The core of this thesis is founded upon Blaž Strmole’s 2013 first Slovene translation of the historical commentary on the early medieval written record Vita Karoli Magni. Vita, the earliest known post-antique biography of a secular ruler, Frankish king (and since 800 also emperor) Charlemagne, was written in the first half of the ninth century by Einhard, one of Charlemagne's courtiers. The first three chapters of this thesis are designed as preface: The first one presents relevant historical circumstances from the fall of the Merovingian royal dynasty to the end of the reign of Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious, the second one focuses on Einhard's life and work and the third one is built around the text Vita Karoli Magni, and highlighting the problem of dating the text, as well as revealing similarities to the biographies of the Roman emperors written by Suetonius, whose example Einhard followed, and questions arising while reading a biography as a primary source for historical research. This thesis is concluded by a historical commentary, based on written records (mostly annals) and scientific literature.
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