Transcript European Middle Ages, 500-1200

Charlemagne Unites Germanic
Kingdoms
A
new era of European history after decline
of Rome
 Spans from 500-1500
 During this, a new society slowly emerges
with roots in:
1. Classical heritage of Rome
2. Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
3. Customs of various Germanic tribes
Effects of Constant
Invasions and
Warfare
 Germanic invaders
overrun western
Roman Empire in
400s (fell in 476
AD)
 Marks the
beginning of the
Middle Ages-period
from 500-1500

Disruption of trade
1.
Money becomes scarce; businesses collapse b/c of invasions from
land and sea

Downfall of cities
2.
Abandoned

Population shifts
3.
Nobles and city dwellers retreat to countryside to grow own
food

Decline of learning
4.
Knowledge of Greek language and culture is almost completely lost
Germanic invaders could not read or write, only had song and
legends
Priests and church officials only ones literate


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Loss of Common Language
5.
Latin changes as mixed w/ Germanic tribes
Different dialects emerge


1.
By 800s, French, Spanish, and other Romance languages had
evolved
 Why
were cities particularly hard hit when
the Roman Empire declined?
 Cities were no longer centers of trade and
government. Many city dwellers moved to
the country.
 Why did the move to rural areas contribute
to a decline in literacy?
 People were more widely dispersed, so
harder to obtain any schooling.
 Years
of Upheaval Between 400 and 600
 Germanic kingdoms replace Roman provinces
 Continual wars change borders between
kingdoms
 The Church provides order and security
 Family
ties and personal loyalty held
Germanic society together
 They lived in small communities governed
by unwritten rules and traditions
 Germanic warriors pledge loyalty to their
chief who lived in lord’s hall
 Warriors fought to the death at their
lord’s side
 Felt no obligation to a king they didn’t
know nor would they obey an official sent
to collect taxes for an emperor


Germanic people called Franks
hold power in Roman province of
Gaul (France/Switzerland)
Clovis, leader of the Franks, in
battle, converts to Christianity
in 496;

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From then on, the Pope supports
Clovis
Leads warriors against other
Germanic armies
Brings Christianity to the Franks
By 511, Unites them into one
kingdom with Church’s help
(FIRST KING OF FRANKS)
The alliance b/n Clovis’
Frankish kingdom and the
Church mark the start of a
partnership b/n 2 powerful
forces
 “For
I have called
on my gods, but I
find they are far
from my aid… Now
I call on Thee. I
long to believe
Thee. Only, please
deliver me from
my enemies.” Clovis
Fresco at the Panthéon (Paris) by PaulJoseph Blanc circa 1881.
 The
alliance b/n Clovis’ Frankish kingdom
and the Church marks the start of a
powerful partnership
 How
the Church Spread:
 Frankish rulers convert Germanic peoples to
Christianity
 Missionaries travel to convert Germanic and
Celtic groups
 Fear of Muslim attacks spurred many to
convert in 600’s

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Church builds monasteries-where monks
live to study and serve God
Italian monk, Benedict, writes rules that
govern monastic life (how monks should
eat to what kind of beds they should
sleep on) He emphasized a balance
between work and study.
His sister Scholastica adapts rules for
nuns living in convents. She showed the
importance of love and compassion to
balance rigid rules.
Monks establish schools, preserve
learning through libraries
(pictures: wikipedia)
 St.
Benedict founded a community for monks
for which he wrote a set of rules
 Divides day into series of activities, with
emphasis on prayer and manual labor



Physical labor: “…idleness is the enemy of the
soul”
Prayer- meditation, readings, gather 7 x day, for
chanting of Psalms and common prayer
Ate, worked, slept, and worshiped together
 Monastery
ruled by an abbot
 Monks take vows of obedience, poverty

