middle ages
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Middle Ages
The Middle Ages
What is it………
The period in European history between the downfall of Rome and the Renaissance.**
Divisions of….
Early Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Middle Ages
The Fall of Rome
External Threats– Northern Germanic Tribes
• Invaded Roman Empire in 5th century**
– Mongols
Internal Threats– Growth and expansion ended– The “Bad” emperors– Social Divide
Results from the fall of Rome
Loss of Centralized Authority
Power Void
Dominance of Germanic culture or blending of
Loss of “institutions”
Decline of Learning
Ultimately a new form of government focused upon 1 factor (security)
Who fills void of Roman Empire
Kings
Rise to power
In 496 Clovis will rise to King**
511 Clovis unites the Franks into one kingdom
The “Church”
Provide for the loss of many “institutions”
Education
Writing
History
Some Security
Organization of the Church
Monasteries
Essentially religious communities**
Monasteries enable the “Church” to adapt to the rural population shift of Middle Ages
Allowed the “church” to reach the people
Men devoted to religious life were monks; women were nuns**
Branch office
Monks
In 520 popular monk named Benedict appears
Benedict writes a set of very strict laws for his monasteries– Manual labor and prayer
731 Venerable Bede writes history of England
“Church” organization
Organization
Parishes: local Christian communities
Bishop: head of a parish
Diocese: area of authority of a bishop
Popes: eventual leaders of Roman Catholic Church
Early Popes
Gregory I– Becomes Pope in 590**– Also served as leader of the
city of Rome (later called the Papal States)
– Increased power of Pope– Worked to convert Germanic
Europe to Christianity – G. Chant
The Franks
The Kings of Franks
Charles Martel– Defeats muslims at Battle of
Tours 732
Pepin– Mayor of the Palace
(eventually took the throne)– Died 768
Charlemagne– Charles the Great (son of
Pepin)
Charlemagne
768-814
Created the Carolingian Empire– Not until Napoleon
800 coronation; Emperor of the Romans– Symbolized unification of
Roman, Germanic, & Christian Elements
Death in 814 will start the decline of Carolingian Empire
Invaders of Europe (800-1000)
Muslims– Southern coast
Magyars– Settled plains of
Hungary
Vikings– Northmen (Norsemen) – Destroyed towns and
churches – Given land named
Normandy
Rise of Feudalism
Feudalism: new political and social system
Vassal: served lord in military capacity
Fief: grant of land made to a vassal
Feudal Contract: determined relationship between lord and vassal
Kings
Lords
Knights
Serfs
Rise of European Kingdoms
England
Angles & Saxons
Oct. 14, 1066– Battle of Hastings– William of Normandy;
crowned King of England
Henry II (1154-1189)– Thomas Becket
King John– 1215 Magna Carta (beginning
of limited power)
France
Capetian Kings– Little more than Paris
Philip II Augustus – 1180-1223– Growth of French Monarchy
Philip IV (Philip the Fair)– 1285-1314– By 1300 France the largest &
best governed monarchy in Europe
Rise of European Kingdoms
Holy Roman Empire
Otto I– 962 crowned emperor of the
Romans
Frederick I– “Italy the center of a holy
empire”
Frederick II – Goal: Strong centralized
government in Italy
Time periods of the Middle Ages
Early– 500-900– True “Dark” Ages– Fall of institutions
High– 1000-1200
Late– 1300-1500
High Middle Ages
Primary Themes– Peak of feudal
institutions– Peak of “Church”
influence – Revival of Trade,
Cities, Learning
Peak of “Church” Influence
Age of Faith– Increase of intolerance
The Crusades – Urban II encourages
military campaigns to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims
– Urban’s challenge well received (religious zeal, class of warriors, economics)
False Crusade– 1096 the Peasant
Crusaders– Peter the Hermit– Walter the Penniless
Early Crusades– First 1097– Second 1147– Third 1189– Fourth 1202
High Middle Ages
Rise of Universities – First Universities– Bolgna (1158); then Paris, Oxford– After university could go on to law, medicine or
theology – Scholasticism: philosophical and theological
system which tried to reconcile faith and reason; harmonize Christian teachings with the works of Greek philosophers
Late Middle Ages
Decline of Feudal institutions– Hundred Years’ War– New Monarchies– Rise of money economy & commercial capitalism in High Middle
Ages
Decline of “Church” influence– Great Schism 1378-1417
Disease – Black Death– 1347-1353– European population of 75 million; possibly 38 million die
For the Test
Pages 283-308; 320-322; 329-340