Ch. 13 The Rise of the Middle Ages

1. Ch. 13 The Rise of the Middle Ages The Rise of the Franks

2. The Frankish Rulers • Centuries of disorder followed the breakup of the W. Roman Empire • Waves of barbarians brought new customs & lifestyles • The period between the 400s & the 1500s is known as the Middle Ages, or the medieval period in Europe

3. Among the Germanic tribes invading Europe were the Franks & in 481, Clovis became king of one of the Frankish tribes • Clovis & his successors were called Merovingians bcuz they descended from an ancestor named Merovech

4. Clovis conquered other Frankish tribes & controlled Gaul • Merovingian kings after Clovis were weak • The chief of the royal household, known as the “mayor of the palace,” became the real ruler

5. One of these was Pepin II & his successors united the Frankish kingdoms • Pepin’s son, Charles Martel, became mayor of the palace

6. His cavalry defeated the Moors when they invaded France in the 700s, halting the Muslim advance in Europe

7. Charles Martel’s son, Pepin III, called “the short”,overthrew the last Merovingian king & became king of the Franks • He established the Carolingians, a new line of rulers & w/ the pope’s blessing strengthened the dynasty

8. In return, the pope sought Pepin’s help against the Lombards, who were attacking central Italy • Pepin’s army defeated the Lombards & gave the territory around Rome to the pope

9. This gift created the Papal States, ruled by the pope, plus it strengthened the alliance between the Franks & the church • Pepin’s son Charlegmagne became the greatest Frankish king

10. Charlemagne • A devout Christian, he brought civilization, order, & learning to Europe during the 800s

11. He spent much of his life waging war • In 800, the pope crowned Charlemagne “Emperor of the Romans.” • Charlemagne had united W. Europe for the 1st time since the Romans

12. Charlemagne divided his empire into regions, each governed by a count • All officials had to swear faithfulness to Charlemagne • Officials called missi dominici or “the lord’s messengers” traveled through the empire as Charlemagne’s representatives

13. They heard complaints, investigated officials, & determined the effectiveness of laws • Charlemagne started schools for young nobles taught by European scholars & also encouraged subjects to convert to Christianity, sometimes by force

14. The Decline of the Frankish Empire • Charlemagne’s son Louis thePious, was well educated & religious but a weak ruler • Louis’s descendants, instead of uniting to overcome enemies, fought among themselves

15. Powerful lords became increasingly independent • Muslims from Africa & Slavs from the east invaded Europe • The nomadic Magyars, who settled in what is now Hungary, also terrorized Europe

16. The most feared invaders in the 800s & 900s were the Vikings, who were Germanic peoples from Scandinavia • Vikings were ruled by kings & nobles, but a democratic assembly of landowners made the laws

17. Vikings farmed, gathered, fished, & hunted • They sailed along the British & European coasts & up rivers as far as the Baltic, raiding settlements & capturing slaves for their farms

18. Their use of axes & dogs struck terror, & their skill at sieges could capture even well fortified towns