Into the Darkness…

The Dark Ages 1) What did the Fall of the Western

Roman Empire mean for Europe? 2) What were the “Dark Ages?” 3) Charlemagne restores the “light” 4) Back to Black...

1. What did the fall of the Western Roman Empire mean for Europe?

• Loss of strong, unified leadership • Loss of law & order

• Severe decline in literacy and education

• Economic collapse

2. What were the “Dark Ages?”

• Period in European history from around 500 CE to 1100 CE

• Defined by cultural and economic deterioration

• Loss of Roman culture meant decline in law and order, education, economy, medicine, art, etc.

• Drastic rise in the wealth, power, and influence of the Catholic Church

• During the Dark Ages, might equals right. In other words, the strong take from the weak what they cannot protect for themselves

3. Charlemagne Restores the “light”

Charles Martel and the Battle of Tours, 732 CE

King Pepin III (Pepin the Short) • King of the

Franks from 751 to 768

• Overthrew Merovingians and established Carolingian dynasty

Carloman I Charlemagne

• Unlike many rulers who came after the fall of Rome, Charlemagne was extremely devoted to rebuilding civilization

• Through military conquest Charlemagne expanded his empire in every direction

• In 800 CE Charlemagne was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome

• While Charlemagne tried to make life better for people in his empire, he could be ruthless to his enemies

• Wherever he conquered, Charlemagne forced the locals to convert to Christianity. Those who refused were executed

Charlemagne’s Renaissance

• Renaissance = from the French meaning literally “re-birth”

• Naissance = birth

• Charlemagne saw education as the key to Europe’s economic and cultural recover

• He established many new schools throughout his empire to promote learning and literacy

• Charlemagne revived architecture and took an interest in literature. His reign really did give a brief rebirth to culture in Europe!

4. Back to Black… • After Charlemagne’s death in 814 CE,

his empire quickly fell apart due to invasions from the Vikings, Muslims, and Hungarians

• By 900 CE, dusk came to Europe’s renaissance as the continent was plunged back into the Dark Ages