same comparison, contrast, “triangulation.” if collection problematizes diversity culture that, courses, volume been used typify, wide range lacks “manage- ability” latter. Students are left wondering, “Who were all (un)interesting people writing texts, why they them?”—questions, claims, he himself raised The subject review article Charlemagne’s Courtier: Complete Einhard, translated Dutton, Readings Medieval Civilizations Cultures 3 (Peterborough: 1998), pp. li, 199, 14 plates, 4 maps.
Comitatus-a Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies