The Revolution of 751: Anointing and Sacred Kingship

The elevation of Pippin III to kingship in 751 marked a fundamental transformation in the nature of Frankish monarchy. The ceremony at Saint-Denis included elements both traditional and revolutionary. Following ancient custom, Frankish warriors raised Pippin on a shield, acclaiming him as their leader. But then came the unprecedented act: bishops anointed the new king with holy oil, explicitly copying the Old Testament precedent of Samuel anointing David.

This anointing revolutionized concepts of royal legitimacy. Where Merovingian kings had claimed authority through their bloodline and its quasi-magical properties (symbolized by their long hair), Carolingian kings now claimed divine election confirmed through ecclesiastical ritual. The king became "the Lord's anointed" (christus Domini), a status that elevated him above ordinary nobles while also binding him to Christian ideals of rulership.

The new model of kingship brought both opportunities and constraints. Anointing enhanced royal authority by providing divine sanction that no nobleman could claim. It also created expectations that kings would protect the Church, promote Christian morality, and rule justly according to biblical precepts. These expectations found expression in the coronation oaths that became standard in Carolingian practice, where kings promised to defend the Church, maintain peace, and judge righteously.

The papal alliance proved mutually beneficial. In 754, Pope Stephen II traveled to Francia—the first pope to journey north of the Alps—to anoint Pippin again along with his sons, thereby confirming the new dynasty's legitimacy. In return, Pippin campaigned in Italy against the Lombards, creating the Papal States through the "Donation of Pippin." This exchange established a pattern of Frankish-papal cooperation that would culminate in Charlemagne's imperial coronation and profoundly influence medieval politics.