THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES

- The last emperor of Rome was Romulus Agustulus who was deposed in

476 AD by the Ostrogoths. This date mark the beginning of the Middle ages.

- The Germanic peoples were organized into tribes, but when they settled in a

region they converted it into a kingdom. The Germanic peoples, who were

relatively few in number, formed the ruling group, and the native inhabitants

had to submit to them.

- Most of the Germanic peoples' cultural traditions disappeared as they

adopted the culture of the lands they conquered. They abandoned their

polytheistic religions and converted to Christianity.

Activities 9, 10 and 12: page 11

Byzantine Empire

• Easter Roman Empire richer than Western one

• Resisted germanic invasions

• Capital: Constantinople

• Golden Age: VI / 6th C. (JUSTINIAN&THEODORA)

• Justinian Code

• Art & Religion

• Decline

Byzantine Empire

JUSTINIAN & THEODORA (527-565 A.D.)

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKBop-9j0w8

•Justinian had great power (government, army &religious leader)

•He tried to rebuild the Roman Empire They conquered territories in western Europe and North Africa

•He recovered and adapted Roman law (Justinian Code)

•They promote art, culture and Christian Religion

JUSTINIAN CODE

•Justinian hired a commission to review all the laws that had accumulated over the centuries and to simplify them. •This commission categorized the laws into classes based on the issues that they dealt with. •They combined many similar laws, made complex laws more simple, while getting rid of many outdated laws.

Byzantine Empire

Laws about Justinian Code American Law

Women´s right All women can own property, make contracts and will, and bring a lawsuit.

All women can own property, make contracts and wills, bring a lawsuit. Women are guaranteed the same right as men.

Robbery Robbery was not a crime. The victim could sue the robber for up to four times the values of the stolen property

Robbery is a crime and is punishable by a fine and/ or a prison sentence.

Failure to pay debts People owed something had to the person owing them to gain debt back.

People owed something had to the person owing them to gain debt back.

Murder Murder was punished by banishment

Murder is punished by a prison sentence or death

Inheritance Women could not inherit property from their husbands unless it was provided in a will. Children received equal amounts of the father’s estate.

Standard law allows wives and children to divide an estate. Other directions can be provided for in a will.

Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire: Culture & Religion

After Justinian…

•Greek replaced Latin as the official language

•Religion played a very important role: 8th C./ VIII riots because of the prohibition of worshiping icons.

•In 1054: East-West Schism

•Orthodox monks evangelized people of Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Greece…)

Byzantine Empire: Catholic & Orthodox Church

In common

•Both are Christians

•Come directly from the apostles and their successors

Different

•Papal Authority(from 9th IX c.)

•Virgin Mary conceived without sin

•Celibate (1000 years ago)

•Purgatory

Art & Culture under Justinian

Byzantine Empire: Decline

• After Justinian´s Death the Empire begun to lose territories. • Lombards invaded Italy (2nd half of 6th C.) • Visigoths expelled the Byzantines from the Iberian

Peninsula (2nd half of 6th C.) • Muslims conquered southern and easter coasts of the

Mediterranean (7th & 8th C.) • Slavs settled to the south of the R. Danube (7thC) • Constantinople remained until 1453. (conquered by the

Turks) • http://www.ducksters.com/history/byzantine_empire_ques

tions.php

Documentaries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei9xKYXe464