Lothar Co-Emperor

Lewis the Pious determined to follow the example of his father and to appoint his eldest, but still very youthful son, co-Emperor. This custom of the ancient Roman Empire had been already adopted by the new, in order that the unity of the State, and the hereditary succession to the Imperial throne, might thereby be secured. But scarcely had Lothar assumed the Imperial dignity in presence of the Diet assembled at Aachen, when the envy of the other princes was aroused. Filled with discontent, the brothers Pipin and Lewis returned to their royal seats in Aquitaine and Bavaria; while Bernhard, the ambitious bastard, raised his arms in open revolt. Charles, following the example of Pipin, had installed Bernhard simply as his lieutenant in the kingdom of Italy, but the natural desire for independence already asserted itself in the Kings of Italy. The longing of the Italians for national independence had been aroused, more especially in the northern provinces, where the Lombards, although long since Latinised, still warmly cherished their ancient tribal law and the traditions of their family and race, and where Milan had begun to outrival the earlier capital, Pavia.