The+Battle+of+Roncevaux+Pass

=Battle of Roncevaux Pass= During the 46 years he was in power, Roman Emperor, Charlemagne achieved many impressive victories. On August 15, 778, however, he suffered a very stunning defeat. This battle was the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. By the eighth century, the Muslims had a strong grip in Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. In 711, Charlemagne’s grandfather moved the invading Muslims into Southwest France.

Charlemagne, being the opportunist he was, saw this as a way to spread Christendom and his own power into Spain. He turned his attention away from the Saxons and prepared to head west. He marched through the Pyrenees with a massive army—one part would head south through Catalonia and the other group would head north through Gascony and the Basque Country. At that point, al-Arabi, who had convinced Charlemagne to enter northern Spain, had given his forces to Charlemagne. He expected al Ansari, governor of Zaragoza, to give up his city without any resistance or bloodshed. This turned out not to be the case. The town was very violent with Charlemagne. Al Ansari decided that he was powerful enough to where he didn't need an alliance with Charlemagne anymore. He later declared that he had never declared his allegiance to Charlemagne. Charlemagne then laid siege to Zaragoza and, after a month of the siege, decided to turn back and head home.

As he and his army retreated from battle, Charlemagne ordered the defensive walls of Pamplona to be destroyed. This, as well as the horrible treatment of the Basque people led to the following events. When the task at Pamplona was complete, the Franks again entered the Pyrenees, going through the narrow and very forest-like area of Roncevaux Pass.This is when Charlemagne and his forces were attacked from behind by a group of Basque warriors on August 15, 778.They used their knowledge of the landscape to decimate Charlemagne's forces. The heavy weaponry and armor of Charlemagne's army put them at an even further disadvantage in the tough situation that they were trapped in. The rearguard knights fought bravely, giving many of their colleges enough time to run away. Among the casualties were three of Charlemagne's most important knights: Egginhard (mayor of the palace), Anselmus (Palatine Court), and Roland (Prefect of the March of Brittany). The heavy weaponry and armor put them at an even further disadvantage in the tough situation that they were trapped in.

After the death of Charlemagne, art, scholarship, literature, and architecture began blooming. Within the art world, many painters drew inspiration off of Charlemagne's deeds. He also fostered a new form of scholarship. Buildings began to have references to Charlemagne in them. And many stories came out about his life.