Frankly My Dear I Think You Have A Lot of Gaul Quiz

Answer: Spain

Gaul was the name the ancient Romans gave to the area north of Italy. In 58 BC, Julius Caesar conquered Gaul and ruled it as Governor. At the end of the Empire Period, Rome was invaded by many Germanic tribes; the Franks eventually gained control of most of the area including modern day France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, and Germany west of the Rhine.

Answer: Merovech

There is little information about Merovech or Merowig. The legend is that he was conceived when King Clodio's wife was impregnated by a sea monster while swimming. Merovech reportedly helped the Romans defeat the Huns in 451 at Chalons. He is thought to have been the father of Childeric I, and grandfather of Clovis.

Answer: Roman Catholic

Clovis promised to convert if the Christian God helped him defeat the Alamanni at the Battle of Tolbiac. In 496 he and three thousand of his warriors were baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. His conversion gave Clovis the support of the Church and gave the Church an important ally. Clovis codified laws - the Salian Laws, based on the customs of Germanic tribes, and encouraged his subjects to adopt Roman Catholic Christianity.

The Franks are considered to be the first Catholic barbarians.

Answer: Mayor of the Palace

When Clovis died, he followed Germanic custom and divided his empire between his four sons. This division of power weakened an area that was further weakened by incompetent heirs. The kings became known as "Do Nothing Kings", and gave more and more power to officials called "Mayors of the Palace." Einhard, Charlemagne's biographer, says "Nothing was left to the king.

He had to content himself with his royal title, flowing locks, and long beard."

Answer: Battle of Tours

The Battle of Tours saved Europe from the further advancement of Muslim invaders. Known as "The Hammer", Charles exercised all the power of a king, but never took the title. Charles Martel is given credit for the beginning of feudalism, due to the fact that he promised his warriors land grants in exchange for military service. The Carolingian Dynasty is named for him.

Answer: The Short

Pepin was the son of Charles Martel. He used the Franks' connections with the Roman Catholic Church to make a deal with the Pope. Pepin would help the Pope defeat the Lombards who were threatening the Papal States, and the Pope would crown Pepin king.

There is no reliable source that actually gives Pepin's height, although one claimed he was 4'6". Some say the descriptor could have been in reference to Pepin's hair, or the fact that he was the younger Pepin. He was married to Bertrada of Laon, also called Bertrada Broadfoot, the queen with the goosefoot. One of her feet was bigger than the other.

Answer: Charles The Great

Why did Charlemagne's contemporaries call him Great? One explanation is that he was a very tall and robust man. Einhard says that "he measured in height seven times the length of his own foot." Another explanation would be the size of his empire. By the time of his death, Charlemagne controlled the area of present-day France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany west of the Rhine, Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy.

His goal was to unite all of the Germanic tribes into a Christian kingdom. Was it because he was an able administrator? The empire was divided into three hundred districts, each with a count appointed to take care of secular business, a duke appointed to take care of military matters, and a bishop appointed to manage religious affairs. Or was it due to his advancement of learning? Charlemagne established learning centers throughout his empire and began a period that scholars call the Carolingian Renaissance.

Answer: True

Charlemagne tried as hard as he could to learn how to read and write, and was moderately successful in learning to read. Writing, however, was a different story. Einhard says that he "made little progress in this task, too long deferred and begun too late in life." To make the Latin that was written in all upper-case letters easier to read, his monks designed what is called "Carolingian minuscule" or lower-case letters. Also, certain standards for writing were used, such as one space between letters and two spaces between words. Luckily, Charlemagne was able to surround himself with learned men. Einhard was his constant companion and biographer, and Alcuin of York was in charge of the palace school, where both Charlemagne's sons and daughters learned to read and write.

Answer: Aachen

Aachen, also known as Aix-la-Chapelle, was the focus of Charlemagne's court, and the political center of his empire. It was also the place of the coronation of the kings of Germany for over five hundred years.

Answer: Louis The Pious

Charlemagne's oldest two sons were both killed in battle. Louis, his younger son, had prepared to enter the clergy. He was not interested in governing an empire. According to Germanic custom, he divided the empire between his three sons, Charles The Bald, Lothair, and Louis The German. Louis and Charles didn't waste any time forming an alliance against their brother, Lothair. Eventually the three agreed to divide the empire into two kingdoms. Charles kept the western kingdom, which eventually became France. Louis kept the eastern kingdom, which eventually became Germany. Lothair kept the area in between, the Lotharii Regnum, which eventually became known as Lorraine.

The French and Germans have fought over this strip of land for over a thousand years.