The European Middle Ages - birdvilleschools.net€¦ · clergy rebelled. THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE) FALL OF THE EMPIRE After the Great Schism, about 400 years of decline

The European Middle Ages500-1500 CE

CONTEXT

● After the fall of Rome:○ Western Europe fragmented into small kingdoms

(never again reunited under central imperial rule)○ The East continued on as the Byzantine Empire until

1453

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE)● Eastern Roman Empire- carried on Rome’s legacy, traditions for another 1000

years ● Roman imperial tradition- leaders commonly called Roman emperors (why?)● Spoke Greek (culture based around Hellenism)● Christianity was official religion- rulers seen as ordained by God and in control

of both church and state (caesaropapism)- an issue that would contribute to the split in the Church by 1054

● Wealthier than the West- access to Eurasian trade routes● Constantinople- capital and strategic trade location

Byzantine art

What does Byzantine art tell you about the empire?

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE)

JUSTINIAN- ruled 527-565 CE

● Updated Roman law- Justinian’s Code● Re-conquered many former Roman

lands lost in the West● Expanded trade● Built the Hagia Sophia (monumental

church)

Hagia Sophia


EMPRESS THEODORA- Justinian’s Wife

● Convinced Justinian to stay during the Nika Riots (massive anti-government protest)

● Worked to give women more rights

THE GREAT SCHISM (1054)● Religious issues (such as the ability of

priests to marry and use of religious icons) came to a head in 1054

● The pope in Western Europe and patriarch in Eastern Europe excommunicated each other

● Resulted in two branches of Christianity- Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox

Pope Leo IX Patriarch Michael I Cerularius

THE GREAT SCHISM (1054)

● Another issue was in regard to icons

● Roman Catholic Church supported the use of icons (why?)

● Eastern Orthodox Church rejected use of icons, then supported them after the clergy rebelled


FALL OF THE EMPIRE

● After the Great Schism, about 400 years of decline

● Newly converted Turkish invaders gained influence from the Muslim caliphate.

● Turks seized important trade cities; Constantinople eventually taken by the Ottoman Turks in 1453

EARLY RUSSIA● Two Orthodox missionaries from the

Byzantine Empire- Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius- worked with the Slavs (the people that inhabited the forests north of the Black Sea) in the 9th century

● They invented an alphabet for the Slavic languages that would enable them to read the Bible- this was called the Cyrillic alphabet

Cyrillic alphabet

EARLY RUSSIA● Interaction w/ Byzantine missionaries and

merchants= Slavs adopted many Byzantine cultural elements

● This cultural blending (Slavic + Greek traditions) later produced Russian culture

● Slavic peoples had similar cultures but no political unity

EARLY RUSSIA● 800s: Vikings (called “Rus”) arrived- later built forts along rivers and

settled with the Slavs● Russian legends say Slavs invited Viking chief Rurik to be their king- in

862 he founded Novgorod (Russia’s first important city)● 880: A nobleman from Novgorod moved south to Kiev, which grew into

a principality (small state ruled by a prince)

EARLY RUSSIA● Kievan Rus had much contact with the Byzantine Empire

through trade● 980 CE: Prince Vladimir converted to Christianity; Orthodox

Christianity became the official religion of Russia● Kievan Rus declined from 1054-1200s (partially bc Crusades

interrupted trade)● MONGOLS took over Russia in 1240- established the Khanate

of the Golden Horde- ruled Russia until 1480, isolated Russia from the Renaissance happening in Western Europe

Question:

What effects did the constant Germanic invasions have on the Western Roman Empire?

Effects of Germanic Invasions on the Western Roman Empire:

-Disruptions to trade -Destruction of cities

-Depleted economy -Decline of learning

-Nobles (and many people of other classes) retreated to rural areas

-Loss of a common language

-Changing concept of government (Germanic people were loyal to family and local lords, not emperors)

Question:

What aspects of the Roman Empire continued during the Middle Ages in Europe?

What Aspects of the Roman Empire continued during the Middle Ages in Europe? -The Christian faith

-The Latin language merged with Germanic languages in Western Europe (eventually resulting in the romance languages that we have today such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and French)

-The Byzantine Empire in the East continued the Roman imperial tradition (strong centralized government led by an emperor, Roman laws, etc.)

THE FRANKS● 511: King Clovis united the Franks under

Christianity. ● Rulers, Church, missionaries worked together to

spread Christianity● 732: Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer)

halted Muslim expansion at the Battle of Tours (significance?)

● Franks then began their own dynasty, the Carolingian Empire (ruled 751-987)

CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE

● Charlemagne made the Carolingian Empire the most powerful empire since Rome

● Funded the creation of many monasteries- encouraged art and education

● Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of Rome by Pope Leo III (how is this significant?)

●

● 843: Treaty of Verdun- split the Carolingian Empire into 3 parts (significance?)

