In 800, the Catholic Emperor Zongliang III crowned the Frankish king Charles as Roman Emperor in Rome, and the Frankish kingdom was transformed into the Carolingian Empire, becoming the only two european empires alongside the Eastern Roman Empire. More than 300 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, two emperors appeared again in Europe, both claiming to be the heirs of the Roman Empire. Who is the rightful heir of the Roman Empire, The Carolingian Emperor and the Eastern Roman Emperor, the captain will tell you in detail.
First, the legal basis of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Although the subjects of the Eastern Roman Empire always called themselves Romans, Charlemagne and the Franks called them "Greeks" and did not recognize the Eastern Roman Empire as the successor of the Roman Empire. Therefore, in Charlemagne's view, his own coronation as Roman Emperor did not mean that the Roman Empire was once again divided into east and west, nor was it the restoration of the Western Roman Empire, but that the legal system of the Roman Empire was transferred from the Greeks to the Franks.
Carolingian Empire
In the eyes of Western Europeans at the time, Charlemagne's legitimacy as Roman emperor came from the coronation of the Pope of Rome on the one hand, and from his rule over many Roman homelands such as Gaul and northern Italy. Since the Eastern Roman Emperor had abandoned the Western Roman homeland, and Charlemagne was the real ruler of these regions, he was naturally the deserved Roman Emperor. Although the coronation of Charlemagne seriously challenged the authority of the Eastern Roman Emperor, there was not much war due to the geographical distance between the two sides.
Second, the insistence of both sides on the universal empire
Carolingian and Eastern Rome
The coronation of Charlemagne led to two emperors in Europe, a dispute over who was the "true Roman Emperor" between Emperor Carolingian and the Emperor of Eastern Rome, and a question of the uniqueness of the universal empire. To maintain the nominal unity of the Roman Empire and avoid controversy over the two-emperor issue, Charlemagne used the titles "Emperor Augustus, Karolus Imperator Augustus" or "Ruler of the Roman Empire, Imperator Augustus Romanum gubernans Imperium" (Emperor Augustus Romanum gubernans Imperium).
Michael I
The Eastern Roman Emperor did not recognize the coronation of Charlemagne, but in order to maintain the legitimacy of his status as a universal monarch, he changed the title of "Emperor" to "Roman Emperor" to show his supremacy. In 811 Michael I became Emperor of the Eastern Romans, and in exchange for Venice occupied by the Carolingian Empire, he recognized the title of Emperor of Charlemagne. However, Michael I did not recognize Charlemagne as a Roman emperor, but only the emperor of the region under his rule, so in the eyes of Michael I, Charles the Great was not the monarch of the universal empire.
Third, the dispute between Louis II and Basil I
Louis II
In the mid-9th century, the Carolingian Empire, despite its de facto fragmentation, remained nominally unified. Princely states such as the Kingdoms of East Francia and West Francia recognized the Emperor of the Carolingians as their sovereigns. The Carolingian Emperor Louis II (great-grandson of Charlemagne) called himself "imperator Romanorum", causing strong resentment from the Eastern Roman Emperor Basil I.
Basil I
Basil I wrote to Louis II that, first, the title of Roman Emperor was derived from the official position of the Roman Republic, so it was not hereditary; secondly, non-Roman nobles had no right to use the title of Roman Emperor. Therefore, Basil I believed that the Franks and other European races were different from the Romans, so Louis II was not a Roman, naturally not a Roman emperor, and he was the only real Roman emperor. But Basil I recognized Louis II as Emperor of the Franks.
The city of Rome
Louis II wrote to Basil I to retort that first of all the Romans were the people who lived in the city of Rome, and Byzantium had abandoned the city of Rome, and also abandoned the Roman way of life and Latin; secondly, all could be ruled by the Basileus (derived from the Greek word, meaning king, and later became the title of emperor exclusive to Eastern Rome), and the Persian monarchs also used this title; and finally the Isurenian dynasty (such as Empress Irina) was not a Roman nobleman, but still became a Byzantine emperor. So you can also become a Roman emperor yourself.
The Papal State
Louis II also said to Basil I: The Pope is God's agent on earth, governing and protecting the Church and the people of the city of Rome on Behalf of God; the city of Rome is controlled by the Pope, and the Pope believes that the Byzantines are heretical, that the Belief of the Franks is orthodox, and that the Pope crowned me as emperor, so I am the legitimate Roman Emperor; if I am not the Emperor of the Romans, then naturally I cannot become the Emperor of the Franks, since the Romans have granted my great-grandfather Charles the title of Emperor, and the Pope also recognizes his royal blood. So I was the rightful Roman Emperor.
Neither Louis II nor Basil I could convince each other, so they each adopted a prestigious title to prove that they were the orthodoxy of the Roman Empire. Louis II called himself "the august emperor of the Romans", and Basil I called himself "very glorious and pious emperor of New Rome".
Fourth, the dispute is over
Charles III
In 888, the Carolingian Emperor Charles III died, the Carolingian Empire could no longer maintain nominal unity and was completely divided and collapsed, and the Roman orthodoxy dispute between the Carolingian Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire ended. But later the title of Emperor of the Carolingian Empire was inherited by the King of East Francia and transformed into Holy Roman Emperor, and the two sides continued the new dispute over the two emperors.
In general, both the Carolingian Emperor and the Eastern Roman Emperor were aware of the fact that there were now two empires and two emperors, but both sides believed that the Roman Empire was still a universal empire under the protection of God, indivisible, except that there were now two claimants to the throne. At the same time, both sides believe that the Roman Empire has a lot to do with race (the Romans), but neither can deny that the Roman Empire ruled many non-Romans, so they believe that the Roman Empire was more of a cultural identity than an ethnic identity.