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In 590, Gregory I, also called
Gregory the Great, becomes
pope
Under Gregory, Church
becomes secular-a political
and worldly power; even
coined money
Pope’s palace becomes center
of Roman government
Uses Church money to raise
armies, care for poor,
negotiate treaties, fix roads
Establishes a Christendomchurchly kingdom fanning out
from Rome
(picture: wikipedia)
 How
was Pope
Gregory I like a
Roman emperor?
 He saw the Church as
a kingdom spreading
over a wide territory
ruled from Rome. He
raised armies,
repaired roads, and
helped the poor.
 Europe’s
Kingdom’s:
 The Franks control largest and strongest of
Europe’s many kingdoms
 By 511, Frankish rule extends over what is
now France
Most powerful official in
kingdom is major domo—
mayor or the palace
 In 719, major domo
Charles Martel becomes
more powerful than king
 Defeats Muslims from
Spain at Tours in 732;
becomes a Christian hero
 Son, Pepin, begins
Carolingian Dynastyfamily that ruled 751-987

 Fights
the Lombards who were fighting in
Italy and threatening Rome
 Pope was pleased and as a reward anointed
Pepin king

(picture:wikipedia)

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From Pepin to Charlemagne
Pepin dies in 768, leaves
kingdom to two sons; in 771
one son dies
Second son, Charlemagne
(Charles the Great), rules
kingdom
6’ 4”; fair hair, piercing eyes;
“His nose was rather larger
than is usual; he had beautiful
white hair and his appearance
was dignified and impressive;
He constantly practiced
swimming; He took the trouble
to learn foreign languages. He
built the great and most
beautiful church at Aachen.”
Charlemagne’s armies reunite western Europe,
spread Christianity
 In 800, Charlemagne travels to Rome to protect
Pope Leo III (bottom left) from mobs
 Pope crowns Charlemagne emperor; gives him
title, “Roman Emperor” on Christmas Day
 Reunited western Europe for the first time since
the Roman Empire (see map on page 356)
 Germanic power, Church, and heritage of
Roman Empire now joined together


(pictures:wikipedia)
Gold and silver lamps
lighted the palace
chapel, and gold
mosaics adorned the
chapel’s dome.
 In the palace area, he
built a marble pool
that could hold 100
people and was filled
with water from a hot
spring. Italian marble
decorated a reception
hall.

 Charlemagne
limits nobles’ power by
governing through royal agents
 Encourages learning and orders
monasteries to open schools; “He paid the
greatest attention to the liberal arts, and
showed the greatest respect and
bestowed high honors upon those who
taught them. He tried to learn to
write…but he made little advance in this
strange task, which was begun too late in
life.”
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Charlemagne dies in 814 after
ruling over 40 years; his son,
Louis the Pious, was a weak
ruler and rules poorly
Louis’s three sons fight for
control of empire in a civil war
In 843 they divide empire into
three kingdoms by signing the
Treaty of Verdun (see map p.
356)
As a result, kings lose power
and central authority breaks
down. This leads to feudalism
and invasions.
(picture: wikipedia)
 What
role did the Church play in helping
Clovis conquer other Germanic peoples?
 The church supported his military campaigns
against other Germanic peoples.
 2.
What role did Pope Gregory the Great
play in spreading the idea of a vast unified
kingdom?
 He broadened the Church’s power to include
secular affairs and spread the idea of a
churchly kingdom.
 3.
What was important about Charles
Martel’s victory at the Battle of Tours?
 The victory halted a Muslim invasion,
prevented the Frankish kingdom from
becoming part of the Muslim Empire, and
made him a hero.
 4.
How did Pepin the Short strengthen the
Frankish kingdom?
 He successfully fought the Lombards and was
anointed by the pope, establishing an
informal alliance between the pope and the
Frankish kings.
 5.
What was the importance of
Charlemagne’s coronation as emperor?
 The even signaled the joining of Germanic
power, the Church, and the heritage of the
Roman Empire.
 6.
How did Charlemagne govern his unified
kingdom?
 He sent out agents to see that counts
governed their counties justly, and visited
every part of his kingdom; he supervised the
management of his huge estates.
 Maps
and pictures were obtained from
Wikipedia, Encarta, clip art,
UnitedStreaming, and the textbook.