Debate:  The Coronation of Pepin the Short

(silver denier of King Pepin [RP = Rex Pepinus])

Team 1:  argue for the Proposition

Team 2:  argue against the Proposition

Historical background information that you will need to understand, and explain

- Describe the Merovingian dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries, up to Childeric III.  Who were the rulers, and what were they like?
- Describe Italy in the early 8th century. Who was pope in 750?  What were his major concerns? Who was Aistulf?  What were the Lombards doing in the 740's and 50's?
- What is a mayor of the palace? Describe the origin and career of Charles Martel, and Pepin before 751.
- Describe the sequence of events in 750-751 that led to Pepin's being declared king. Give details, and sources.

Primary source evidence

There are several primary sources that describe Pepin's assumption of the Frankish throne.  I have put these together in a document called pepinsources.doc, and put it up on Canvas under Files.

Information about Pepin the Short

There is a lot of junk out on the internet! For example, the Wikipedia article on Pepin the Short is terrible.  So I do not recommend looking online for information.  Instead, read your textbook, and also read the section from T. F. X. Noble's The Republic of St. Peter:  The Birth of the Papal State, 680-825 (1984) on Pepin, pp. 65-94, which has been placed as a PDF file on Canvas in the Files folder as Noble on Pepin.