In The Lives of the Eighth-Century Popes, Raymond Davis continues from the year AD 715, where his Book of the Pontiffs left off as he explores the next nine biographies from the Liber Pontificalis of the Roman Church. Including the period where much of Italy shook free from Byzantine control, the eighth century also featured the development of the papacy’s temporal sovereignty, the collapse of the Lombard kingdom, and the involvement of the Franks in Italian affairs—which culminate in the coronation of Charlemagne as emperor by Pope Leo III. A fascinating addition to the papal chronicle, this volume provides a wealth of information of great value to art historians, students of European history, and the lay reader alike. “Davis’s Lives of the Eighth-Century Popes is more than just a translation; it is an invaluable contribution to the study of the early middle ages.”—Ecclesiastical History
