the middle ages- introduction
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THE MIDDLE AGES
AN INTRODUCTION
@ 476 AD-1350
PERIOD FROM THE DECLINE OF THE WESTERN ROMAN
EMPIRE TO THE RENAISSANCE
MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE MIDDLE AGES
CULTURAL
A BLEND OF THREE CULTURESGERMANCHRISTIANGRECO-ROMAN (CLASSICAL)
RELIGIOUS POWERFUL CHURCH AND
PAPACY DOMINATED THE MIDDLE AGES
LATIN WAS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT AND THE CHURCH
MONKS HELPED TO SPREAD CHRISTIANITY AND PRESERVE CLASSICAL AND BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE
SOCIAL MOST PEOPLE LIVED IN SMALL
VILLAGES AND RURAL SETTLEMENTS
FEW PEOPLE COULD READ AND WRITE
HIGH INFANT MORTALITY RATE LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY FEUDALISM WAS THE SOCIAL
AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE
POLITICAL POWERFUL FEUDAL KINGS RULED EUROPE WAS DIVIDED INTO
KINGDOMS- NOT NATION-STATES
KINGS RULED WITH THE LOYALITY AND SUPPORT OF THEIR LORDS AND KNIGHTS (Vassals)
CONFLICTS AND WARS BETWEEN KINGDOMS WERE COMMON
MAJOR DIVISIONS OF MEDIEVAL
HISTORY
EARLY MIDDLE AGES POWERFUL ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
AND PAPACY GERMANIC (FRANKISH) KINGS
CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY CAROLINGIAN DYNASTY
CHARLEMAGNE FEW PEOPLE COULD READ OR WRITE
LIMITED ACCESS TO BOOKS AND LITERATURE- NO PRINTING PRESS
MOST PEOPLE LIVED IN SMALL VILLAGES SUBSISTENCE FARMING- GREW JUST
ENOUGH TO LIVE ON ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
Charlemagne
THE TREATY OF VERDUNCHARLEMAGNE’S KINGDOM IS
DIVIDED
FEUDALISM
HIGH MIDDLE AGES CITIES AND TOWNS (BURGS) BEGAN TO GROW
(URBANIZATION) GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE EMERGED
LITERACY AND LEARNING EXPANDED UNIVERSITIES DEVELOPED
OXFORD CAMBRIDGE
LITERATURE BEGAN TO BE WRITTEN IN THE COMMON LANGUAGES , NOT JUST LATIN CANTURBURY TALES THE DIVINE COMEDY
BUSINESS PRACTICES DEVELOPED AND TRADE EXPANDED BANKING
MIDDLE CLASS BEGAN TO EMERGE BURGHERS- CITIZENS OF THE TOWN- (BURG)
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
LATE MIDDLE AGES THE POWER AND PRESTIGE OF THE CHURCH AND
PAPACY BEGAN TO DECLINE IMPACT OF THE CRUSADES THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY GREAT SCHISM
PERIODS OF CROP FAILURE AND FAMINE THE BLACK DEATH KILLED NEARLY HALF OF EUROPE’S
POPULATION FEUDAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE WAS CHALLENGED AS NEW
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AROSE (MIDDLE CLASS)
NATION-STATES BEGAN TO EMERGE WITH POWERFUL MONARCHS ENGLAND FRANCE SPAIN
MEDIEVAL MONASTICISM
“THE MONASTIC ORDERS CIVILIZED EUROPE WITH
CROSS, BOOK, AND PLOUGH.”
THE MONASTIC ORDERS OF THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
ST. BENEDICT ITALIAN MONK STARTED A NEW CHRISTIAN
RELIGIOUS ORDER FOCUSED ON
WORK PRAYER SCRIPTURE HOSPITALITY
ST BENEDICT
THE MONKS CIVILIZED MEDIEVAL EUROPE
WITH
CROSS
EARLY MISSIONARIES SPREAD THE GOSPEL STARTED CHURCHES
BOOK
STARTED SCHOOLS COPIED THE ANCIENT (CLASSICAL
LITERATURE) MANUSCRIPTS AND THE BIBLE
PLOW
MONASTARIES OFTEN WERE LARGE FARMS
MONKS WORKED TO DEVELOP NEW FARMING TECHNIQUES
IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS OF
THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
URBANIZATION- GROWTH OF CITIES
RISE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS UNIVERSITIES AND HIGHER
EDUCATION BUSINESS PRACTICES AND THE
EXPANSION OF TRADE LITERATURE WRITTEN IN THE
VERNACULAR- NO JUST LATIN CONCEPT OF LIMITED
GOVERNMENT (MAGNA CARTA 1215- ENGLAND)