the early and high middle ages. middle ages early middle ages 5th to 10th centuries dark ages ...

The Early and High Middle Ages

Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages

5th to 10th centuriesDark Ages

Period of disorder and decline High Middle Ages

11th to 14th centuriesAdvanced toward higher level of

civilization

Dark Ages

Germanic invasions helped bring decline of civilizationTrade & industry

Merchants feared robbers and piratesRoman roads deterioratedUnemployed to rural areas

Learning & cultureConcerned with staying aliveDestroyed Roman places of learning

Dark AgesDecline of strong central gov’t.

Germanic kingdoms weakRulers generally failed to provide

protection, justice and orderGerman kingdoms lacked:

Power to control large territoriesInfrastructureRules of succession to throne

Byzantine Empire

OriginWestern Rome fellEastern Rome lasted until 1453

Middle Eastern and Greek cultural characteristics

Byzantine History

Greatest extent under JustinianExpanded across Africa to SpainWanted to restore Roman Empire

Over time lost from west back to east1453-Constantinople fell to

Ottoman Turks

Byzantine LifeAutocratic government

Emperor was God’s earthly representativeDominated Byzantine (Greek Orthodox)

Church Eastern Christianity

Patriarch chosen by & subservient to emperor

Converted Russians & Balkans to eastern Christianity

In 1054 Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches separated

Byzantine LifeRich through trade & industryConstantinople

Paved, lit streetsRecreational facilities

Parks/playgroundsMuseumsLibrariesSchools

Byzantine Contributions

Codified Roman lawPreserved Greek culture

Spoke Greek

Stimulated revival of learningFostered architecture & art

Combined Greco-Roman and Persian features Adorned with mosaics

Buffer for western Europe by taking hit from eastern invaders

Roman Catholic ChurchMost powerful institution in

medieval western EuropeModeled after Rome’s government

Pope--supreme leaderCardinals--chief advisorsBishops--head religious districtsPriests--direct local communities

RCC’s Religious RoleTaught:

Importance of sacramentsFaith, good works, and church

membership for salvationUsed excommunication

against those who violated Church laws

Held inquisitions to uncover heretics

RCC’s Economic Role

Monks farmed Considerable income from its:

Lands (30% of western Europe)Gifts (especially through oblation)Taxes (10% tithe)

Prohibited usury

RCC’s Cultural Role

Promoted learning by maintaining schools

Copied ancient books and manuscripts, preserving classical culture

RCC’s Political Role

Governed Papal States in ItalyDeveloped canon law

based on Roman law Had its own courtsClaimed supremacy over

civil government

Frankish KingdomClovis created powerful kingdom (5th

century)Subdued other Germanic

tribes in GaulConverted Franks

to Catholic Christianity, gaining support of:PopeGaul’s large Christian population

Frankish Kingdom

Merovingian dynastyHis incompetent descendants ruled

for more than 200 years“Do-Nothing” KingsPower passed to powerful noble,

“Mayor of the Palace”

Frankish KingdomCarolingian dynasty

Charles MartelDefeated Moors at Tours (732)

PepinAt father’s death,

became Mayor of the Palace

Removed last Do-Nothing King

Charlemagne got throne in 768

Charlemagne

768-814Increased power of

Catholic ChurchEnded Lombard threat

to Papal StatesConverted pagan

peoples to Catholicism

Charlemagne

Empire= most

of western Europe

CharlemagneEmperor of the Romans (800)

Crowned by Pope Leo III in Rome

GovernmentEmpire divided into provinces

Each ruled by nobleMonitored by missi dominici

Temporarily halted shift of power from central government to nobles

Education under Charlemagne

Charlemagne valued educationEstablished schools in monasteries

and cathedrals Encouraged collecting and copying

of Latin manuscripts

Education under

Charlemagne

Created Carolingian miniscule (small letters)

Breakup of Charlemagne’s Empire

Treaty of Verdun divided empire among 3 grandsonsLouis

Eastern/modern GermanyCharles

Western/modern FranceLothar

Central/modern Italy

Differed from Roman Empire

RomeCentered around

Mediterranean

Endured many centuries

CharlemagneEncompassed

mainly central and western Europe

Crumbled at Charlemagne’s death

New Invasions (9th-11th centuries)