EARLY MIDDLE AGES NOTES (500-1000)

● The breakdown of central rule in the Carolingian Empire as a result of the Treaty of Verdun (843), combined with new waves of attackers (the Vikings in the north, the Maygars in the east, and the Muslims in the south and southeast) resulted in a move to a political and economic system based on land ownership and personal loyalty known as feudalism

THE VIKINGS● Were a Germanic people, referred to as Northmen or

Norsemen● Brutal in combat● Used longboats ● Raided monasteries for food and wealth● Expert navigators● Developed early commercial fisheries in Northern Europe● Sailed as far away as North America (Leif Erikson, around

1000)● Reign of Terror ended as more Vikings accepted Christianity

and a warmer climate made more people turn to agriculture



Feudalism became a dominant method of political, social, and economic organization in Western Europe during the Middle Ages.

What is feudalism?

Why did feudalism start in Europe during the Middle Ages?

FEUDALISM

● Kings couldn’t effectively defend their lands from invasions● Local rulers gained political strength if they could offer protection● Easier to defend a small territory during this time

Reasons for feudalism

Feudalism was a system based on rights and obligations, and depended on control of land.

FEUDALISM

● Lords mostly self-governed- interacted with kings only to provide service

● Serfs (peasants) tied to land (not slaves)● Primogeniture- land went to eldest son.

Manorial system (almost entirely self-sufficient)

Despite their harsh lives, most peasants accepted their positions and responsibilities in feudal society.

WHY?

KNIGHTS● Provided protection● Expected to follow

the code of chivalry (many didn’t)

● Saddles and stirrups from Asia, influence from Muslim cavalry

European feudalism vs. Japanese feudalism

EARLY MIDDLE AGES NOTES (500-1000)● Local lords were constantly

fighting one another (why?)● Massive walls and guard

towers surrounded castles● Attacking armies utilized

siege warfare with medieval tech including: battering ram, siege tower, and trebuchet


SOCIETY AND CULTURE DURING THE MIDDLE AGES

● Women in feudal society:○ Mostly powerless, seen as inferior

(Church supported this view)○ Noble women had more rights, such

as the ability to inherit estates from their husbands, but still restricted

SOCIETY AND CULTURE DURING THE MIDDLE AGES

● Literature of the time idealized chivalry and castle life

● Lords and nobility enjoyed epic poems

● Troubadours- bands of travelling poet-musicians

ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES● Stabilizing force- brought unity● Dominant social and cultural influence● Attempted to remove pagan practices● Popes often sought to influence political matters

as well as religious life● Collected taxes (tithes)● Church law (canon law)- regulated things like

marriage● People who violated canon law faced

excommunication (heretic- one who is at odds with the Church)

MEDIEVAL MONASTERIES● Had wealth and resources● Political, economic, and

religious centers● Monks would record

information, create books- keepers of knowledge during this time

THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

● Medieval Germany- collection of feudal territories

● Why didn’t Germany unite?○ Repeated conflicts with the pope○ System of German princes electing

the king weakened royal authority


THE AGE OF FAITH● 900s: Spiritual revival in the Church clergy● 1200s: Wandering friars spread the Church’s ideas● This new spirit in the Church + more money from the growth of towns and

trade helped construct new cathedrals● 800-1100: Churches were built in the Romanesque style (arches, tiny

windows, heavy roof)● 1100s: Gothic architecture emerged (tall spires, pointed arches, flying

buttresses)

A Romanesque-style church

(Examples of gothic cathedrals)TOP: Inside the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris

RIGHT: Cologne Cathedral in Germany

THE CRUSADES

● What were the CAUSES of the Crusades?

● What were the EFFECTS of the Crusades?

THE CRUSADESCAUSES OF THE CRUSADES INCLUDE:

● Plea for help sent by the Byzantine emperor in 1093 for help against the Seljuk Turks (Muslims) who were threatening Constantinople- Pope Urban II called for them

● Desire to defend Christendom, not lose additional land to Muslims● Desire to take holy land back (including Jerusalem) from Muslims● Religious zeal (spirit) inspired by the Age of Faith● Economic incentive: merchants could profit by making loans to finance the

Crusades and by gaining access to trade routes● Desire for adventure and purpose● Religious motive: pope promised forgiveness of sins, assured a spot in

Heaven

THE CRUSADESFIRST FOUR CRUSADES:

First Crusade (1096-1099): Crusaders defeated Muslims, won a narrow strip of land containing Jerusalem, carved out Crusader states from this territory

Second Crusade (1144-1155): Mission was to recapture the city of Edessa, which had been reconquered by Muslim Turks; ended in failure.

Third Crusade (1187-1192): Mission was to recapture Jerusalem; Richard the Lion-Hearted of England agreed to a truce with Saladin of the Muslim Turks in which Jerusalem would remain under Muslim control, but Christian pilgrims could visit holy sites

Fourth Crusade (1202-1204): Another attempt to recapture Jerusalem, never made it there; knights looted Constantinople instead

THE CRUSADESEFFECTS OF THE CRUSADES INCLUDE:

● Women had more opportunities with men off crusading● Merchants expanded trade with SW Asia● Spread the bubonic plague● Failure of later crusades lessened the power of the pope● Did not result in any lasting territorial gain for Christians● Weakened feudal nobility, increased the power of kings● Increased spending on the military● Interaction with Byzantines and Muslims sparked a growth of learning in

Europe (incl. Classical Greek and Roman texts); desire for Eastern goods● Religious intolerance and prejudice toward Muslims

THE CRUSADES● In the 1200s, four more Crusades to free the Holy Land were also

unsuccessful● Religious spirit of the First Crusade dwindled by 1200s● SPAIN: Reconquista was the effort to drive out the Muslims (Moors), finally

achieved in 1492; Isabella and Ferdinand (Spanish monarchs) used the inquisition to unify Spain under Christianity- heretics were often tortured or killed

The Spanish Inquisition

QUESTION: During the later Middle Ages, Europe changed dramatically from 1000-1400. What were some of those changes?

