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Why was Louis I known as Louis the Pious?
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Louis I
Louis the Pious as a Christian Roman Emperor, portrait from De laudibus sanctae crucis by Rabanus Maurus.
Louis I was known as "the Pious" because he viewed his empire primarily as a religious ideal, crafting a vision of society based on the unity of the people within the body of Christ and the church.12
His commitment to this religious vision was reflected in several ways:
- Reform Agenda: Upon succeeding his father, Charlemagne, Louis initiated reforms to address corruption and moral laxity, such as clearing the palace at Aachen of prostitutes and sending his unmarried sisters to monasteries.1
- Religious Governance: He portrayed himself as the emperor of the Christian people rather than of specific ethnic groups, integrating religion, society, and politics into his imperial design.1
- Public Penance: In 822, he demonstrated royal humility by performing voluntary public penance for his sins at Attigny, an act that deeply impressed his contemporaries and led some to compare him to the Roman emperor Theodosius the Great.1
- Missionary Efforts: He sought to expand the reach of Christianity by attempting to evangelize the Scandinavian world, commissioning St. Ansgar for the mission.2