9.5 Medieval Europe

500-1500 CE

The Big Picture 4th-5th centuries

Roman Empire

Allies with

“Barbarians”

To watch over regions

In name of Rome

476

Western Roman

Empire Falls

5th-8th centuries

“Dark Ages”

Barbarian Kingdoms

Mostly fail

8th-9th centuries

Invasion, instability,

decentralization

Vikings

Magyars

9th century

Charlemagne

One Europe

Holy Roman Empire

10th century

fragmentation

11th century

Crusades

12th-13th century

“High Middle Ages”

Frankish Rulers

Merovingian

• 400s CE Franks = strongest Germanic group • Clovis

• 1st king of Franks • 1st accept Catholicism

• 714 CE Charles Martel • Defeat Muslims at Tours

• 752 CE Pepin le Bref • Quid pro quo: Pope’s blessing in

exchange for helping Pope

Charlemagne

Frankish Rulers

• 768 Charlemagne = king • Son of Pepin • Frankish Empire • Revival of Learning

• “Carolingian Renaissance” • Pope crowns him new Roman Emperor,

Rheims, 800 • Local officials help enforce • 814 Empire breaks up at death

• 843 Treaty of Verdun • Divide empire; grandsons

Invasions Vikings

• Raiders from north

• Settled throughout Europe

• Disconnected trade

• Instability • Weaken

monarchs

Medieval Life

Feudal Relationships

• 700s – military service linked to land ownership to support cavalry • Fief

• Helps finance horses & equipment • Warriors, then counts and nobles • Noble class evolves to carry out government functions • Oath of loyalty • Vassal • homage

• 900s – feudalism • peasants

Feudalism

• Political system

• Social hierarchy

• Obligations up and down

• Rights and responsibilities

• Three estates

• Middle Ages as transformation of Roman world

Nobility – The Second Estate

Medieval Life

• Lord of the manor • Rents • Knights • chivalry

Manorialism

Medieval Life

• Lord’s wealth from peasant labor • Serfs

• Economic system • Contrast to feudalism, which is a political

system • Agricultural improvements boost productivity &

ease threat of famine • System was low on freedom, high on

stability/security

Manorialism

• Economic system

• “Insular”; independent

• Social hierarchy

• Land = “wealth generator”

– Wealth trickle-down

• commons

New technologies make life better…

Medieval help desk...

New Agriculture

• Population growth

• Climate change

• Technology • Mills

• Iron tools

• Carruca

• Iron plow

• Horse collar

• Horseshoe

• 2-field to 3-field system

Roman Catholic Church

100-500 CE 500-750 CE 750-1500 CE

1053 Great Schism

1347 Black Death

1517 Reformation

The Church took over where Roman government left off, imitating its forms and authority and preserving much Roman culture.

Medieval Church

The First Estate

• Church grows into shell of Roman Empire • Hierarchy

• Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest • Monasticism = the highest ideal of Christian life

• 529 Benedictines founded • Periodic need for reform

Medieval Church

Monasticism

• Preserve knowledge • School • Hospital • Lodging • Mid-1100s Benedictine Rule adopted by Gregory I

Medieval Church

Power

• Heresy • Blasphemy • Orthodoxy • Interdict • Excommunication • Lay investiture • 1232 Inquisition

Church Control Tools

• Interdict

• Excommunication

• Inquisition

• Control of information

– The Sunday Pulpit

• “Peace of God”

• Indulgences

• tax exempt

Medieval Church

Friars

• Reformers • Towns • Debaters! • Francis of Assisi

Medieval Church

Jews

• Increase in Church power led to worsening position of Jews • Not citizens of European countries ‘til 19th century • Anti-Semitism • Blamed for crucifixion • Stories…

• Blood libel • Role in society

• Money lending

Controversy: Church Law

• Churchmen were subject to Church (ecclesiastical) courts, not civil authorities.

• Could the Pope remove kings?

• Did kings have to obey the Pope?

Controversy: King or Pope?

Controversy: Lay Investiture • Who got to pick bishops?

New Orders

• Cistercians

• Outside monastery

• Hildegard of Bingen

• chant

• Franciscans

• Dominicans

RISE OF EUROPEAN MONARCHY

Rise of European Monarchy

England

• 400s immigration / invasion Angles, Saxons, Jutes • 886 Alfred the Great

• Defeats Danes • Revival of learning

• 1066 William of Normandy “The Conqueror” • Norman French • Battle of Hastings

• 300 years of blending French-Anglo-Saxon • 1215 King John and Magna Carta • Emerging middle class in later Middle Ages

• “bourgeois” • Parliament invented

Rise of European Monarchy

France

• 987 Hugh Capet • Seized French throne • 300 year dynasty • Centralized monarchy

• 12th cen. Philip II • Double size of France • Weaken feudal lords

• Estates-General evolves • French history is monarchy becoming more absolute

Rise of European Monarchy

Holy Roman Empire

• Not holy, not Roman, not an empire • Germany • Weak, separate states/kingdoms • Powerful feudal lords • 962 Otto I crowned Holy Roman Emperor by pope in exchange for helping

Pope John XII • Otto & successors claim right to help pick pope; popes claim right to

depose kings