LATER MIDDLE AGES (1000-1300)Changes to medieval Europe from 1000-1300 include:

● Increase in agriculture (warming climate, introduction of the three-field system, and use of horses to pull plows)

● Increases in trade and finance● Growth of towns and cities● Population growth


● Increased learning (including renewed interest in classical texts; writers such as Thomas Aquinas sought to prove religious teachings could coexist with classical philosophy)

● Development of universities (incl. Cambridge, Oxford)● Formation of guilds, or organizations of individuals inthe

same trade that seek to improve the lives of members and the community as well

● Commercial Revolution: increased availability of various goods and new ways of doing business


● Hanseatic League- 13th century German & Scandinavian commercial alliance. Controlled trade in North and Baltic seas= monopoly + no more pirates. Traded timber, grain, leather, and salted fish. Lasted until the 17th century.

DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLAND● 800s: Small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms● 800s: Alfred the Great pushed out the Vikings, united England● 1066: King of England dies w/o successor (open throne)- William the

Conqueror (Duke of Normandy in France) claimed it- invaded England and won at the Battle of Hastings

● William gave land to nobles loyal to him- established central govt● 1100s-1200s: England developed a court system, common law● 1215: Nobles forced cruel King John to sign the Magna Carta- guaranteed

some basic political rights (no taxation w/o representation, right to jury trial)- limited power of the king

DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLAND● Formation of Parliament:

○ Edward I needed to raise money for war against the French- called on burgesses (citizens of wealth and property) and knights to serve as a parliament (legislative group)

○ 1295: First parliament met at Westminster in London, would meet whenever a new tax was called

○ Eventually 2 houses of Parliament- House of Lords and House of Commons

*What began as an advisory group later emerged as a check on the power of the king.

DEVELOPMENT OF FRANCE● After the breakup of Charlemagne’s Empire (the Carolingian Empire)- feudalism● 987-1328: Capetian dynasty of French kings ruled France● Philip II, Louis IX expanded French territory, centralized govt● Bailiffs would preside over courts, collect taxes● Appeals courts were created● 1302: French king Philip IV called a meeting of lords and bishops to gain support

for policies- created the Estates-General which included: ○ First Estate- Church leaders○ Second Estate- Great lords○ Third Estate- Commoners (landowners, merchants)

*Unlike England’s Parliament, France’s Estates-General never became an independent check on the king.

BLACK DEATH● Known as the Black Death, the Bubonic Plague

was spread by infected fleas that lived on rats● Sometimes the disease would enter the lungs,

causing pneumonic plague (more easily transferred)

● Spread along trade routes● 1346: Mongol armies were laying siege to a city

on the Black Sea called Kaffa; from there, rats infested with fleas boarded ships bound for Europe

QUESTION: WHAT WERE THE EFFECTS OF THE PLAGUE IN EUROPE?

BLACK DEATHEffects of the plague include:

● End of the manorial system (feudalism) as serfs left the manor in search of better wages

● Medieval society was disrupted● Church suffered loss of prestige- loss of

faith● Population fell dramatically● Trade declined● Nobles resisted peasant demands for

higher wages-> peasant revolts● Superstition abounded- Jews wrongly

blamed

THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR

QUESTION :What were the causes and charateristics of the Hundred Years’ War?

THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR● The time of conflict between England and France from 1337-1453 is called the Hundred Years’

War. ● When the last French Capetian king died without a successor in 1337, England’s Edward III

(grandson of Philip IV) claimed the French throne● Back-and-forth, but English get some decisive victories from 1337-1420● 1420: French, English signed a treaty stating Henry V (English) would inherit the French crown

upon the death of French king Charles VI. ● 1429: French teenage girl Joan of Arc felt moved to rescue France from England, heard voices

she believed were saints; led French to victory at the Battle of Orleans; was eventually captured by the English, given to the Church, deemed a heretic- burned at the stake

● Eventually resulted in French victory in 1453● English were driven out of France, except in port city of Calais

QUESTION : What were the effects of the Hundred Years’ War?

HUNDRED YEARS WAR

Effects of the Hundred Years’ War include:

● Ended medieval society in Europe- knights, chivalry no longer dominate● Changed warfare in Europe- introduced the longbow, which could be fired rapidly and

could penetrate armor- rendered cavalry ineffective (introduced by the English)● Feelings of nationalism in England and France

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The European Middle Ages - birdvilleschools.net€¦ · clergy rebelled. THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE) FALL OF THE EMPIRE After the Great Schism, about 400 years of decline