Vikings to coastal/ river cities

New Invasions (9th-11th centuries)

Magyars from Asia to Hungary to Western Europe

Arabs to Southern France/Italy

New Invasions (9th-11th centuries)

Normans invaded Britain from FranceLed to development of new

relationship ... feudalism

Why Feudalism?Attacks from outsidersWeakness of central

governmentsGerman rulers gave

landed estates to important nobles in return for military assistance

Feudalism DefinedSocial system

Rigid class distinctionsStatic (unchanging) way of life

Political systemLocal governmentLocal military defense

Economic systemSelf-sufficient agricultural manors

Feudal Society

Determined by birth, not workFeudal social pyramid

KingNominally owned all landControlled only his estates

Powerful lordsGot fiefs from kingPledged military service

Feudal Society

Feudal social pyramid (cont’d)Lesser lords

Got fiefs from powerful lordPledged military service

KnightsMost numerous nobles

Serfs--peasants

Feudal Economy

Self-sufficient agricultural manorSerfs bound to landLow agricultural output

Serfs given scattered strips of landWooden plows and crude sicklesThree-field system

Feudal Economy

Disappearance of tradeManors became more self-sufficientCommerce unsafeHeavy taxes imposed by nobles on

goods transported across their domains

Civil/Religious Struggles

On basis of 2 crownings, RCC asserted that popes may dethrone and crown emperors Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne

“Emperor of the Romans” in 800Upon his death title was unusedPope John XII crowned Otto I emperor

in 962, beginning Holy Roman Empire

Civil/Religious StrugglesCivil rulers and popes claimed

right to appoint RCC officialsRulers gave fiefs to RCC officials Popes gave religious authority

Concordat of Worms (1122): Popes appoint Church officials Rulers could continue to give fiefs

(allowing them to have some say over selections)

Civil/Religious StrugglesArchbishop of Canterbury struggle

(1206-1215)John rejected pope’s choice for A/CPope excommunicated John and ordered

him deposedThis forced John to:

Accept pope’s choiceAcknowledge pope as his lord

Nobles had him sign Magna Carta

Revival of Trade/TownsEnd of barbarian invasionsCrusades increased European

demand for Eastern luxuriesGrowth of well-located townsTowns provided facilities for:

StorageMarketingProduction of goods

Revival of Trade/Towns

Rise of bourgeoisie (middle class)New economic class grew with:

Increased tradeGrowth of towns

Consisted of professional people:MerchantsShopkeepersBankers

Leading Medieval CentersIn Italy

Cities on Italian seacoastVeniceGenoaPisaNaples

AdvantagesMediterranean locationCommercial tradition

Leading Medieval Centers

In BelgiumCities in province of Flanders

BrugesGhent

Flemish cities at crossroads of trade routes from northern Europe to Italy

Leading Medieval CentersIn Northern Germany

Cities:BremenHamburgLubeck

Controlled trade in Baltic and North seas

In 1200s became Hanseatic League

Craft Guilds’ ActivitiesEconomic

Dealt with production issues Established standards/prices

EducationalRegulated training/advancement

Political and social, similar to:Modern labor unionsPolitical partiesMutual aid societies

Crusades (1095-1291)

Byzantine emperor appealed to RCC for aid against Moslem Turks

4 major crusades failed to recapture Jerusalem

Turks had it until after WWI

Political Effects of Crusades

Strengthened kings/central governments by:Weakening nobilityStimulating trade

Trade needs central authority offering law and order

Rising merchant class supported kings

Socio-Economic Effects of Crusades

Weakened serfdomSome paid for use of lord’s land in

money by selling cropsEvolved into modern tenant-landlord

relationshipSome freed

Joined CrusadesFled to cities for year + 1 day

Social Effects of CrusadesBroadened peoples’ outlook

Crusaders saw advanced Moslem and Byzantine civilizations

Gained better geographic knowledge

Encouraged learning

Economic Effects of Crusades

Stimulated trade and townsIncreased European demand for

Eastern productsThroughout Europe, especially in

Italy:Money replaced barterBourgeoisie gained wealth and

influence

Higher Education

1000-1100s--scholars founded many important universities

Wide variety of subjectsTheologyPhilosophyLawMedicine