Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages

What is it………

The period in European history between the downfall of Rome and the Renaissance.**

Divisions of….

Early Middle Ages

High Middle Ages

Late Middle Ages

The Middle Ages

The Fall of Rome

External Threats– Northern Germanic Tribes

• Invaded Roman Empire in 5th century**

– Mongols

Internal Threats– Growth and expansion ended– The “Bad” emperors– Social Divide

Results from the fall of Rome

Loss of Centralized Authority

Power Void

Dominance of Germanic culture or blending of

Loss of “institutions”

Decline of Learning

Ultimately a new form of government focused upon 1 factor (security)

Who fills void of Roman Empire

Kings

Rise to power

In 496 Clovis will rise to King**

511 Clovis unites the Franks into one kingdom

The “Church”

Provide for the loss of many “institutions”

Education

Writing

History

Some Security

Organization of the Church

Monasteries

Essentially religious communities**

Monasteries enable the “Church” to adapt to the rural population shift of Middle Ages

Allowed the “church” to reach the people

Men devoted to religious life were monks; women were nuns**

Branch office

Monks

In 520 popular monk named Benedict appears

Benedict writes a set of very strict laws for his monasteries– Manual labor and prayer

731 Venerable Bede writes history of England

“Church” organization

Organization

Parishes: local Christian communities

Bishop: head of a parish

Diocese: area of authority of a bishop

Popes: eventual leaders of Roman Catholic Church

Early Popes

Gregory I– Becomes Pope in 590**– Also served as leader of the

city of Rome (later called the Papal States)

– Increased power of Pope– Worked to convert Germanic

Europe to Christianity – G. Chant

The Franks

The Kings of Franks

Charles Martel– Defeats muslims at Battle of

Tours 732

Pepin– Mayor of the Palace

(eventually took the throne)– Died 768

Charlemagne– Charles the Great (son of

Pepin)

Charlemagne

768-814

Created the Carolingian Empire– Not until Napoleon

800 coronation; Emperor of the Romans– Symbolized unification of

Roman, Germanic, & Christian Elements

Death in 814 will start the decline of Carolingian Empire

Invaders of Europe (800-1000)

Muslims– Southern coast

Magyars– Settled plains of

Hungary

Vikings– Northmen (Norsemen) – Destroyed towns and

churches – Given land named

Normandy

Rise of Feudalism

Feudalism: new political and social system

Vassal: served lord in military capacity

Fief: grant of land made to a vassal

Feudal Contract: determined relationship between lord and vassal

Kings

Lords

Knights

Serfs

Rise of European Kingdoms

England

Angles & Saxons

Oct. 14, 1066– Battle of Hastings– William of Normandy;

crowned King of England

Henry II (1154-1189)– Thomas Becket

King John– 1215 Magna Carta (beginning

of limited power)

France

Capetian Kings– Little more than Paris

Philip II Augustus – 1180-1223– Growth of French Monarchy

Philip IV (Philip the Fair)– 1285-1314– By 1300 France the largest &

best governed monarchy in Europe

Rise of European Kingdoms

Holy Roman Empire

Otto I– 962 crowned emperor of the

Romans

Frederick I– “Italy the center of a holy

empire”

Frederick II – Goal: Strong centralized

government in Italy

Time periods of the Middle Ages

Early– 500-900– True “Dark” Ages– Fall of institutions

High– 1000-1200

Late– 1300-1500

High Middle Ages

Primary Themes– Peak of feudal

institutions– Peak of “Church”

influence – Revival of Trade,

Cities, Learning

Peak of “Church” Influence

Age of Faith– Increase of intolerance

The Crusades – Urban II encourages

military campaigns to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims

– Urban’s challenge well received (religious zeal, class of warriors, economics)

False Crusade– 1096 the Peasant

Crusaders– Peter the Hermit– Walter the Penniless

Early Crusades– First 1097– Second 1147– Third 1189– Fourth 1202

Economic Impact of Crusades

High Middle Ages

Rise of Universities – First Universities– Bolgna (1158); then Paris, Oxford– After university could go on to law, medicine or

theology – Scholasticism: philosophical and theological

system which tried to reconcile faith and reason; harmonize Christian teachings with the works of Greek philosophers

Late Middle Ages

Decline of Feudal institutions– Hundred Years’ War– New Monarchies– Rise of money economy & commercial capitalism in High Middle

Ages

Decline of “Church” influence– Great Schism 1378-1417

Disease – Black Death– 1347-1353– European population of 75 million; possibly 38 million die

For the Test

Pages 283-308; 320-322; 329-340