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There was nothing left the King to do but to be content with his name of King, his flowing hair, and long beard, to sit on the throne and play the ruler, to give ear to the ambassadors that came from all quarters, and to dismiss them, as if on his own responsibility, in words that were, in fact, suggested to him, or even imposed upon him (Einhard 23-24).
If anything had caused Einhard to give mention to such a petty figure as King Childeric, it must have been the need for an antithesis to contrast with the marvelous personality of Charlemagne. Fulfilling the duty of a historian would not explain such a motion because in Einhard’s own foreword, he indirectly confesses of creating a somewhat biased picture of his master and benefactor, thereby renouncing the duty and the title of a historian.
Einhard undertook a considerable effort to discuss Charlemagne’s positive personal traits: determination and steadfastness to go through with all his endeavors; strict adherence to justice and readiness to counteract any “faithless behavior” with righteous vengeance (Einhard 31). Through Charlemagne’s example, Einhard specifies more valuable character traits of a worthy ruler: perseverance to withstand whatever comes, without yielding in the face of adversity or difficulty (Einhard 33).
Реферат опубликован: 5/04/2008