Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, who stands accused of selling Barack Obama's vacated US Senate seat, claims to have done nothing wrong. According to federal prosecutors, Blagojevich was ready to give the prestigious slot away to the highest bidder in order to finance a potential run for the presidency in 2012. While a case can certainly be made that his actions constitute corruption, his behavior might also be characterized as mere politics, or to put it in vernacular terms - 'one hand washes the other'..
Beyond a global celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, 25 December is also the anniversary of one of the greatest political maneuvers - or cynical acts of corruption depending on your interpretation - in world history.
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Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus), meaning 'Charles The Great', was born in the middle of Europe in 742AD. As son of the Frankish King, Pepin The Short, he became King himself upon the death of his father in 768AD at the tender age of 26. Over the next three decades, Charlemagne acted as a guardian of the papacy, encouraged and supported education and the arts (the Carolingian Renaissance) and expanded the territory of his kingdom through war and diplomacy.
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From 772-774AD, Charlemagne cemented his leadership in Europe by conquering the Lombards, a people hostile to the Papacy, and seizing a swath of modern-day Italy. Adrian I, the Pope, was showed his appreciation by bestowing on him the title of patrician. Clearly, Charlemagne had much of the same warrior spirit and fighting skills as his grandfather Charles 'The Hammer' Martel - who is credited with turning back the armies of Islam at the Battle of Tours in 732.
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In the year 778, Charlemagne suffered a nearly catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Ronceveaux Pass in the Pyrenees Mountains at the hands of the Basques. Rather than turn inward from the setback, the King retooled his army and eventually launched another invasion into Spain. When Barcelona fell to the Franks in 797, Charlemagne might have called 'The Master of Europe', but one woman stood in his path.
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Irene (The Athenian) became Empress of Byzantium in 798 after issuing an order to have the current ruler's eyes plucked out of his head. That ruler, Constantine VI, was her son. Needless to say, Irene was anything but a submissive 8th century woman, and she was the heiress to the glory of Rome. Rather than battle for supremacy with the 'West', Irene had been increasing diplomatic contacts with Charlemagne over the years prior to coming to power. Hence, Charlemagne and Irene formed a new East-West axis between the old lands of the Roman Empire.
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In 799, Pope Leo III fled Italy to avoid being captured by hostile elements on the peninsula. A subsequent meeting with Charlemagne would alter the course of history. Although their conversation can never be known, the momentous event on 25 December 800AD illuminated the political trade-off of a year earlier. On that day, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Imperator Romanorum (Roman Emperor) in St.Peter's Basilica in return for his protection. In short, Leo III gained an army and Charlemagne acquired the ultimate form of legitimacy.
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By the coronation, Charlemagne was essentially declared a ruler appointed by God. As he had defended the Pope and the Papacy from barbarians, Charlemagne now eclipsed the remains of the traditional Roman Empire consisting of Irene and Byzantium. Indeed, the coronation produced widespread consternation in Constantinople, but Irene did not take personal offense. Rather than war, Irene talked openly of co-opting the powerful 'Western' King by offering him her hand in marriage. Power-brokers in the Byzantine court, however, were able to sabotage the idea.
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Was Charlemagne a cynical opportunist, a corrupt, power-hungry ruler or a talented leader defending the faith and Christendom? Unlike today, the King was not subject to the law. The King was the law, and historians have debated the merits of the Christmas coronation for more than a thousand years. Unfortunately for Governor Blagojevich, the days of kings are long over.
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J Roquen