Anastasius II. 713 Gregory II. 708 Theodosius III. 715 Gregory III... 731 Leo III....... 717 Zacharias .... 741 Constantine IV, 741 ❝ On the coronation of Charlemagne in the church of St. Peter by Leo the Roman Pontiff, "the dome," says Gibbon, Vol. IX. Chap. xlix. p. 174. "resounded with the acclamations of the people, Long life and victory to Charles, the most pious Theophilus... 829 Gregory IV... 827 Michael III... 842 Sergius II. .... 844 Lothaire ...... A.D. 814 841 Augustus, crowned by God the great and pacific emperor of the Romans !'-The imperial dignity of Charlemagne was announced to the East by the alteration of his style; and instead of saluting his fathers, the Greek emperors, he presumed to adopt the more equal and familiar appellation of brother." "A treaty of peace and alliance was concluded between the two empires, and the limits of the East and West were defined by the right of present possession. But the Greeks soon forgot this humiliating equality, or remembered it only to hate the Barbarians by whom it was extorted. During the short union of virtue and power, they respectfully saluted the august Charlemagne with the acclamations of basileus, and emperor of the Romans. As soon as these qualities were separated in the person of his pious son, the Byzantine letters were inscribed, 'to the King, or, as he styles himself, the Emperor of the Franks and Lombards.' The Greeks affected to despise the poverty and ignorance of the Franks and Saxons; and in their last decline refused to prostitute to the kings of Germany the title of Roman Emperors." pp. 191. 193. 194. Concerning the dignity of the German Emperors, says Gibbon, Chap. xlix. p. 216. "Nor was the supremacy of the Emperor confined to Germany alone: the hereditary monarchs of Europe confessed the preeminence of his rank and dignity: he was the first of the Christian princes, the temporal head of the great republic of the West: to his person the title of majesty was long appropriated; and he disputed with the pope the sublime prerogative of creating kings and assembling councils." |