Das Augustusnomen Karls des Großen und das karolingische Imperium

Abstract

The Nomen Augusti of Charlemagne and the Carolingian imperium. –The Nomen Augusti of Charlemagne is on a first view taken from the byzantine custom and in this respect is a pure title for an emperor. But for the Carolingians and Frankish elites it does mean more than this. The regular title for an emperor there is caesar or imperator, but augustus evokes remembering Octavian-Augustus himself too. That is shown by the Carolingian poets. The key for this conviction lies in the selfconsciousness of the Frankish empire as one of the big players in the Mediterranean that is for its own a part of a culture of remembrance of the ancient world. Carolingian view on themselves and on the empire, the franks and especially Charlemagne have erected, needed a name declaring the role of Frankish super-kings. Beside David as a telling cognomen of Charlemagne there is a second that he got with his name of emperor, telling very similar as David, used not instead of but complementary. So the Nomen Augusti of Charlemagne is a name for a new Augustus, exactly 800 years after the edict that went out to count the world.