En adest Caesar… The Literary Image of the Carolingian Monarchs in the Poetry of Theodulf of Orleans
Tadeusz Gacia
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1836-9506
Abstract
The subject of this study is the literary portrayal of Carolingian rulers in Theodulf of Orleans’s Carmina. Upon arriving in the Frankish kingdom, the poet found himself in Charlemagne’s inner circle and participated in the great undertaking of the Renovatio Imperii. Theodulf’s poetic output includes eleven works devoted to Carolingian rulers. This poetry served to legitimize the authority of Charlemagne and his successors, presenting the very idea of power, the ruler’s glory and political program, religiosity,
and the image of the monarch as a defender of Church and state – rex Christianissimus. The works also include poems dedicated to Charlemagne, his son, Queen Hildegard, and
Queen Liutgard. The appendix includes a Polish translation of Carmen XXXVII, inc. En adest Caesar, which provides an excellent interpretation of the presented theme.
Keywords:
Theodulf of Orléans, Carolingians, Renovatio Imperii, Charlemagne, Louis the Pious, poetryReferences
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John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1836-9506
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