Topic 1: The Early Middle Ages

1. Lesson 1 Topic 1: The Early Middle Ages

2. Post-Roman Empire: Political and Religious Divisions • Two Christian civilizations develop out of the splitting of Roman Empire. • East (will practice Greek Orthodoxy) • Byzantine Empire • West (will practice Roman Catholicism) • Feudal kingdoms • Civilizations expand and spread north largely because of: 1) religious missionaries and 2) inability to convert one another. • Religions are culturally, and later religiously, separate

3. Justinian (Reigns 527-565) • Most significant Byzantine ruler • 1) Military gains and huge expansion to rebuild original Roman Empire • Gains in North Africa and Italy • 2) Systemizes Roman legal code • Influences future law codes in Europe • Reduces legal confusion; united and organized the new empire • 3) Projects to renovate Constantinople • Hagia Sophia – engineering and architectural achievements (dome) • 4) Makes Greek language official

5. The Empire Declines • Withstood attacks from Persians, Slavs, Vikings, Huns, Arabs, & Turks • 600’s-700’s Arab armies conquer Egypt and Syria and besiege Constantinople • The empire survives, but is severely weakened • From Major Power to Minor Power

7. Review: Causes of the Middle Ages • Fall of Rome was caused by Germanic Tribes invading • Invasions led to: • Disruption of trade: merchant trade collapsed and Europe’s economic centers were destroyed. Money also became scarce. • Downfall of cities: cities were abandoned as centers of administration • Europe became rural: Roman cities left without strong leadership

8. Causes Cont. • Decline of learning: Germanic invaders could not read or write. Learning became less important as people moved to rural areas • Loss of a common language: Latin changed as Germanic people mixed with Roman population • Loss of established government: Germanic tribes did not have written laws nor an orderly government for ruling purposes

9. Effects: How did the Middle Ages change Europe • New Germanic Kingdoms emerge (Holy Roman Empire) • Rise of the feudal system in Europe • Power of the Christian church grows rapidly and so does the popes power • Europe became rural • No major emphasis on learning • New languages replace Latin • Early signs of modern European countries start to appear (England and France)

10. Germanic Kingdoms 400-700 AD • Tribes vying for control of Europe: • Goths • Vandals • Saxons • Franks • Farmers and herders • No cities or written laws • Tribal counsels and warrior class rule

11. Advance of Islam • Islam begin around 622 AD in the Arabian Peninsula • Began to spread throughout North Africa, Palestine, and Spain. • Created fear among the Christian Kingdoms of Europe

12. Charles Martel • Led the fight against Muslim armies in France • Victorious at the Battle of Tours (732)

13. A Unified Christian Europe • Martel’s grandson, Charlemagne, allies with the Pope. • Declared Emperor of Rome • Works to spread Christianity and convert pagan peoples in his realm

14. Charlemagne continued… • Rules through Provincial leaders & missidominci • Creates centers of learning and revives the Latin language

15. Invaders • Charlemagne’s death in 814 leads to a fight over the kingdom. • Treaty of Verdun: splits the kingdom in 2 • Muslims, Magyars, and Vikings simultaneously conquer and plunder what remains of the Byzantine Empire and the kingdoms of Europe.