In the centuries after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD, fragments of the former whole became individual power centers ruled by notable individual mon-archs whose names are now legendary. Theodoric the Great (454-526 AD) ruled the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy, Clovis (466-511 AD) presided over the Franks in what is now France, Justinian the Great (483-565 AD) reigned in Byzantium over the former Eastern Roman Empire, and King Arthur (?-537 AD) held court at Camelot in Britain.
However, when Europe lost the unity of the Roman Empire and became a patchwork of squabbling kingdoms, it took a step backward culturally. Thus began the Middle Ages—or, as they were once described, the Dark Ages.
Except for Spain, which was ruled by the Islamic Moors, Europe was fragmented politically but unified religiously by the common bond of Christianity. While the home of the Christian popes in Rome remained the spiritual center of Europe, the Franks in northern Europe emerged as the strongest military and secular power. By the end of the eighth century, their most powerful leader was the 26-year-old Charlemagne (742-814 AD) (the French word for Charles the Great) who lived from 742 to 814 AD and is now considered to be one of the greatest rulers in European history. His greatest opposition was from the Italian king Desiderius, who wanted Pope Adrian I (?-795 AD) to crown the underage children of Charlemagne's predecessor as monarchs of segments of the kingdom of the Franks.
After Charlemagne defeated Desiderius, he consolidated most of the states of northern Italy under Frank control. Charlemagne then went to Rome to meet with the pope and found that their long-range strategies were quite compatible. Charlemagne's goal
Charlemagne inspects his forces. was to become head of an empire on scale of the old Roman Empire, and Adi I wanted one dominant, unified, polit force to rule Europe that would ally it with the Church and could serve to pro and expand Christendom the way Moorish armies were spreading Islam.
With the spiritual and political bless of the pope, Charlemagne added mucl Denmark, Germany and Central Europ an empire that already included France most of Italy. He also recaptured pat Spain from the Moors. On Christmas in 800 AD, while he was attending Mas Rome, Charlemagne unexpectedly fc himself being crowned "Emperor of Romans" by Adrian's successor, Pope III (751-816 AD). The Western Roi Empire, which had not existed for years, was back in business, this tim the Holy Roman Empire (though it was yet officially known as such). Although was not recognized by the emperor o: Eastern Roman Empire until 812 Charlemagne quickly won the respe* most of the peoples of his empire, end Europe to once again experience the Romana of a unified and basically pea environment. Because of this, Ch magne's rule can be said to have b< moment of sunshine in the midst o darkness of the Dark Ages.