The Rise of Europe: The Early Middle Ages

1. The Rise of Europe: The Early Middle Ages

2. Decline of Roman Empire & Barbarian Migrations

3. Introduction: Western Europe500-1000 A.D. • During the Roman Empire, Europe was linked by Roman Roads which spread classical ideas, the Latin language and Christianity to the tribal people of Western Europe. • After the fall of Roman Empire, waves of invaders swept across Europe • Trade slowed, towns emptied, learning almost ceased • Western Europe was cut off from the sophisticated civilizations of the Middle East, China, and India. • Focus of European history shifts North • Slowly, a new culture emerged that blended Greco-Roman, Germanic, and Christian traditions. • Called Medieval from the Latin for “middle Ages”

5. Geography: Resources • Frontier-sparsely populated, underdeveloped • Dense forests • Fertile soil • Minerals • Seas for fish & transportation • Rivers for trade • Mountain streams for water wheels

6. Germanic Kingdoms • Germanic tribes that migrated across Europe were farmers and herders • Very different culture than the Romans • No cities, no written laws • Small communities, governed by unwritten customs • Elected kings to rule during war • Warrior nobles swore loyalty to the king in exchange for weapons and loot

8. Germanic Peoples • During the 5th- 6th centuries, the political unity of the Roman Empire ended • peoples moved southwards, attracted by Rome’s glory • in search of fertile land and a better climate • organized into tribes • chief made final decisions about peace • lived in big wooden houses • stock breeding and itinerant agriculture • moved constantly • Called barbarians (foreigners) by the Romans

9. 5th Century Germanic Kingdoms • Borders were not fixed • Christian Church provides order & security • Several kingdoms in Roman territory • Franks • Visigoths • Burgundians • Anglo-Saxon • Vandals

10. How were Germanic societies organized? • Germans were rural • Most peasants • animal grazing and working the land • Most land was in hands of Roman and Germanic families • Some small land owners • Monasteries owned vast territories • received donations in exchange for prayers said by the monks • Population of cities decreased • commercial activity had slowed • currency had almost disappeared

11. The New Society: Germans & Romans • Germans were the minority • Initially, Romans and Germans maintained their own laws, customs and religion • Over time, both societies started to blend and the Germans adopted Roman institutions and laws • Used latin • Converted to Christianity

12. Rome Loyalty to public governments written law citizenship Germanic Kingdoms Family and personal ties Made it difficult to govern a large area Small communities Unwritten rules & traditions Chief leads warriors who pledge loyalty Government Changes

13. Art and culture in the Germanic Kingdoms • Few artistic artifacts remain • Some small churches built with a sculpted block of large stone • Art of gold and silver • Early Monasteries • Community of monks • Daily life was organized according to a rule, a set of obligations • Saint Benedict • Monasteries were places of prayer • cultural centers • school • a scriptorium where manuscripts were copied

14. Rise of Christian Monasticism • Monasteries and Convents were separate religious communities for men & women • Monks and nuns held no private possessions; servants of God

15. Rules of Benedict • Strict yet practical • Give up attachment to the world & love of self • Devotion to God • Balance between work & study • Scholastica • Twin sister? • Devoted life to the church • Took Benedict’s rules to convents

16. Germanic Kingdoms: The Franks • Strongest of the small Germanic kingdoms of Western Europe • In 486, Clovis, king of the Franks, conquered Gaul, a former Roman province • Converted to Christianity • earned the support of the people • Christian Church of Rome

17. German People and Christianity • many Germanic peoples converted • missionaries and fear of Muslim attacks • New converts settle in Rome’s former lands

18. Germanic Kingdoms: Europe & Muslim World • Islam appeared in Arabia in 622 • Christians were stunned when Muslim armies overran Christian lands, building a huge empire from Spain to North Africa to Palestine • Charles Martel stopped the Muslims at the Battle of Tours, France in 732 • Muslims advanced no further into Western Europe but continued to rule Spain • Caused Christians great anxiety and hostility

19. Age of Charlemagne • Grandson of Charles Martel • Built an empire reaching across France, Germany, and part of Italy • Ruled for 30 years • Spent most of that time fighting Muslims in Spain, Saxons in the north, Avars and Slav in the east and Lombards in Italy • United much of the Old Roman Empire

20. Age of Charlemagne: The Carolingian Era • In 800, crushed rebellious nobles at the request of Pope Leo III • Pope crowned him • gave him title Emperor of the Romans • Joined Germanic power to the Church and heritage of Roman Empire • Laid path for future power struggles • Emperor in Constantinople outraged • Increased division between east and west Christians

21. Age of Charlemagne: Government • Worked to create a united Christian Europe • Worked with Church to spread Christianity to conquered peoples • Limited power of nobles-(counts) • Gave land in return for support and soldiers for his armies • Missi dominici were officials sent out to check on roads, listen to grievances and administer justice

22. Age of Charlemagne: Revival of Learning • Wanted to make his court at Aachen a “second Rome” • education had declined • He could read but not write • Founded a school under the direction of Alcuin of York • Curriculum was grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy • English, German, Italian and Spanish scholars • Ordered monasteries to open schools and train monks and priests

23. After Charlemagne • His son Louis, took over 814 AD • ineffective • He had 3 sons • They battled for 30 years • In 843, Treaty of Verdun, which split the empire into 3 regions • Central authority broke down • Led to feudalism

