The concept of this thread is to cite a few interesting or surprising historical facts about any period of history.
- Charlemagne
Roland and Ronceveaux
Contrarily to idées reçues, it was not the Muslims of Spain who defeated the troops of Charlemagne at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, but the Basque people. Charlemagne had in fact been invited by the wali of Barcelona, Sulaiman Ibn Yakzan Ibn al-Arabi,, to help him fight the Emir of Cordoba. Very unusually for this time of deep religious conviction, the lord protector of Christianity was helping Muslim governor against its own Muslim prince.
The battle became famous through the Song of Roland, composed centuries later. Because of this song, there is a common misconception that Roland (who died in the battle) was the nephew of Charlemagne. This isn't true. They were not even related. Roland (or Hruoland, in fact) was the governor of Brittany.
Emperor
It is not known whether Charlemagne planned his coronation as Emperor of the Occident. It is more likely that Pope Leo III crowned him emperor to his own surprise, so as to make of the Frankish leader the official protector of the Church. The records mention him as "Roman Emperor", and Charlemagne was indeed seen as the heir of the Western Roman Empire by both the Catholic Church and by the Muslim world. Only the Byzantines refused to ackowledge him as such, as they saw him as a rival to their own power.
- French Revolution
The Bastille
14 July 1789 is one of the most important dates in French history. It is when the Parisian populace took the Bastille, marking the real start of the French Revolution. The Bastille was an enormous prison seen as the symbol of totalitarian power and arbitrary justice. What few people know, and few people knew even at the time, is that the Bastille was almost empty. It had only 4 prisoners, all petty criminals, and not a single political prisoners. Far from being a hellish place with prisoners attached by chains in dark and humid cells, the cells we actually quite spacious and comfortable. One prisoner reported that the food was not bad and that he could get as much paper and ink as he wanted to write. The prison even had a nice library !
The Terror
The practice of displaying severed heads on top of a pike or pitchfork started with the French Revolution. The governor of the Bastille was one of the first victims of this macabre practice.
During the Terror (September 1793 to July 1794), 18,500 to 40,000 people died, including about 16,000 guillotined.
- Charlemagne
Roland and Ronceveaux
Contrarily to idées reçues, it was not the Muslims of Spain who defeated the troops of Charlemagne at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, but the Basque people. Charlemagne had in fact been invited by the wali of Barcelona, Sulaiman Ibn Yakzan Ibn al-Arabi,, to help him fight the Emir of Cordoba. Very unusually for this time of deep religious conviction, the lord protector of Christianity was helping Muslim governor against its own Muslim prince.
The battle became famous through the Song of Roland, composed centuries later. Because of this song, there is a common misconception that Roland (who died in the battle) was the nephew of Charlemagne. This isn't true. They were not even related. Roland (or Hruoland, in fact) was the governor of Brittany.
Emperor
It is not known whether Charlemagne planned his coronation as Emperor of the Occident. It is more likely that Pope Leo III crowned him emperor to his own surprise, so as to make of the Frankish leader the official protector of the Church. The records mention him as "Roman Emperor", and Charlemagne was indeed seen as the heir of the Western Roman Empire by both the Catholic Church and by the Muslim world. Only the Byzantines refused to ackowledge him as such, as they saw him as a rival to their own power.
- French Revolution
The Bastille
14 July 1789 is one of the most important dates in French history. It is when the Parisian populace took the Bastille, marking the real start of the French Revolution. The Bastille was an enormous prison seen as the symbol of totalitarian power and arbitrary justice. What few people know, and few people knew even at the time, is that the Bastille was almost empty. It had only 4 prisoners, all petty criminals, and not a single political prisoners. Far from being a hellish place with prisoners attached by chains in dark and humid cells, the cells we actually quite spacious and comfortable. One prisoner reported that the food was not bad and that he could get as much paper and ink as he wanted to write. The prison even had a nice library !
The Terror
The practice of displaying severed heads on top of a pike or pitchfork started with the French Revolution. The governor of the Bastille was one of the first victims of this macabre practice.
During the Terror (September 1793 to July 1794), 18,500 to 40,000 people died, including about 16,000 guillotined.