The Middle Ages or

Ages (get it?)Europe after the Roman Empire

Fall of the Romans

• Empire was split into 2 parts– Rome (west) and Byzantium (east)

• Rome was under attack from invaders

• Weak leaders

• Ultimately, Rome collapses to Barbarian invaders

Rise of the Franks

• Franks were a Germanic tribe

• Lived along the Rhine River

• Clovis– First German leader to become Christian– Pope began to support

Charlemagne

• Means “Charles the Great”• Huge- 6’4”• 2 Goals

– Unite Western Europe– Convert all Germans to Christianity

• Convert or die• Became very powerful• Created a large empire made of self sufficient

manors

Charlemagne cont’d

• 800 AD- crowned Holy Roman Emperor

• Unified the Empire through Christianity

• Helped spread Christianity to the middle of Europe

• Promoted education in Aachen

• Kingdom divided into 3 parts after his death

• Division weakened kingdom

The Vikings

• Norseman

• Lived in Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, & Finland)

• Culture– centered around the sea– valued battling and conquering; not education– Polytheistic

Where did they raid?

• Raided coastal villages throughout Europe

• Dominated after the fall of Charlemagne

• Impact in Europe– Terrorized most of the kingdoms– Turned to local leaders to protect them– Led to the development of feudalism

Medieval Castles

• Early castles were built for protection not living

• Lack of strong central government made local lords build them to protect his people

Feudalism

• The king allows the nobles to use his land in exchange for their loyalty

• Revolves around the lord’s manor

• Belief that God intended some people to be superior to others

The System

• Fief– Lesser nobles get a

grant of land– To maintain himself

and his household– Promise Loyalty,

military assistance and other services

• Vassal– The grant of land.

• Fief becomes hereditary.

• Primogeniture• Women had few land

rights

Manorial System

• Manors are large farm estates.

• Needed to be self-sufficient because there wasn’t a good trade system.

• Lord would have several peasant families working on the manor.

• Lord kept about 1/3 of the land for himself.

• In trade for the land the peasants gave the lord some of their crops

• Peasants also paid taxes.

Lifestyle of Nobles

• Didn’t really live in luxury.

• They were dependant on the entire family.

• Marriage was a way to increase your wealth.

Chivalry

Code of Conduct

Rules by which Knights had to live and how they were supposed to behave

Included stages of training for boys

Included Courage, loyalty and courtesy to women and others of his class

Warfare Justice

• Common during the middle ages.

• Knight was the center of Warfare

• Rode large horses• Often between

landlords or the nobles.

• Trial by battle• Oath taking• Trial by ordeal• Duels

Catholic Church

• Parish Priest• Lowest rank• Served the people of

his parish• In charge of religious

instruction• Administer 5 of seven

sacraments; baptism, Communion, penance, matrimony, and anointing of sick and dying.

• Bishop– Manages a diocese

(group of parishes)– Taught out of a

cathedral– Many were feudal

lords and had Manors.

• Archbishop managed bishops.

Heirarchy

• Archbishop is in charge of a group of Bishops.

• Cardinals are the “princes of the church” and advise the pope

• Pope has the highest authority. – He is elected by the

cardinals

Monasticism

• Monks and Nuns– Believed they had to

withdraw from world to be Christian.

– They began to group together in monasteries and convents.

• Benedictine Rule– A set of rules that was

written by Benedict about how monastic life should be.

• They begin to take care of the poor and spread Christianity.

• 400-500 they took Christianity to England.

Church in Medieval Life

• Canon Law– Church code of law

and court system.

• They did not allow people to question or challenge the basic principles of the church: Heresy.

• Had the power to tax called tithe.

• Considered the family a sacred institution

Problems in the Church

• Lay investure.– Appointing a friend or

relative to be a bishop or an abbot.

• Simony.– Purchasing an office in

the church.

Franciscans: group of church reformers.

• Heresy– Dominicans called

friars.– Seek out heretics and

stamp out the opposition to the church.

– Inquisition. Saw a great need to stop heresy.

Anglo Saxon England

• Alfred the Great– Came to power in 871– Wessex then rest of

England

• He attacks the Danes and they finally sued for peace.

• Edward the Confessor becomes king.

William the Conqueror

• Edward the Confessor dies; no heir

• Battle between 3 nobles for the throne– Harold- direct heir– Hardrada- King of Norway– William of Normandy- Edward’s cousin

• 1066- Battle of Hastings – William defeats Harold to claim the

throne

Reforms

• Henry II 1154-1189– Made vassals pay a

fee.– Hired soldiers– Legal System

improvements

• Thomas Becket– Refused the Legal

improvements– He was murdered

• Eleanor of Aquitaine– Henry’s wife – Controversial because

of Eleanor’s lands that came with her dowry.

King John & Magna Carta

• English nobles were upset with kings:– High taxes for crusades

• John was a weak and unpopular king– Poor warrior (soft sword)– Poor leader– Gave people less and higher taxes– Kicked out of Catholic church

• 1215– John signed a contract limiting the power of

the king• No jail without a trial• Consult nobles before raising taxes• Not interfere with the church

– Importance• Idea of limited government/executive• Influenced American government

Magna Carta

Common Law

• Laws based on customs rather than written law.

• Simon de Montfort– Led a revolt against

the king by trying to unite the middle class and the nobles.

• Basically he began Parliament.

• Edward I divided the courts.– Exchequer kept

financial books.– Common Pleas for

ordinary citizens.– King’s Bench things

concerning the king.

Capetian Kings

• Hugh Capet was chosen as king of France and is the first Capetian ruler

• Begin marry women with a good dowry

• Philip II began to take lands back from the English.

• Well trained officials ran the government.

• Philip IV (the fair)• Capetian rulers will

die out with Charles IV and the Valois family will take control.