The people of the Byzantine Empire were angered when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD because they viewed this act as a direct challenge to their own authority and legitimacy. The Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople, considered itself the continuation of the Roman Empire and believed that the title of emperor should rightfully belong to the Byzantine ruler. Additionally, the crowning of a Western ruler by the pope symbolized a shift in power dynamics, undermining the Byzantine claim to be the center of Christendom. This event heightened tensions between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity, contributing to the eventual schism.
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