Books in Biography From Ancient Civilizations series

Acclaimed as the most beautiful woman of her time, Eleanor of Aquitaine (c.1122 1204) uniquely shaped 12th-century Europe. As the wife of two kings and the mother of three others, her beauty, grace, style, and intellect captivated a continent. At a time when men regarded women as little more than personal property to be owned and exploited, Eleanor threw off the shackles of male dominance and scribed an indelible mark on the history of France and England. As France s queen, Eleanor accompanied Louis VII on the Second Crusade to the Holy Land and championed a burgeoning feminist movement. After divorcing Louis, she married Henry II of England. Her marriage to Henry upset the balance of power in Europe and led to 300 years of warfare before its restoration. Perhaps best remembered as a symbol of courtly love, Eleanor of Aquitaine also continues to personify the proud image of emancipated womanhood.

In the United States laws apply to everyone, they are written down, and they are not easily changed. It was not always like this. Over 3,000 years ago, a Middle Eastern king wanted to rule fairly. He had the laws of his kingdom written in stone, and then he shared the laws with his people. His name was Hammurabi and he ruled Babylon- where the country of Iraq is today- for over forty years. Although he expanded his country and won many wars, today he is best remembered for his code of laws. The way laws are written in the United States owes so much to Hammurabi that pictures of him can be seen in the House of Representatives.

In 481 CE, the Salian Franks crowned Clovis I their king. At the age of fifteen, the young monarch set about uniting all the Franks barbarian tribes that inhabited much of the region that became modern-day France and Germany. A fierce warrior and an astute administrator, he expanded his originally modest kingdom in northeast Gaul (France) by all possible means, including conquest, marriage, diplomacy, and deception. When he married Clotilda, a devout Roman Catholic, he converted to Catholicism and became instrumental in spreading his new religion across Europe. By the time Clovis died in 511, his domain covered most of Western Europe, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the source of the Danube River. The French regard him as the founder of their monarchy.

The English called him Charles I. The Germans referred to him as Karl der Grosse. In Latin he was known as Carolus Magnus. Today he is best known by his French nameCharlemagne. It means Charles the Great, which is no surprise, for this Frankish king went down in history as the ruler who united the European continent. Charlemagnes passion for Christianity along with his skill as a military leader set him apart from the other leaders of his era. By drawing on these qualities, he converted the masses to Christianity as quickly as he brought them under his rule. As time went on, Charlemagnes massive kingdom just kept expanding further and further.