24. 25. 25. 27. 23. Six hundred years after Jesus' crucifixion, His church had become the dominant force in Europe. But while His disciples were ocking to monasteries in search of solitude, further east followers of another prophet were taking up arms in search of conquest in North Africa and Arabia. They were waging war not in the name of Christ, but in the name of the . Their religious movement would spread even farther and faster than Christianity and threatened to compete for the souls of . The only thing standing in their way was one Christian king who had seen them coming. Oct 10, 732, Tours France is on the front line in a holy war that will define Europe's spiritual and political future. The conict pits the Christian against the Muslim who had recently crossed into Spain from North Africa. The Moors want to expand their empire and import their faith of Muhammad who had lived a century earlier. The Christians want to keep them out at all cost. The Moors saw Europe as easy prey. At the head of the Moorish charge was an elite cavalry unmatched in Europe. The Moors tore through southern France. However, a Frankish leader stood ready to defend at Tours France. The stunning victory at Tours by Charles is credited with saving European Christianity. Over the next seven decades Martel's descendants would transform this Christian kingdom into an empire. One of them would become powerful enough to assume the title of Emperor of Rome. That grandson of Charles "the Hammer" Martel would become known as the father of Europe. His name was and he was the greatest king of the dark ages. Christmas Day at St. Peters Basilica in Rome a new Emperor was crowned, the first in more than three centuries. The is on hand to do the crowning and announce the formation of a new Roman Empire. The new emperor and the most powerful man in Europe since the days of Ancient Rome is Charlemagne, king of the Franks. He would be remembered as one of the illuminating figures of the dark ages