The Worlds of European Christendom

Chapter 10

Post Classical Europe Divided between Western and Eastern

Europe West dark ages/East flourished (Byzantine

Empire) Constantine Justinian The Schism of 1054

Charlemagne Feudalism Crusades Black Death

Middle Ages

500-1500 Middle Ages or Medieval Period

First 500 years= Early Middle Ages ro Dark Ages

Why Dark? Lower levels of learning More political instability Less trading and more subsistence

farming

Changing Map of Europe

Byzantine Empire

840 AD

1054

Emperor Diocletian

Vast empire as ungovernable Split the Roman Empire in half Created two equal emperors to rule

under the title of Augustus. Created the Western Roman Empire

and the Eastern Roman Empire.

Persecution of Christians under Diocletian 284-305

Constantine and Christianity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl

nJRyZTfEo&feature=related

Constantine becomes sole ruler of entire Roman Empire

Rome in the west was in decay Constantine created a new center in

the east

Byzantium

Constantine founded the Constantinople, the cite of the old Greek city Byzantium

Byzantium Mediterranean and

Black seas connected through the Bosporus Strait

As the West collapsed the East prospered

The Byzantine Empire was the heir to the Roman Empire

Politics of Postclassical Europe Kingdoms developed were small/weak With the end of the Western Roman Empire, no single

government had complete control in Europe. The Roman Empire was replaced with a patchwork of small

kingdoms Exception—Franks Germanic people who settled in modern France Christian Charles Martel organized an army to fight he

Moors (Muslim people invading Spain) Battle of Tours—defeated Moors Stopped further Muslim penetration

“Charles the Great”

Charles the Great was king of the Franks. (Gaul or current-day France.)

Martel’s grandson Known as Charlemagne, he brought back

unity and order to many of the lands that had been part of the former Western Roman Empire.

1414

Charlemagne

Charlemagne: Great warrior Respected learning and encouraged education Known as a man of wisdom Goal was to unite Germanic tribes into a single

Christian kingdom (Christendom)

1515

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Charlemagne• Charlemagne– Defended the city of Rome and

the pope against the Lombards– Christmas Day 800 A.D., Pope

Leo III crowned Charlemagne as Augustus emperor of the Romans

– Founded the Holy Roman Empire formed from lands previously part of the Western Roman Empire

– By establishing a central government over Western Europe, Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire \

1717

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was made up of modern day: Germany Austria Switzerland eastern France Belgium Netherlands western Poland the Czech Republic Italy

1818

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Holy Roman Empire

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Accomplishments

Charlemagne (Charles the Great) Improved education (reading and writing) Issued money Increased trade Spread the Christian religion - Confess God or meet

God When Charlemagne defeated the Saxons, he

expected them to convert to Christianity. He beheaded 4,000 in one day.

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Feudal System

• Charlemagne gave huge land grants to loyal nobles. This was similar to the practice of creating Roman provinces.

• The nobles agreed to provide military and political services to him as emperor, as well as upkeep of roads, bridges and forts on their land.

• This system of land grants was the basis of feudalism; the political and military system of Europe that lasted for about centuries.

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Charlemagne’s Death

After Charlemagne’s death, his empire or the Holy Roman Empire, was divided among his three sons.

They fought one another, weakening the empire.

Other groups attacked and weakened the empire.

The fiercest attacks came from the Vikings.

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Charlemagne's Divided Empire: 843

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Treaty of Verdun

Charlemagne’s only son Louis inherited the empire. Louis had three sons who, according to tribal inheritance

law, would each get an equal share. Louis tried to prevent the disintegration of the empire by

selecting the oldest son, Lothair, to be the sole inheritor. A family war ensued, ending in the Treaty of Verdun,

which divided the empire into three sections: the west for Charles the Bald, the center for Lothair, and the east for Louis the German.

This was the beginning of modern Europe with essentially the formation of France and Germany.

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The Fate of the Holy Roman Empire

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When the family of Charles ceased to produce worthy heirs, the pope gladly crowned whichever Italian magnate could best protect him

Finally, in 962 a new Roman Emperor was crowned in Rome by a grateful pope.

This emperor, Otto the Great, brought the title into the hands of the kings of Germany for almost a millennium, for it was to become the Holy Roman Empire, a true imperial successor to Charles…

The Quick on the HRE

The Roman Empire was Roman, then moved to Constantinople. The Holy Roman Empire was mostly Germanic, and ruled Central Europe between Charlemagne and Napoléon.

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