Comparison Of Charlemagne And Augustus: Two Great Leaders
Charlemagne and Augustus both were two great leaders of their empires. Charlemagne’s rule over the Franks was a direct influence by the Roman Empire, from the way the infrastructure was set to how the people were ruled over. Two of the greatest leaders of their time, Charlemagne and Augustus, had many similarities, being that they were loved by all people and that they both tried to stay equal to commoners in the way that they dressed.
During Augustus and Charlemagne’s time of rule, they both were close with the people they ruled over and the people that they worked with. Augustus worked hard to create great bonds with people after the Roman Civil Wars and made sure that the people had a ruler that they could trust. After declining the title “Father of His Country,” the people of Rome got together and met him on his way back to try once more to give him the title: “to compliment him with it in the following terms: “With hearty wishes for the happiness and prosperity of yourself and your family, Caesar Augustus (for we think we thus most effectually pray for the lasting welfare of the state), the senate, in agreement with the Roman people, salute you by the title of Father of Your Country.” Charlemagne, though disliked by people at first after obtaining the title of “Emperor of Augustus,” ultimately gained their trust after sending letters and speaking to them as he was an equal, rather than speaking as if he was above them: “and by dint of frequent embassies and letters, in which he addressed them as brothers, he made their haughtiness yield to his magnanimity, a quality in which he was unquestionably much their superior.” Those sometimes not being liked, a great quality to have as a ruler these two shared is that all people, high in power or commoners, loved them as rulers and treasured their reign.
One great thing that these two rulers shared is that no matter what, they tried to dress as little as they could, nearly looking like commoners most of the time. Augustus “was negligent in his dress; and so careless about dressing his hair, that he usually had it done in great haste, by several barbers at a time.” Augustus never really cared about how he dressed, and this more than likely made the people feel that they were one in the same with their ruler, providing them comfort knowing that one of their kind was in power. Charlemagne was the same way, with only dressing up on special occasions: “On great feast-days he made use of embroidered clothes, and shoes bedecked with precious stones; his cloak was fastened by a golden buckle, and he appeared crowned with a diadem of gold and gems: but on other days his dress varied little from the common dress of the people.” These great rules of ancient times both brought comfort to their people by dressing of their commoners. Doing so allowed for them to continue their rule on the top while letting their people know that one of their kind were in power.
Charlemagne and Augustus were both great rulers of their time, and both did great things to provide comfort and support of their people. These two rulers dressed as common folk, which allowed for their people to know that they were being ruled by one of their own. Because of their ways of ruling, they were loved by people all over, which provided great support and well-being for their empires.
