UNIT 0. THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES: THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS AND THE BIZANTINE EMPIRE

INDEX 1. The Decline of the Occidental

Roman Empire2. The Germanics Migrations3. The visigoths and the Kingdom of

Toledo4. Bizantine Empire5. Art and Religion Bizantine and

Visigothic.

VOCABULARY OF THE UNIT Germanic Tribes Tribus germánicas Barbarians Bárbaros Foreigners Extranjeros Frontier Frontera Invasions Invasiones Wester Roman Empire Imperio Romano de Occidente Eastern Roman Empire Imperio Romano de Oriente Middle Ages Edad Media Weak –> Débil Weakness Debilidad The Limes Was a border defense that delimited the Roman

Empire in the north. And protected them from the barbarians. Troops: tropas. Army: ejército Legion: legión

VOCABULARY: THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS Franks: francos Visigoths: visigodos Ostrogoths: ostrogodos Lombards: lombardos Angles: anglos Saxons: sajones Alans: alanos Suevi: suevos Vandals: vándalos Huns: hunos They came from China

All of them were different Germanic Kingdoms

1. THE DECLINE OF THE OCCIDENTAL ROMAN EMPIRE

1.1. THE PARTITION OF ROMAN EMPIRE

During the IV century the Roman Empire was suffering an internal crisis: Economical crisis The Germanic Tribes called barbarians by

the Romans were invading their territory. His emperor Theodosius, in 395 divided the

empire between his two sons to make it easier to defend.

He created the Western Roman Empire and the Easter Roman Empire

1.2. THE FALL OF THE ROMANS When Theodosius died, he left the Roman

Empire to his two sons in 395. Honorius took the West Empire Arcadius took the East Empire

But the new emperors were weak, for this reason the Germanic tribes thought that it was a good time to attack.

Roman generals also saw the weakness and they revolted. One of them was Constantine III. He wanted to declare to himself emperor in 405. During his revolt a big problem was approaching to the occidental empire.

1.3. BARBARIANS INVASIONS

1.3. BARBARIANS INVASIONS While Constatine III was

revolting, nobody was controlling “The limes”

So, in 409, a lot of Alans, Vandals, and Suevi crossed the Rhine and came into the Roman Empire

There were no roman troops defending the places, so they just travelled around France taking whatever they wanted.

1.4. THE END OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

Vandals, suevi and alans came to the Iberian Peninsula to help a roman general Georontius, who, as Constantine III, wanted to be emperor.

That´s the reason why barbarian tribes settled down in Hispania.

1.4. THE END OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. The Visigoths had been living in Italy since

the last years of the 4th century. But they hadn´t been treated well. They asked for gold to the emperor, but he refused. Then the Visigoths in 410 took the city of Rome and sacked it. The Roman people were shocked.

But Visigoths preferred to settled down in the south of France and Spain. When Vandals went to the north of Africa they definitely established themselves in the Iberian Peninsula in 429.

The Germanic Attacks were bigger and more frequent during the 5th century.

For example: Atila, the hun, went to Rome in 452 and it was on the verge of collapse.

The last emperor: Romulus Augustulus was finally deposed in 476. That date mark the finish of the Ancient Ages and the beginning of the Middle Ages.

2.1. THE GERMANIC MIGRATIONS

2.1. WHERE THEY CAME FROM?/ WHERE THEY SETTLED DOWN? Kingdom Place of origin Settlement site Franks Germany (Rhine Valley) France Visigoths Scandinavia or Balkan region.

(They were part of Goth kingdom). They moved into East Europe first: currentPoland and Ukraine.

Iberian Peninsula and south of France.

Ostrogoths

Scandinavian or Balkan region (Part of the Goth Kingdom as Visigoths).

current Italy and northern Balkan region.

Lombards

Southern Scandinavia current Austria and northern Italy

Angles Northern Germany United Kingdom Saxons Northern Germany and Denmark United KingdomVandals Southern Poland 1º Iberian Peninsula

2º Northern Africa Suebi Germany GaliciaAlans Iranian lands, near to the Black

Sea.1º Iberian Peninsula2º Northern Africa, some islands of Italy.

Huns Central Asia East and centre Europe, near to The Caucasus

THE OSTROGOTH'S TERRITORY LOMBARD´S TERRITORY

ITALIAN PENINSULA IN 5-6tH CENTURY

ITALIAN PENINSULA IN 6TH CENTURY

ANGLES AND SAXONS

THE ALANS´S TRAVEL

HUNS EMPIRE

2.2. SOCIETY AND ECONOMY The Germanic Kingdoms inherited the

organization of the Empire. But, their lifestyle was completely different.

It was difficult to travel along so many different tribes. Consequently, there was very little long-distance trade, and many industries disappeared. (Trade decreased)

Cities declined, and people moved to the countryside for safety and more job opportunities.

Rural lifestyle The main economical activities were:

livestock and agriculture.

2.3. CULTURE, RELIGION AND JUSTICE They had a war

culture. Tribes were always fighting each other.

Barbarian Religion: Polytheistic: Gods

from nature Valhalla – warriors´

heaven Animal and human

sacrifices

JUSTICE: Trial by combat: the

winner of the fight was innocent or winner of the dispute.

Trial by ordeal: the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by an unpleasant, and dangerous experience.

2.3. HOW WAS THEIR CULTURE? Cultural activity also declined. At first, Germanic tribes had

different laws, customs and religions.

By the sixth century some Germanic Kingdoms assumed features from the Romans like the language Latin, the law: roman law, and the religion: Christianity.

Some examples of Germanic art have survived, such as small churches and jewellery.

Fibula

Church of S. Pedro de la Nave

3. THE VISIGOTHS AND THE KINGDOM OF TOLEDO

3.1. WHO WERE THE VISIGOTHS? The Visigoths entered the Roman Empire at

the end of the 4th century to escape from the Huns.

In 410, the Visigoths attacked and sacked Rome.

Years later, they firmed a foedus deal. It consisted on a treatment between Romans and Visigoths for what Romans allowed German People to establish in a concrete area of the Empire, and visigoths helped them to expel other Germanic people (Suevi, Vandals and Alans, from the Iberian Peninsula)

In exchange they received lands in south-east of France.

The Visigoths formed a kingdom in the south of France and the north of Iberian Peninsula, whose capital was Toulouse.

But, the Franks, in 507 expelled the Visigoths from this part and they went to the Iberian Peninsula. They founded a new Kingdom, and made Toledo its capital.

THE VISIGOTHIC KINGDOM OF TOULOUSE

3.3. THE KINGDOM OF TOLEDO (507-711) Between the 6th and 7th century

reached its peak, they controlled the current Spain with some exceptions.

In Galicia were the Suevi, and the southeast was controlled by the Byzantine Empire.

There was a territory that had never been conquered: cantabrians and basques.

The kings more relevant were LEOVIGILD, who extended his

territory fighting the Byzantines, and conquered some of its territories. And they definitely expelled the suevi in 585

RECCARED became a Catholic in 589, and his Kingdom also became Catholic.

RECESVINTO: he created a legal code in which all citizens were equal.

RODRIGO was the last of the king.

WHAT´S THE FINAL OF THE KINGDOM OF TOLEDO?

Since the Witiza´s reign the visigothic monarchy entered a process of decline.

The sons of Witiza: Rodrigo and Agila faced each other for the crown. The winner was Rodrigo.

Immediately after, they faced again in a civil war. Agila asked help from muslims.

The muslims came and defeated Rodrigo in the battle of Guadalete in 711, and they began the invasion.

THE VISIGOTHIC KINGDOM DISAPPEARED AFTER THE MUSLIM INVASION IN 711