CAROLINGIAN

Carolingian: translation

The Carolingian dynasty replaced that of the Merovingians in 751, when Pepin II became king of the Franks. The Carolingian Empire was created by and named after Charlemagne (771-814) in imitation of the Roman Empire: a Holy Roman Empire with the ambition of stretching from the North Sea to Italy. It was divided in 843, disintegrating soon after. The term Carolingian relates to the period from c.750 to c.900 in Western Europe. The court was admired and in some ways copied by Charlemagne's contemporary monarchs, e.g. Offa and Alfred.