The Coronation of CharlemagneThe coronation of Charlemagne is one of the most important events of its time and yet the events leading up to the coronation are barely mentioned in historical texts. Historians often disagree on the details of the coronation due to the lack of proper and sometimes contradictory historical documentation. This article seeks to answer questions surrounding the meaning and driving forces behind the coronation of a Western emperor and to expose the truth about what really happened in the years leading up to the event. Many historical documents, including the Annals of Lorsch, the Royal Frankish Annals and the Letters, form the primary sources examined by historians such as Alessandro Barbero, Paul Dutton, Neil Christie and Rodger Collins in an attempt to reveal the truth about the coronation of Charlemagne. To discuss the motivations behind the coronation, it is necessary to establish what actually happened up to that Christmas Day in the year 801. As there are many historical contradictions between the primary sources of the time, we will rely for the moment on the summaries presented by the historians. and address the contradictions later. Barbero provides the most complete summary in chapter four of his book Charlemagne.1 Beginning around AD 700, there was a divergence between the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire. The emperor was Greek and ruled from the eastern half, while the pope resided in Rome, located in the western half. Between the two a barrier developed that transcended language. The emperor diverged in his theology by adopting iconoclasm, or the destruction of idols. This was in direct conflict with Roman theology, which celebrated images of Christ and saints. middle of paper they tried to refuse.10 This cultural attitude fits perfectly with the way stories are written and explains why the king wanted the information given to the public. This is how contradictions between primary sources are reconciled. Charlemagne's coronation is now easier to understand after going through the historical evidence. It is clear that Pope Leo is the driving force behind the coronation in order to extend papal authority and protect his own position from accusations. Major events of the time show that Empress Irene's decision to assume the role of emperor was the key to enabling Charlemagne's coronation. Finally, through careful study of primary sources and identification of the writer's point of view, the actual events preceding the coronation can be inferred despite contradictions between sources..