The Worlds of Christendom

1. The Worlds of Christendom Connected and Divided

2. Christianity Divided • Rome = West (Odoacer invades Rome 476ce) • Schism of 1054 – Mutual excommunication -Eastern Orthodox Church / Roman Catholic Church • Byzantium / Constantinople = East • Western Roman Empire = Hybrid Civilization • West = Rural • East = Urban/Cosmopolitan

3. Eastern Christendom • A continuation of the Roman Empire • No clear beginning (Constantinople founded 330ce) • Formal Division – late 4th century • Rome Falls -476ce and “barbarians” invade

4. Eastern Advantages • wealthier and more urbanized • more defensible capital (Constantinople) • shorter frontier • access to the Black Sea; command of eastern Mediterranean • stronger army, navy, and merchant marine • continuation of late Roman infrastructure • conscious effort to preserve Roman ways

5. Split of the Roman Empire

6. The Byzantine State • Remained powerful until 1200’s • Centralized Politically • Government bureaucracy based on Persians • Emperor ruled as “god’s representative on earth” • Important – tax collection / keeping records • caeseropapism- church and state tightly connected-emperor head of church and state

7. Orthodox Christianity • Legitimized imperial rule • Cultural identity (barbarians to the west) • Differences in Christianity West/East-priest’s celibacy-shaving-Pope as head of church • Schism of 1054 – Mutual Excommunication • Crusades begin in 1095 – worsen the situation

8. Byzantium in the World • Intense interaction in Europe and Asia • Crusades – Islam pushing into Byzantine Empire-diversity of victims-economic + political motives • “Greek Fire” helped keep Byzantium standing so long

9. “Greek Fire” would even burn on top of Water

10. Conversion of Russia • Most important conversion was that of Prince Vladimir of Kiev • Orthodoxy transformed state of Rus; became central to Russian identity • Moscow finally declared itself to be the “third Rome,” assuming role of protector of Christianity after fall of Constantinople

11. Western Christendom • On the Periphery of the world-far removed from trade routes • Geography made political unification difficult • Roman Collapse in 476ce-Barbarians Invade-Rome becomes bankrupt (coliseum games, army)-lead poisoning?

12. Western Political Makeup after 476 • Large-scale centralized rule vanished • Population fell by 25% - war/disease • Less land cultivated • Less Movement/ Dangerous / No Imperial Army • Decline in Literacy • From Urban to Rural-Feudalism

13. Feudalism

14. Manor

15. Preservation of Roman Culture • Many Germanic people were Romanized already-many served in the Roman army prior to the fall • Adoption of Roman law system • Attempts to recreate Roman imperial system-Charlemagne -Otto I of Saxony - Holy Roman Empire c. 800ce-Attempts failed to re-create a “Christian Empire”

16. The Wake of Roman Collapse • New Kingdoms-highly fragmented-great local variation-landowning warrior elite possessed most power • Social Hierarchies-serfdom replaces slavery-life on the manor • Stability was found in the Catholic Church

17. Catholic Church “On Top” • Became VERY rich • Conversion of most of Europe-Top-Down Conversion-considerable cultural accommodations-amulets, sacred wells, and festivals were preempted by Christianity • Investiture Conflict – Who appoints pope/bishops?

18. Change in the West 1000-1300 • 700-1000 – Muslim Invasions • 1000-1350 – High Middle Ages – Population Growth- climate warms up (30million-80million)- More movement of people - Growth of Trade/Cities (Italy)

19. Crusades • Began in 1095- wars at God’s command, authorized by the pope, for which participants received an indulgence (release from penalty  for confessed sins)- amazingly popular; were religious wars at their core - most famous Crusades aimed to regain Jerusalem and holy places- showed Europe’s growing organizational ability

20. Crusades Map

21. Crusades Propaganda

22. Lasting Impact of the Crusades • Tens of thousands of Europeans made contact with the Islamic world- stimulated demand for Asian goods- learned how to produce sugar- Muslim/Greek scholarship entered Europe- hardened cultural barriers- deepened the Catholic/Orthodox divide- development of anti-Semitism in Europe- memory of the Crusades still affects dealings between Western civilization and Islam • Christians did not regain much land at all

23. A Comparative Perspective • Western Europe was less developed than Byzantium, China, India, or the Islamic world • Muslims regarded Europeans as barbarians • Europeans recognized their own backwardness • Europeans were happy to exchange with/borrow from more advanced civilizations to the east • European economies reconnected with the Eurasian trading system

24. Europe Borrowing from the East • Europeans welcomed scientific, philosophical, and mathematical concepts from Arabs, classical Greeks, and India- i.e. the compass, papermaking, gunpowder • Europe developed a passion for technology • by 1500, Europe had caught up with China and the Islamic world; surpassed them in some areas

25. Western European Politics • Competing States-led to war / technological developments-paved the way for capitalism-kings less powerful than the east-parliaments develop (nobles want power)

26. Reason and Faith • Intellectual tension between reason and faith • Intellectual life flourished after 1000ce-University Schools, Humanism-development of “natural philosophy”(study of nature)-applied reason to law, medicine, nature-searching for greekclassical texts (Aristotle)

27. Cathedral School in Europe