Main Idea

1. “To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man’s character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours.”- Mark TwainAn average person’s brain weighs as much as an average person’s skin.

3. Trade and Towns Main Idea Towns and cities grew during the high Middle Ages as the amount of trade increased between Europe and other continents.

4. Italian Trade Cities Selling Goods • Italians among earliest to build thriving trade • Venetian sailors traveled to Byzantine Empire, Muslim lands - brought back silk and spices from China, India • Italians controlled almost all southern European trade • Hanseatic League actively traded in northern Europe • Northern German towns, worked together to promote, protect trade - controlled most trade between Europe, Russia, Baltic region • Goods were expensive, very profitable – sold at trade fairs Growth of Trade Trade began to grow in Europe after the Crusades. Most of this trade was controlled by merchants from Italy and Northern Europe.

7. Times and Locations • Trade fairs usually held once a year, specific locations - some trade fairs lasted for months • Schedule staggered so merchants could travel from one to another • Market • Trade fairs not attended by average person - generally places for sales between merchants • For everyday needs, people visited local markets - sold locally-produced goods • Money, Credit, and Banks • Trade encouraged use of money, had not been common in Europe for years - previously workers paid with goods • Cities began minting coins, workers began demanding coins for payment • Some merchants allowed customers to buy goods on credit • Use of money, credit led to creation of Europe’s first banks • Most money-lenders were Jews, barred from many other occupations

10. Question: How did trade grow and develop in the Middle Ages? Answer(s): Italian merchants traded around Mediterranean; Hanseatic League promoted trade; trade fairs brought together buyers and sellers; increased use of currency and credit

11. Thriving trade, increase in use of money helped lead to expansion, growth Hoping to make money, many peasants left farms and villages for cities, towns Growth of Towns and Cities

12. Free Towns New Technologies • Merchants moved into medieval towns to conduct trade • Did not want to pay high taxes to local lords in those towns • King allowed charters for new towns run by merchants, taxes paid only to king • Paris, London, and Rome grew quickly and began to be referred to as cities • Heavy plow increased amount of crops grown on land; water mill, windmill, used power of nature to grind wheat into flour • Improved technologies meant fewer people needed to farm • Enabled more people to move to cities, build life there Growth of Towns and Cities

14. Growth of Towns and Cities • Guilds • Increase in populations caused craftspeople to organize to protect interests • Created trade organizations called guilds; members had same occupation • Primary function to restrict competition; set standards, prices for products • Training • Guilds also trained children in their crafts • Apprentices worked learning the basic skills of the craft from one master • Journeymen traveled to different workshops, learning from many masters • Restrictions • Difficult for journeymen to become masters, due to guild restrictions • Most guilds open only to men • Some industries like textiles accepted women members

16. Question: Why did towns grow in the Middle Ages? Answer(s): technology reduced need for farm workers, people moved to towns; towns grew under merchant leadership

17. Streets Fire and Crime Some Benefits • Were narrow, winding • Shops, houses lined both sides • High buildings blocked sunlight • Crowded with people, animals • Sanitation bad • Made medieval cities dangerous • Air hazy with smoke from cooking, tanneries • Most buildings made of wood, straw roofs • Violence common • Churches, eating halls, markets • Guilds provided plays, public entertainment, and festivals • Sports common • Guilds competed against each other Daily Life in Cities According to today’s standards, the cities that grew up in Europe and the Middle Ages were small and crowded. At times, life in these cities could be very unpleasant.

18. Growth of cities brought about greater familiarity with world Cities allowed for spread of arts, new ideas Daily Life in Cities

22. Question: What was life like in a medieval town? Answer(s): narrow winding streets; trash and waste in the street; smelly and smoky; lots of animals; places for people to socialize; plays and festivals; sports

23. Art and Culture of the Middle Ages Main Idea During the Middle Ages, great achievements were made in the visual arts, literature, and thinking and learning.

24. Gothic Architecture Engineering Airy Feeling • Some of greatest examples of religious feelings found in churches • Built in new Gothic style • Taller, brighter than previous churches • Gothic designs possible through advances in engineering • New type of support, flying buttress • Supported walls from outside • Flying buttresses allowed higher ceilings, eliminated columns • Larger windows possible • Stained glass showed Biblical scenes, saints Visual Arts Many art historians consider the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris to be one of the finest artistic achievements of the Middle Ages. Like most art in the Middle Ages, it was created as a symbol of God.

29. Flying Buttress

31. Tapestry Illumination • Most medieval art religious; some showed daily life, history • Tapestries, large woven wall hangings, hung in castles to prevent drafts • Many tapestries show scenes from daily life, fantastic creatures, unicorns, dragons • Bayeux Tapestry, story of William the Conqueror • Religious texts richly decorated by illumination, decorating manuscript with pictures, designs • Illuminators brought pages to life with scenes from manuscript; painted plants, animals, people • Decorated the first letter on a page, making it large, colorful, and flowing Visual Arts

38. Question: What were three forms of medieval art? Answer(s): architecture, illumination, and tapestries

39. Religious Texts Songs and Poems • Many writings dealt with religion • Few people other than monks, priests could read or write - Latin • Range of works • Sermons on how to live • Interpretations of Bible passages • Lives of saints • Widely read by nobility, clergy • Medieval writers created religious songs, poems • Wrote dozens of poems, music to accompany them • Literature • Included epics, romances • Epics, romances often performed by troubadours Literature Writers from the Middle Ages produced works that covered a wide spectrum, including religion, romance and epic adventures.

41. Major Works • Canterbury Tales • Geoffrey Chaucer’s collection of stories • Group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury; each tells story to entertain others • Characters give insight into what life was like in the Middle Ages • The Divine Comedy • Dante Alighieri’s story of his imaginary trip through the afterlife • Composed in three parts, or cantos • On journey, met people from own life, as well as figures from history • Contributions • Chaucer helped increase use of written English language in England, where many had been speaking French • Dante’s writing shaped development of Italian language for centuries

42. Canterbury Tales

43. The Divine Comedy

44. Question: What subjects did medieval authors write about? Answer(s): religious subjects; heroes, villains, love; chivalry

45. Thinking and Learning • New Ideas • Religious writers of Middle Ages spread new ideas throughout Europe • New ideas gave rise to new ways of thinking and learning • Alchemy • People in Middle Ages curious about how world worked • Began to conduct scientific experiments in alchemy, early form of chemistry • Constrictions • Experiments constricted by reliance on authority of Greek writers • Also by teaching of the Catholic Church • Great Secrets • Alchemists convinced they could find way to turn base metals into gold, but could not • Work in alchemy influenced later growth of science

47. Thomas Aquinas Teachings • One of most influential medieval scholars, Thomas Aquinas • Keenly interested in works of ancient philosophers, especially Aristotle • He tried to use Aristotle’s methods of logic to prove existence of God • Aquinas’ use of intellect and logic to bring together opposing ideas became known as Scholasticism • Teachings helped expand former ways of thinking, understanding - helped Europeans place themselves in wider world • Universities • Growth of European universities influenced by Islamic scholarship • Blending of European, Islamic cultures led to translation of Aristotle, other Greek scholars, from Arabic into Latin • European scholars exposed to new ideas • Universities taught mainly religious courses first, but later broadened scope to include medicine, law

50. Question: How did thinking and learning change in the Middle Ages? Answer(s): experiments in alchemy; universities appeared; Aquinas's development of Scholasticism