The Early Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages A PowerPoint Presentation by Kevin F. Keiser

In this unit, there are Four Developments • 1. Justinian’s Byzantine Empire • 2. The Rise of Islam • 3. The Carolingian Franks • 4. The Last Wave of Migrations and the Rise of Feudalism

This is how we left things in the last unit… Angles and Saxons and Jutes, Oh my! Merovingian Franks Burgundians Ostrogoths Visigoths Byzantine Empire Vandals

1. Justinian’s Byzantine Empire,or, • The Western Empire is gone… Theodoric has been the Ostrogothic king of Italy • But in 526 A.D., Theodoric dies

Theodoric’s grandson is the next king, but he is too young, so his mother Amalasuntha takes over as regent. • Amalasuntha doesn’t like this… It’s highly probable someone will try to kill her or her son at some point. She needs someone to be on her side. So she reaches out to the Byzantine Empire and contacts the greatest Byzantine Emperor…

JUSTINIAN!

So who is this Justinian? • Justinian was a simple soldier who became co-emperor with his uncle in 527 A.D. • He was married to a woman named Theodora, who was a simple circus performer

It was an amazing and romantic story: how two ordinary people became the emperor and empress of what was once the Roman Empire… But some nobility resented the humble origins of these two young people (relatively young) • Justinian and Theodora would have to prove themselves.

Achievements of Justinian • Justinian is mainly famous for three achievements: • 1. The Corpus JurisCivilis • 2. The Hagia Sophia • 3. The reconquest of the West.

The Corpus IurisCivilis • In 529 A.D., Justinian decided to collect all Roman law into one collection and make it the law of the Byzantine (i.e., Roman Empire) • He commissioned a jurist (lawyer) named Trebonian to work on this project (Justinian is a great delegator).

The result was the Corpus IurisCivilis, or Body of Civil Law, also called the Justinian Codex. • This work is very significant to history. It became the basis of law in the Roman Empire, and EVEN TODAY, it is the main inspiration for the legal system of the countries of continental Europe and all the countries that were colonized by them The countries shaded in blue are all Civil Law countries, i.e., countries inspired by the legal system of Justinian’s code

The Corpus JurisCiviliswas also the last major work written in Latin by the “Roman” Empire. Very few people could understand it since the common language of the Byzantine Empire was Greek. [AineMcGinn’s dad is translating it into English]

The Hagia Sophia • In 532 AD, there was a problem in Constantinople: the Greens and the Blues (chariot fan factions) got into a huge argument (about sports, politics, and/or religion). This is known as the Nika riot. Justinian tried to quiet them down

The rioters ransacked the city and even burned down Constantine’s Hagia Sophia… then they began to attack the imperial palace itself.

Justinian wanted to flee, but his wife Theodora changed his mind (and history)

Justinian delegated his trusty general Belisarius to crush the rebellion…

Then, Justinian commissioned two young architects (Isidore of Miletus, a physics professor, and Anthemius of Tralles, a geometry professor) to design a new and glorious Hagia Sophia

The result was one of the most amazing feats and beautiful jewels of world architecture

When it was complete in 537 AD, Justinian entered it for the first time and said… Today, the Hagia Sophia is still standing, but it is now a mosque

The Reconquest of the West After Belisarius’ success in quelling the Nika revolt, Justinian had further plans for him. Justinian felt it was his duty to get back the Western Empire, so, the year after the riots, he sent Belisarius…

…to the Vandal Kingdom, which Belisarius successfully conquered with only 18,000 soldiers. Angles and Saxons and Jutes, Oh my! Merovingian Franks Burgundians Ostrogoths Visigoths Byzantine Empire Vandals more Byzantine Empire

Meanwhile, remember Amalasuntha? • She was murdered by her cousin in 535 AD. Justinian is mad, and he sends Belisarius to Italy next.

