We are delighted to be joined by historian Dr Rutger Kramer on today's special episode recapping and re-examining all the Carolingians we have ranked on the podcast, from Charles Martel to Louis V.

In this episode, among plenty of other topics, we talk about what the Battle of Tours really meant to the Franks, why Charlemagne is such an anomaly in this period, and why Louis the Pious might have been robbed!

Rutger's "Rethinking Authority in the Carolingian Empire: Ideas and Expectations During the Reign of Louis the Pious (813-828)" is available as an open-access read, for those who want to learn more.


Other recommendations:

Vita Caroli (Life of Charlemagne) by Einhard (full translation)

Gesta Normannorum (History of the Dukes of Normandy) by Dudo of St-Quentin (full translation)

The Penitential State: Authority and Atonement in the Age of Louis the Pious by Mayke de Jong

List of books by Thea Beckman (Dutch historical fiction author)

The Royal Diaries series by Kathryn Lasky (fiction)

The Dark Queens: A gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval France by Shelley Puhak (non-fiction narrative history about Fredegund and Brunhild, available in the US and UK)

Message us your thoughts!

Support the show

⚜️

Battle Royale's intro/outro music is "Dansez" by Fasion. Thank you to them for making this track free to use and listen! Go check out more of their stuff here.

⚜️

CATEGORIES

Ben and Eliza each give a score out of 10 for the first 4 categories. The 5th is determined by maths! The result is a total score out of 100.

1. Enchanté: The shallow, first-impressions round: How fabulous and iconic an image have they passed down to us?
2. En Garde: (A.K.A. “Selfish Wins”) How well did they gain and increase their personal power, either through scheming, statesmanship or good old fashion battles?
3. Voulez-Vous: (A.K.A. “Selfless Wins”) How much would we want to live under their regime? How well did they better the world around them through law reforms and cultural projects?
4. Ouh-Là-Là: How pearl-clutchingly scandalous were the events of their life, both in their time and down through the ages? How mad, bad and dangerous were they to know?
5. La Vie en Throne: How many years did they reign, and how many of their children survived them?

For more details on the scores, how they are calculated and how our kings are ranking, visit our website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices