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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;medoraman, post: 1990877, member: 26302&quot;]Like I said, it will always be honest differences of opinion. I never said there was chaos, but there was massive change and decentralization after the fall of western Rome and the germanic invasions. Charlemagne never changed that, he was a larger than average kingdom but he was never an emperor. He never achieved the power and influence of a Roman emperor, and his kingdom disintegrated after he left. </p><p><br /></p><p>The right to coin money was always in the hand of the ruler. I have coins of the Ostrogoths, Vandals, Merovingians, all of which were struck by their rulers, all of which look pretty much identical to Charlemagne&#039;s coins. His coinage policies were nothing new. </p><p><br /></p><p>From 1-1000 ad, in western Europe, I think the only single major event anyone can logically point to as the &quot;major change&quot; in the region was simply the fall of Rome to the germanic tribes. Every single aspect of life changed. Before, they had organized armies, large urban populations, higher literacy rates, lack of crime, and good food supplies. Around 450-500 every single description I just used was gone. Small armies of petty kingdoms, high crime, urban populations devastated, extremely low literacy rates, poor food supply chains. The new petty kingdoms struck coins, had family rivalries, and contested fiercely with each other relentlessly. None of this was stopped before and after Charlemagne. Yes, he improved life briefly, but left no lasting legacy in my eyes. The only reason he was ever crowned &quot;Holy Roman Emperor&quot; was the pope wanting to have more eccliastical power, and he took advantage of Irene preempting the throne in Constantinople. He surely was never in the same league as a true Roman emperor at the height of Roman power, and his kingdom never dreamed of ever having the security, learning, and advancement of the Roman Empire. </p><p><br /></p><p>Again, just an honest disagreement, and fun to write about.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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