Belisarius moved his army to Italy, and began a long, hard, destructive war (535-552) to take Italy back for the Byzantine Empire… and ultimately won. Angles and Saxons and Jutes, Oh my! Merovingian Franks Burgundians …and even more Byzantine Empire Ostrogoths Visigoths Byzantine Empire

…but the victory came at great cost.The Italian peninsula was ravaged, and it would take a long time to recover

But Justinian died a satisfied emperor (in 565 AD). Under him, the Byzantine Empire reached the greatest extent it ever would… and, through talented individuals, Justinian had a great list of achievements.

Unfortunately, three years later,the Lombards invaded and conquered Italy (except Ravenna) Angles and Saxons and Jutes, Oh my! Merovingian Franks Burgundians Lombard Kingdom Visigoths Byzantine Empire

… and shortly after that, a new force would arise from Arabia…

Second Development in the Early Middle Ages: The Rise of Islam Before we talk about Islam, we have to talk about Arabia. The Arabian peninsula is mostly desert. There is some fertile land in the Southwest, which, in the Early Middle Ages, was occupied by the Christian kingdom of Saba, allies of Justinian (against the Sassanids). Byzantine Empire Sassanid Empire Saba

Key resting points along this route became important and wealthy trading posts The peninsula was mostly inhabited by nomads. No major empire ever bothered to conquer it… it just didn’t seem to be worth it. And the most important of these were Yathrib and Mecca However, the peninsula was very important for the Silk Road. Whenever the Sassanids would not let the Byzantines through their land (which was almost all the time), merchants had to travel to the sea down the west side of Arabia. Byzantine Empire Sassanid Empire Yathrib Mecca Saba

Mecca had particular importance. This was because the Arabian people considered themselves the children of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, sent away by Abraham to live in the desert…

According to the book of Genesis, God revealed a well to Hagar to save her and her thirsty son. The Arabians believed, and still believe, that this well is in Mecca, the well of Zamzam.

Mecca was also important because it contained a shrine that drew a lot of pilgrims from all over Arabia: a large, cube like structure called the Kaaba. According to Muslim belief, Abraham and Ishmael built this Kaaba when Abraham came down to visit Ishmael.

The Kaaba originally housed the Black Stone on its eastern corner. This was a stone that, according to Muslim belief, God gave to Adam as a white stone, but the sinfulness of mankind turned it black. But in pre-Islamic Mecca, the Black Stone was treated a bit like an idol… and people who came to Mecca for trade purposes often brought their own idols to the Kaaba. Eventually, the Kaaba had 360 idols inside of it, and it became a popular pagan shrine. This was bad for monotheism, but good for business in the trade city of Mecca.

As a matter of fact, pre-Islamic Arabia in general, and Mecca in particular, was a mish-mash of many religious beliefs. Whoever did not believe in orthodox Christianity (Byzantine Empire) or Zoroastrianism (Sassanid Empire) often ended up in Arabia. • There were: • Polytheists (belief in many gods) • Animists (belief in the forces of nature) • Monotheists (belief in one God). This was the environment that Muhammad would be born into. • Among the Monotheists, there were: • Jews • The Hanifa: Arabians who turned from polytheism to belief in one God • Heretical Christians. Byzantine Empire Sassanid Empire • Among the heretical Christians, there were: • Arians (believed Jesus is not God) • Monophysites (believed Jesus was one nature) • Nestorians (believed Jesus was two persons) • Docetists (believed Jesus’s human nature was just an illusion and that he did not really die on the cross) • Collyridians (worshipped the Virgin Mary) Saba

Then, there was Muhammad… • Born in around the year 570 AD (five years after Justinian died). • His father was already dead at his birth, and his mother and grandfather died by the time he was about 7. • Muhammad was raised by his uncle, a merchant named Abu Talib

Once, when Abu Talib needed to make a business trip to Syria, Muhammad (now about 12) stayed with some Nestorian monks. He watched how they prayed seven times a day, with several prostrations. One of the monks, named Bahira, told Muhammad he would be a great prophet some day, as long as he avoided all polytheism.

