AGES OF HISTORY (part 2)

Middle Ages

Ages of History• Last classes it’s been studied that History is

divided in Prehistory and Human History.• Prehistory is……….• Human History is………• What has marked up the beginning and end of

each age, has been studied too.• Antiquity was studied too, and we found out that

it begins with the origins of the writing process, and to specify a date in 776 BC with the First Greek Olympiads; and it ends with the Fall of the Roman Empire (western side) in 476 AD.

MIDDLE AGES

• The Middle Ages or Medieval Ages, is a period from the 5th century through the 15th century. It starts with the Fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, ends with the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. It is the middle period among Classical History (Antiquity) and Modern Era. The term was coined in the 15th century and reflects the view that this period was a deviation from the path of classical learning, a path supposedly reconnected by Renaissance scholarship.

MIDDLE AGES

• This period of History was marked up my several events and has been divided in two stages: Early and High.

• Early Middle Ages goes until around the 11th century.

• High Middle Ages goes from that point to the Fall of Constantinople.

Early Middle Ages

476 - 1050

EARLY MIDDLE AGES

• Some important events of this period are:– The collapse of Rome– Kingdoms rise and migration period– The Rise of the European Empires– Feudalism– Christianity is spread and consolides its power– The Rise of Islam– Viking Age– Resurgence of Latin West

EARLY MIDDLE AGES

• At the beginning of the Medieval times, the Western Roman Empire had fallen, Bavarian and other Germanic tribes had siezed Rome and what before use to be an organized territory in continuing growth, had broken down. For this certain historians call this period as Dark Ages.

• Thus this age is basically an age of Europe History, of the several battles and depressions in a collapsing society.

Germanic Peoples

What occur was that the Roman empire was overran by Germanic groups with repeated invasions and constant warfare, having consequences:

• Breakdown of trade: money became scarce.

• Cities abandoned – no longer center of economy or administration

• Population became rural.

• Decline of literacy – priests and other church officials were the few that were literate.

• Breakup of unified empire – language began to change. No longer Latin.

• End of Democracy

European Empire EvolvesAfter the decline of the Roman Empire small kingdoms sprang up all over Europe. Germanic tribes start to invade territory migrating from the north, occupying the cities, while the former Romans move to rural areas.

The largest and the strongest was controlled by the Franks

• Lead by Clovis – first Christian king

• Area that is now France

• Greatest king was Charlemagne

• most powerful king in Western

Europe

• encouraged learning

•Defended the Pope

From Rome to ConstantinopleCONSTANTINOPLE• (former city of Byzantium) became new capital and control

centre for Roman Empire• Was largest city by population in the world west of China• Strategic location on trade routes• One of largest natural harbours in the world linked the east

and west• Byzantine gold coin (bezant) was the main currency of

international trade• Ruled provinces by Roman model (governors, bureaucracy and

imperial army, heavy taxation and favouring of royal family and priests in trade and taxes

While the Roman Empire declined the Church remained

• Missionaries succeeded in spreading Christianity

• Adapted to rural conditions by building monasteries – religious communities

o Rules established by Benedict

o Became best educated communities

• Shared belief bonded the people together

• The church served as a stable force as well as social center

Power of the Church

Power of the Church

• Provided a unifying set of spiritual beliefs and rituals

• Created a system of justice to guide peoples conduct – Cannon Law – the law of the church

excommulgation – banishment

interdict – the denial of sacraments - important religious ceremonies (baptism, last rights)

The ClergyReligious officials had different ranks within the church structure

Expanding Influence of the Church• Christian Church has become an important political,

economic, spiritual and cultural force in Europe• Leading officials of Church were the Pope and

Patriarch • Banning of heresy (holding beliefs that contradict the

official religion)• conversion by force• Eventually in 11th Century, Church split into two

independent branches Eastern Orthodox (Greek) based in Constantinople and Roman Catholic in Rome

You scratch my back… I’ll scratch yours….

