what were the weaknesses of the caroling ian empire and what were the foreign and domestic factors...

8/9/2019 What Were the Weaknesses of the Caroling Ian Empire and What Were the Foreign and Domestic Factors That Led

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What were the weaknesses of the

Carolingian empire and what were the

foreign and domestic factors that led to itsdecline?conquering the Lombards in northern Italy, the Saxons in the east, the Muslims in

northern Spain, not to mention numerous other peoples. By about 800, he had

created the largest state in Europe after the fall of Rome.y 1. Charlemagne and his advisors managed a "renaissance" in which they attempted to re-create the

Roman Empire of the West as best they could. The central piece of this effort was theconcentration of authority in a central government, and they were almost certain to have failed in

this effort.

y They failed to address the basic problems of the West: the decay of the economic infrastructure(roads, bridges) and the loss of the manufacturing and monetary subsidy that the West had enjoyedfrom the East when it was under Roman imperial control.

y The Empire itself was never truly unified;y Ninth and tenth centuries marked by: 1) the decline of the monarchy and

the rise of great nobles; 2) feudalism and manorialism develop; 3) the Church

to become bolder in its claims for power and independence and in its effortto assert its superiority over the state, thus setting the stage for one of the

great struggles of the High Middle Ages; 4) invaders from the north

devastated Europe in the 9th and 10th centuries, bringing about a political,

economic, social, and cultural decline almost as severe as that which followed

the fall of Rome. Some of these invaders, we might note, claimed land and

settled down, like the Normans in Normandy in 911 and others in Englandand Ireland. Only about 987, when Hugh Capet is crowned king of France,

does it appear that this general decline will be halted and then reversed

internal struggles:

y civil warso nobles wanted more land and since no more being conquered they just took it and made

ppls pay taxes in land

o tried to institute hereditary system but made land into tiny kingdomso

y unstable politicso The missiwere the last attempt to preserve centralised control in the Holy Roman

Empire. In the course of the ninth century, the forces which were making for

feudalism tended to produce inherited fiefdoms as the only way to ensure stability,

especially in the face of renewed external aggression in the form ofViking attacks.

yy Charlemagne's death 1814

o Louis, 36, never expected to rule, just by luck


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o He was probably the best-trained ruler to assume a Western throne in over three hundredyears and he was ready to reform the whole Carolingian system.

o Got rid of half brothers = lost supporterso got rid of bastards = a lot of valuable soldierso rebellions made him look weako imperium christianumo

divided kingdom in 3 but then Judith cameyy Charlemagne's grandsons' fighting over land 840

o Louis tried to redraw boarders and sons reblledy Magyars and Vikings invasions

o b/c couldnt maintain navy vikings sacerians and magyars raidedo nobles had to fight them off and they became more indepandanto feudalismo end of hope of west to establish central govto Europe was more or less on its own, no longer trying to bring back some golden age, but

searching for whatever means would help it to survive

How do Christian monks contribute to the creation of early medieval societies?y Each monastery had its own lands to support it. Early on, the lands were

worked by the monks themselves, but by the central Middle Ages most of the

farm work was performed by serfs. Many who entered the monasteries were

of noble blood and could not farm, not that they would want to.

y But the priestly order was the most prestigious of the three orders, for theywere closest to God. For this reason, the priest within any given community

normally had a higher standing than the other members of that community.

y A monk was a layman who sought to live a Christian life by entering amonastery and leaving the ordinary world behind. Monks took a vow of

poverty, chastity and obedience; they were set apart from the rest of the

world, even from the secular clergy, and were in theory at least among themost holy and venerated in medieval society.

y The early monks lived alone, but the reputation of some for holiness causedother seekers to come to them for guidance and inspiration. Some of these

imitated the saint and themselves became hermits. Whole colonies of hermitsdeveloped in this way, and communities began to form.

y Monasticism came to the West in the 4th century, with St. Athanasius (ca.340), St. Martin ofTours (316-397), and St. John Cassian (360-432). It took

its final medieval form with St. Benedict of Nursia (480-543), the real

founder of western monasticism.

y In addition, during the early Middle Ages, monks began to take on otheractivities, the most notable of which was the copying of books. Working inthe scriptorium became an important part of monastic labor.

y Charlemagne also encouraged the opening of schools at monasteries andbishoprics, many of which sustained the Carolingian Renaissance in the

centuries to come.

y Carolingian Miniscule


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y As heroes of medieval Europe, the monks exerted a very powerful influenceover all facets of society. The were know to possess outstanding agricultural

skills and because Benedict specific that their lives include routine stints of

manual labor, they restored a dignity to human labor that the Romans andthe barbarians had denied. Furthermore, as managers of large estates they

were able to set an example of sound farming practice from which everyonecould conceivably benefit.

y Over time, powerful medieval families began to construct monasteries ontheir own estates. Whether their motivations were spiritual or not, it is clear

that having a monastery on one's estate was a sure sign of grace. The abbots

were frequently related to these powerful families and so it happened that

the monastic estates were managed in the interests of these powerful

families. In this way, monasteries very quickly became integrated into the

power relations of medieval society.

y From a cultural perspective, the monasteries housed perhaps the mostliterate of all members of medieval society. After all, it was assumed that all

monks could read and write. Monasteries also contained libraries andscriptoria, or writing rooms, in which manuscripts were copied. Thesemanuscripts were often decorated or illuminated. But why did monks spend

so much time and energy illuminating manuscripts. Since their lives were

dedicated to the Word and preserving the Word for others, what better way

to demonstrate the Word than by giving it the lavish attention it deserved?

