Why study the Middle Ages?

1. Why study the Middle Ages? • This period of time sets the foundation for modern Western society. • Culture • Religion • Government • Language (spoken and written) • Inventions/Legacies • Universities • Banking • Carolingian Miniscule • Illustrated Books • Romantic Love • Chivalry • Corrective Eyewear • Mechanical Clocks • The Compass • The Magna Carta

2. What is the Middle Ages? • There are three eras of European History • The Ancient World: early civilization to c.500 A.D. • The Middle Ages: c.500-c.1500 A.D. • The Modern World: c.1500 A.D. to the present • There are three categories of the Middle Ages • The Early Middle Ages: 500-1000 • The High Middle Ages: 1000-1300 • The Late Middle Ages: 1300-1500 • The word “middle” is used to identify an era which lies between two others—one ancient, the other modern. • The Middle Ages are also known as the “medieval” period. The word is Latin based: medium meaning “middle” and aevum meaning “age.” • The Middle Ages are often referred to as the “Dark Ages” as well.

3. The Barbarian West • The Barbarian tribes became the dominant force in Western Europe. • The population of Western Europe declined rapidly. (Rome had 50,000 people left in the city and many were abandoned). • Roads, aqueducts, bridges, and buildings fell into disrepair • Cattle grazed in the forum and the streets were littered with waste and trash • The chief export of the West was human beings sold into slavery. Infant mortality rates skyrocketed • Shortages were rampant • Each village or town tried to produce everything it needed

4. The Rise of the Franks • The Franks were ruled by a family called the Merovingians. • Clovis I ruled the Franks from 481 to 500 A.D. • Clovis converted to Christianity, creating a Christian kingdom. • After his death, the kingdom was extended by his sons to include France, Belgium, and a big part of Germany. • The Merovingians were corrupt and became too weak to rule. • The Frankish Kingdom was divided into three independent kingdoms. The real power was held by the Mayor of the Palace. (Chief official of the Royal House) • The Merovingians faced Islamic incursions into Europe, especially into Spain. • In 714, Charles Martel (Mayor of the Palace) came to power and faced the Muslims at the Battle of Tours (732) (SW of Paris).

5. The Feudal System A System of Power, Protection and Stagnation The Middle Ages

6. Feudalism (500 A.D. –1500 A.D.) • The divine right of Kings. • Pope has power over Kings. • A King’s right to rule comes from God. • Peasant vs. Serf • They are the same thing. They are the laboring class—most of them were farmers. • What is a Vassal? • A holder of land in exchange for fealty to the king. • What is a Fief? • An estate (land or kingdom) • What is a Noble? • Part of the ruling class. Someone with power and authority. • What do knights do? • The serve the lords and kings, the are the professional soldiers and protectors of the realm.

7. The Crusades (1095-1291 A.D.) • Crusade (taking the cross) means Holy War. • Until the 11th century, Christian pilgrims had access to the Holy Land. • Garden of Gethsemane • Sea of Galilee • Church of the Holy Sepulcher • Bethlehem and Nazareth • In the mid-11th century, a group of fanatical Muslims called the Seljuk Turks invaded the near east and refused access to the Christians. • There were eight distinct crusades.

8. Pope Urban II 1095 A.D. Pope Urban II appealed for help. When Constantinople was threatened, the Western kings responded. On Nov 27th, 1095, Pope Urban II announced a call to arms “Deus lo volt!” (God wills it!)

9. The First Crusade 1096-1099 This Crusade was the most successful. It consisted of knights from France, Germany, and Southern Italy. They created a feudal Kingdom of Jerusalem.

10. The Second Crusade 1147 A.D. Jerusalem was under threat from the Turks. It was called up by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. This Crusade failed to even get their armies to Jerusalem and failed to capture Damascus as well.