September 11, 813 - Charlemagne Names Louis the Pious Co-Emperor

On September 11, 813, as the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne the Great prepared for his death, he named his only surviving son Louis to be his co-emperor. Louis became known as Louis the Pious because he sought to bring the empire closer to God by cleansing the public courts of pagan images. He also participated in public penance before the Pope for his involvement in the killing of the King of Italy.