The Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire

Louis the Pious

• Continued policy of monastic reform– Benedict of Aniane

• Two marriages, four sons– Rebellion

• Oath of Strasbourg• Treaty of Verdun• Fragmentation of

trade networks

Disunity and Partition

• What were some of the reasons for the collapse of the Carolingian Empire?

• What were some of the consequences of that collapse?

Invasions

Vikings• Why did the Northmen

begin to prey on their neighbors at about this time?– Population pressure;

political reasons (Harald Finehair)

• How extensive was their reach? – Varangian Guard

• What made them so frightening?

• Raids led to invasions

Responses to Vikings

• Rollo, first duke of Normandy, 911

• Plate 4.1 The Jelling Monument

• Alfred the Great– Danelaw

Fragmentation and Disorder

• Magyars: horsemen from Hungary– Battle of Lechfeld, Otto the Great

• Slavs and Avars– Conversion: Slavic Orthodox Church

Byzantium under Justinian

Byzantine Empire: 10th century

Basil II’s conquests

Division and struggle

• Theme system: localized military support (7th c onward)

• Central imperial government vs. local rulers (“Dynatoi”), 10th century– Struggle for control over

resources of countryside– Cities, which had gone into

decline, had begun to experience a resurgence

• Sourcebook 4.2 Romanus Lecapenus Novel

• Iconoclasts vs. iconodules– Shifted in support

with sympathies of emperors (Irene an iconodule)

– Two outbreaks: 8th century and early 9th century

The Rus

• Originated with Scandinavian traders– Centered at

Novgorod, then south at Kiev

• Bordered by Khazars (converted to Judaism)

• Converted to Christianity through Vladimir– Marriage to

Byzantine princess, Basil II’s sister

• Conversions:– Polish to Roman

Catholicicsm– Hungary to

Catholicism– Khazars to Judaism– Bulgars to Islam– Rus to Eastern

Orthodox Christianity

• 4.11 The Russian Primary Chronicle

The Islamic World

• Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258)– Displaced Umayyads– Capital established at

Baghdad– Arabian Nights (early

10th century)– Islamic Renaissance

• Dissatisfaction, fragmentation– Fatimids in Egypt,

Shi’ites

• Attacks on Sicily, southern Italy from North Africa; also southern France, Spain

• What were the results of these attacks? (hint: not all negative!)

• Shi’ites: imams, mahdi • Toleration of Jews

The End of the World?

• Y1K: Apocalypse When

• Dhuoda’s manual to her son

• Cluny 910• Peace of God

• Characterize the mood of apocalypticism as the millenium approached. How did the corruption of the church contribute to this mood?– Takeover of church

lands by local nobles– Simony– Papal office

• John XII