• Church was granted favours by Roman Emperors / Kings (land, exemption from taxes, immunity in courts, positions in courts) and in return the Church would endorse kings to help secure their rule

• Kings looked to Church to supply educated administrators to help run kingdoms and in return kings would enforce laws that prohibited other religions

Monasticism and Saints

• Monks were people who gave up worldly possessions and devote themselves to a religious life

• Established between 400 -700 communities called monasteries which became centres of education, literacy and learning

• Strict codes of monastic conduct called Rule of St. Benedict

• Saints- one who performs miracles that are interpreted as evidence of a special relationship with God

• St. Augustine- wrote “Confessions” which discussed ideas of ethics, self knowledge, and the role of free will which shaped monastic tradition and the influence of Church

Justinian the Great (ruled 527-565 CE)

• Byzantine Emperor

• goal to reunite the Roman world as a Christian Empire and suppressed all paganism

• Ordered the codification of Roman laws in the Justinian Code or “Body of Civil Law” that defined civil law in the Middle Ages and the modern world

• Crushed the Nika Riot with the help of his wife Theodora

• During his reign Latin was the official language of the Byzantine Empire, but was later changed to Greek (another difference between two regions)

Byzantine Empire in 6th Century

Carolingians• Rise of aristocratic Charles Martel who dominated

Frankish kingdom in 8th century

• He confiscated land given to Church and began Church reforms that would restore spirituality to clerical life

• His son Pepin the Short continued Church reforms and eventually with the support of reformed Church, removed last Merovingian king from throne

• Established the Carolingian dynasty, named to protect thepapacy and establish the popeand bishops are the makers of kings

• Greatest legacy was Charles the Great, or Charlemagne

The Holy Roman Empire & Charlemagne

• Charlemagne (Charles the Great) who was a military general and restored Pope Leo III who had been exiled

• In return, Leo placed a crown on Charlemagne and named him the “Emperor of the Romans” which secured the relationship between Frankish kings and the papacy

• Charlemagne became the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, a dynasty that would last for more than 700 years

• Charlemagne- imposed order on empire through the Church and state

• Ordered the standardization of Latin, textbooks, manuals for preaching, schools for clergy and people, new form of handwriting

• All these promoted education and scholars and produced a precise written language (Latin)

Feudalism

Think of a chess set

Feudalism

Based on mutual obligation

Military protection

Provide knights in times of war

service

Fiefs – land grants

Fiefs – land grants

protection

FeudalismManors

The lords estate –

The lord provided the serfs with housing, farmland and protection

Serfs tended the lands, cared for the animals, maintained the estate

FeudalismManors

Peasants rarely traveled more than 25 miles from the manor

Was home to 15 – 30 families

Self-Sufficient community

Peasants heavily taxed, including a tithe – a church tax of 1/10 their income

P.Trejo

The feudalism was a kind of government. It was also a way of life.

P.Trejo

The nobles promised to help fight the king’s enemies.

P.Trejo

The kings gave land to the nobles under him.

P.Trejo

The nobles were called vassals of the king. The vassals who fought for their king or for other nobles

were called knights.

P.Trejo

A serf was someone who farmed the land. Serfs had to pay rent and taxes to the nobles.

P.Trejo

Most people in the early Middle ages

lived on a manor.

P.Trejo

A small church was

an important

part of each manor.

P.Trejo

The church saved education from completely disappearing after the fall of

Rome.

P.Trejo

Christian priests learned to read an write. All books were handwritten.

P.Trejo

The church helped keep the knowledge of Greece and Rome from being

forgotten.

P.Trejo

Religious men were called monks and nuns.

P.Trejo

The (Turks) followers of Islam were known as Mores, now know as Muslims.

P.Trejo

Around A.D. 1000, Muslims in Jerusalem no longer welcomed Christians visitors. The Christians went on several journeys to

try to capture Jerusalem. These journeys were called the Crusades.

P.Trejo

Christians made a long, difficult journey to visit Jerusalem.

P.Trejo

Crusaders who returned brought treasures home with them.

Vikings AttackCharlemagne's empire was broken up by his grandsons and was soon destroyed by invaders who would attack by sea, raid and plunder, then be quickly out to sea again.

• Vikings – Germanic people called Norsemen

• From Scandinavia

• Worshipped warlike gods

• Warriors, traders, farmers, and explorers

Birth of Modern Languages

• Development of Middle Ages• New languages born through migration,

resettlement, conflict and changes• Old English (Anglo Saxon) began to

incorporate words borrowed from Latin and Old French, Old German and Old Norse

• Roots of contemporary Spanish, Italian and other Romance languages