In 595, Muhammad married Khadija, his first wife. She was a moderately wealthy merchant. Muhammad worked in her trade caravan. They lived in Mecca. Muhammad was also in the habit of making a spiritual retreat in the mountains once a year. In 610 AD, while making this retreat on Mt. Hira, Muhammad claims to have suddenly heard the words “Recite!”, and then was given words by the angel Gabriel.

The message was simple: • Reject all idolatry • Avoid all shirk: association of the Godhead. God is only one: ALLAH; no one else is God (Islam would not accept the idea that one God can subsist in three persons) • Believers must care for the poor Muhammad began to preach his message. First, Khadija converted, then other family members, and finally, Abu Bakr, the first non-relative convert to Islam.

First, because he preaches giving to the poor—specifically, 2.5% of one’s profits But Mecca does not appreciate Muhammad. He is bad for business… Second, because if people turn to monotheism, they might stop coming to visit the Kaaba, which is what brings a lot of people to Mecca… and that would mean less money

This event is called “the Hijra”, or “the Flight” and it marks year one on the Muslim calendar (we are now in the year 1434 A.H., “anno Hegirae”—in the year of the Flight) One of the controlling families of Mecca, the Umayyad family, begins a smear campaign against Muhammad. They even make an attempt on his life… So in the year 622AD, Muhammad flees from Mecca to Yathrib. Yathrib welcomes him with open arms… they have already heard about him from traders going north on the Silk Road. Due to this event, Yathrib becomes known as “the city of the prophet,” or in Arabic, Madinat Al-Nabi. This is why today, it is called “Medina” Byzantine Empire Sassanid Empire Yathrib Medina Mecca Saba

While in Medina, Muhammad continues to receive revelations and gather more followers. They begin to write his revelations down in a book called “the Recitation,” or the Qur’an. • The “Five Pillars” of Islam also begin to be developed. These are the five central practices essential to receiving bliss from Allah for a Muslim. They are…

1. Shahadah: The Profession of Faith • “There is one God Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” • Saying this three times in the presence of Muslim witnesses is how one converts to Islam

2. Salah: Pray five times a day facing Mecca • Originally, Muhammad had his followers face Jerusalem, but later, when he wanted to return to Mecca, he said Allah commanded his followers to face that city instead. • On Fridays at noon, the Muslims say their prayers in common at a mosque. Muslim buildings often have an arrow pointing the direction to Mecca Many prostrations are involved in Muslim prayers. In Islam, bells are not allowed. The call to prayer is shouted from minarets.

3. Zakat: 2.5% of your profits must be given to the poor/for the welfare of the community • In many Muslim countries, this Zakat is a tax to the government.

4. Sawm: Fasting furing the month of Ramadan • Ramadan is the month during which Muhammad first received his revelations in 610. • A Muslim is not supposed to take any food or water during the say. • From sundown to sunrise, they may eat what they need.

5. The Hajj: Every adult, able-bodied Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life The focal point of the Hajj is the circling of the Kaaba

While in Medina, Muhammad receives the revelation that he is allowed to perform raids on the caravans from Mecca in order to gain what he needs to feed and supply his followers. So he begins organizing and successfully implementing raids. He is very successful. This gains him more followers. The city of Mecca has had enough, so they send a large force to defeat Muhammad.

But Muhammad and his men win, in the Battle of the Ditch (627 AD). Thousands of Arabians are impressed with Muhammad, and they join him. Eventually, Muhammad has enough leverage to negotiate with Mecca the permission to visit the Kaaba once a year. Each time he goes, Muhammad gains more and more followers. Finally, in 630 AD, Muhammad returns to Mecca in triumph… to stay.

Muhammad cleans the Kaaba of all of its idols, and repairs it, giving the Black Stone a good cleaning as well. Then, he becomes the political and spiritual ruler of Islam. Almost all of Arabia follows him.

But then, he dies. • In the year 632, Muhammad died in the house of Abu Bakr (first non-relative convert and father of Muhammad’s preferred wife, Aisha) The problem was: who would succeed him? Who would be his “Khalifa”, his caliph, his successor?

The Early Middle Ages