y required monks to engage in "spiritual reading," which required a librarythat was often extended to include a wide range of books on secular topics,

y wealth and power. Wealthy lords and nobles would give the monasteriesestates in exchange for the conduction of masses for the soul of a deceased

loved one.Though this was likely not the original intent of Benedict, the

efficiency of his cenobitic Rule in addition to the stability of the monasteriesmade such estates very productive; the general monk was then raised to a

level of nobility, for the serfs of the estate would tend to the labor, while themonk was free to study. The monasteries thus attracted many of the best

people in society, and during this period the monasteries were the central

storehouses and producers of knowledge.y n traditional Catholic societies, monastic communities often took charge of social services such as

education and healthcare; to the latter they were so closely linked that nurses are often called

"sisters."

y In theMiddle Ages, monasteries conserved and copied ancient manuscripts in theirscriptoria,theirpharmacies stored and studied medicaments and they aided the development of agricultural

techniques. The requirement ofwine for the Mass led to the development ofwine culture, asshown in the discovery of the mthode champenoise by Dom Perignon. Several liquors like

Bndictine and the Trappist beers were also developed in monasteries. Even today many

monasteries and convents are locally renowned for their cooking specialties.

y The consequence of this centralisation of knowledge was that they initiallycontrolled both public administration and education, where the trivium led

through the quadrivium to theology. Christian monks cultivated the arts as a

way of praising God. Gregorian chantand miniatures are examples of the

practical application of quadrivium subjects. However, the dialectical dispute


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between Peter Abelard and William of Champeaux in the early 1100s over

the methods of philosophic ontology led to a schism between the CatholicOrthodox of the School of Notre Dame in Paris and the student body, leading

to the establishment of Free Schools and the concept of an autonomous

University, soon copied elsewhere in Europe, and this eventually led to the

Reformation which dismounted the primacy of the Monasteries.y However, the status of monks as apart from secular life (at least

theoretically) also served a social function. Dethroned Visigothic kings were

tonsured and sent to a monastery so that they could not claim the crown

back. Monasteries became a place for second sons to live in celibacy so that

the family inheritance went to the first son; in exchange the families donated

to the monasteries. Few cities lacked both a St Giles house for lepers outside

the walls and a Magdalene house for prostitutes and other women of

notoriety within the walls, and some orders were favored by monarchs and

rich families to keep and educate their maiden daughters before arranged

marriage. The frequent overlap of the two tended to encourage seducers

from assaulting convents and novices.y Monasteries were important contributors to the surrounding community.

They were centres of intellectual progression and education. They welcomedaspiring priests to come study and learn, allowing them even to challenge

doctrine in dialogue with superiors. The earliest forms ofmusical notationare attributed to a monk named Notker of St Gall, and was spread to

musicians throughoutEurope by way of the interconnected monasteries.

Since monasteries offered respite for weary pilgrim travellers, monks wereobligated also to care for their injuries or emotional needs. Over time, lay

people started to make pilgrimagesto monasteries instead of just using them

as a stop over. By this time, they had sizeable libraries which were sort of a

tourist attraction. Families would also donate a son in return for blessings.During the plagues, monks helped to till the fields and provide food for the

sick.

Did the Vikings and Muslims advance or hinder the development of early medieval

kingdoms?

y Islam = spainy By 732, Islam had spread from Spain to Sumatra, and Muslim ships

dominated both the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. The reasons for

this rapid expansion were numerous.

y The Muslims swept away the burdensome taxation and top-heavygovernment in those lands that accepted them.

y Different religions coexistedy Development of poetryy Agricultural revolution due to tradey New innovationsy Hospitals library sect


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y Widening of streetsy Building of marketsy The period from the earliest recorded raids in the 790s until the Norman

ConquestofEngland in 1066 is commonly known as the Viking Age of

Scandinavian history. The Normans, however, were descended from Danish

Vikings who were given feudal overlordship of areas in northern France the Duchy of Normandy in the 10th century. In that respect, descendants

of the Vikings continued to have an influence in northern Europe. Likewise,

King Harold Godwinson, the lastAnglo-Saxon king of England who was killed

during the Norman invasion in 1066, had Danish ancestors. Many of the

medieval kings ofNorway and Denmarkmarried into English and Scottish

royalty and occasionally got involved in dynastic disputes.

y Tradingy Solidarityy Converted vikings Normandy Christianityy Went to England and became ruling class anglo saxony Traded all the way to Persiay Founded cities in Irelandy Colonizedy Influenced English languagey Naval acomplishmanets

What was the nature and importance of papal power in the early middle ages?

y Chose the king!y Gregory's successors were mostly dominated by the exarch or the Eastern

emperor.[3]

T

hese humiliations, the weakening of the Empire in the face ofMuslim expansion, and the inability of the Emperor to protect the papal

estates made Pope Stephen II turn from the Emperor.[3] Seeking protection

against the Lombards and getting no help from Emperor Constantine V, thepope appealed to the Franks to protect his lands.[3] Pepin the Short subdued

the Lombards and donated Italian land to the Papacy.[3] When Leo IIIcrowned Charlemagne (800), he established the precedent that no man

would be emperor without anointment by a pope.[3]

y ffalse decretals = put papacy and bishops above state interferencey secular authority over all Western Europey Pope Nicholas I (858867) asserted that the pope should have suzerain

authority over all Christians, even royalty, in matters of faith and morals.y Corruption = emperor tries to take over = fightingy People gave them landy Papal bulls, interdict, and excommunication (or the threat thereof) have been

used many times to increase papal power.

y Papal infallibility is the dogma in Catholic theology that, by action of theHoly Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error[1] when

he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic


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teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at least

being intimately connected to divine revelation.

y

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