24. After Charlemagne: Legacy • Extended Christian civilization into northern Europe • Increased the blending of German, Roman, and Christian traditions • Set up a strong, efficient government • Set an example for later medieval rulers

25. After Charlemagne: New Invasions • 800’s, Muslims conquered Sicily which became a thriving center of Islamic culture • In 896, the Magyars, nomads overran eastern Europe and plundered Germany, parts of France, and Italy • After about 50 years, pushed back into Hungary

26. After Charlemagne: The Vikings • Expert sailors from Scandinavia • burned & looted along the coasts and rivers of Europe • Traders & explorers who sailed around the Mediterranean Sea and across the Atlantic Ocean • Opened trade routes that linked northern Europe to Mediterranean lands • Settled in England, Ireland, northern France and parts of Russia • Around 1000, Leif Erikson set up a short-lived colony on North America

27. The Vikings http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/launch_gms_viking_quest.shtml

28. Quiz • What changes altered the economy, government, and culture of Western Europe? • Disruption of trade • Downfall of cities • Population shifts • Decline in learning • Loss of common language

29. After the fall of Rome, what institution provided security and stability? • The Roman Catholic Church

30. Who was Clovis? • Frankish king in region of Gaul • Brought Christianity to the region • Won the support of the Church against others • United the Franks into one kingdom • Mark the beginning of the alliance between political and religious powers

31. Who was Benedict? • Monk who develop a set of strict yet practical rules for monasteries. • Became a model for religious communities • Monasteries became centers of learning • Venerable Bede wrote a history of England • Illuminated manuscripts

32. What were the most important event in the unification of the Germanic kingdoms? Why? • 400’s Roman Empire invaded • 511-Clovis unites Franks in Christian kingdom • 590-Gergor the Great becomes Pope • 732-Charles Martel defeats Muslims at Battle of Tours • 751-Carolingian Dynasty begins • 800-Pope crowns Charlemagne Emperor • 800’s-French, Spanish, other languages evolved from Latin

33. What happened to his empire after he died? • Grandsons fought for control • Treaty of Verdun • Empire broken up into three kingdoms • Carolingian kings lost power • Central authority broke down • Lack of strong leadership created a new system of governing and landholding • Feudalism is born!!!!

34. Feudalism in Europe: The Impact of Vikings Longship • Climate Change • Sailed up rivers • Traders, farmers, explorers • Russia • Constantinople • North Atlantic • Gradually accepted Christianity • Warming trend in N. Europe • Settled down

35. Magyar Invasions of late 800’s AD • Nomads from Hungary • Horsemen • Took captives as slaves

36. Muslims • Came from south • Strongholds in N. Africa • wanted to settle • Then plunder

37. A New Political System: Feudalism • Based on rights and obligations • Loyalty and Military Service exchanged for Land & Privilege • Loyalty and Labor exchanged for protection

38. Social Classes • Social status determined prestige and power • Those who fought • Those who prayed • Those who worked • Inherited • Most people were peasants and most peasants were serfs

39. Manors: The Economic Side • Manor was the lord’s estate • Provided serfs with housing, farmland, protection • Serfs tended the lord’s land, cared for animals, other tasks to maintain the estate • Peasant women worked along their husbands • All owed duties to the lord • Grain, labor, etc.

40. Life on a Manor • Self-sufficient • Peasant taxes • grinding their grain • Marriage • Church

41. Age of Chivalry

42. Age of Chivalry: Education • At age if 7, began training as a page in castle of another lord; at age 14, began training as a squire, acting as servant to knight; at 21, became a knight.

43. Age of Chivalry: Weapons and Equipment • Saddles & stirrups from Asia • Armor • Long bow • Cross bow and missiles Caltrops

44. Age of Chivalry: War Games • Fought in local wars or tournaments • Combined recreation with combat training

45. Code of Chivalry • Be loyal • Brave • Courteous • Defend three masters: • Feudal lord • God • chosen lady • Protect the weak and the poor

46. Castle Life • Lived in and protected home of feudal lords • Stone castles designed a s fortresses, massive walls and guard towers

47. Romantic Love • “courtly love” • Ideal form of spiritual love • Knight or courtier completely devoted himself to a noblewoman • Expected to defend his chosen lady and keep her entertained with love poems and songs

48. The Art of Courtly Loveby Andreas Cappellanus • Marriage is no real excuse for not loving. • He who is not jealous cannot love. • No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons. • It is not proper to love any woman whom one should be ashamed to seek to marry. • A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved. • When made public love rarely endures. • The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized. • Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved. • When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates. • A new love puts to flight an old one. • Good character alone makes any man worthy of love. • Love can deny nothing to love. • A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved. • A man who is vexed by too much passion usually does not love. • A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved.

49. How did feudal lords in Western Europe in the 11th century defend their territories? • Private armies • Rewarded knights with fiefs from their estates, allowing the knights to use their wealth to purchase supplies such as weapons, armor, horses for battle

50. Peasant woman Worked as hard as a man in order to survive General work duties look after children and organize food for family and animals Noblewoman Centered around Church and home Inherit husband’s estate, title of military commander and warrior when husband was away in battle How were the lives of a noblewoman and a peasant woman different?