Dark Ages the Waning Empire Bishops ( Christian leaders of
cities ) given judicial powers & responsibility of urban poor
Peasants weakened by debt became tenants of landlords Late Rome
pressured by Germanic barbarians ( Goths, Vandals, Franks )
Mercenaries, migrations
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Timeline 500-1000 CE Early Middle Ages Agriculture, trade &
politics slow but reviving Catholic church becomes a spiritual
& political power 900-1100Transition 1000-1338 High Middle Ages
Gains in population, trade & intellectual activity as well as
political growth 1338-1450 Late Middle Ages
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Dark Ages? Western Europe During the Early Middle Ages (500 CE
to 1000 CE) ~the Foundations of Christian Society in Western
Europe~
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Christianity & Political Order Christianity Unites masses
amid chaos Barbarians convert for legitimacy
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Christianity & Political Order Christianity Hierarchy
provides practical leadership Judges & educators Based on
tradition, land ownership, ceremonies
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Political Order & Christianity But, little formal
government Violence & blood feuds common Some order from Roman
landlords & barbarian warlords Aristocrats: control of land
lends resources (peasants, food, new warriors) Germanic warriors:
military might lends order Franks were most powerful Germanic state
Example: Clovis
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Life of the Peasantry Culture minimal & rough Hierarchy of
needs? Rome: population from 500,000 to 80,000 Paris: population of
20,000 Rural villages as population centers Little education or
literacy Little trade Focus on subsistence
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Life of the Peasantry Peasants become serfs Unfree farm labor
tied to land Subsistence difficult while lacking technology Sought
safety through landlords
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Carcassonne: A Medieval Castle
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Men of Cloth; Men of Letters Culture maintained by Christian
clergy Only literate members of society Latin Scriptoriums Aided
religious & political authority Rome lived on in churches &
became spiritual capital
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In Summary Manor System Self-sufficient manors organize society
Mutual obligations b/t lord & serf Feudalism Decentralized,
informal military rule Mutual obligations b/t lords &
lords
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Review In groups of 4: Analyze the daily life of each of the
following people during the Carolingian dynasty: Charlemagne;
Nobleman; Priest; Serf What is their motivation? What is their
fear? How is their life impacted by other members of society?
Create a script for a skit or write a series of / diary entries
letters
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Carolingians & Charlemagne Exception to divided informal
rule Carolingian dynasty (686 9 th c) Frankish Charles Martel:
starts dynasty noted for ending Muslim attempts to conquer France
Charlemagne: most important ruler
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Carolingians & Charlemagne Charlemagne Desired
Christianizing & politically uniting all Germanic peoples
Centralized authority Crowned by Pope in 800 CE (reflected church
power) Gave land to warriors to cement loyalty Traveled 2000
miles/yr to maintain direct contact with those governed
Carolingians & Charlemagne Charlemagne Stillcomparatively
weak 15 mil inhabitants vs. 50 mil in Abbasid or 100 mil in China
50 acre palace complex vs. 250 acres in Baghdad Personalist rule
meant that when reign ended, so to did many advancements
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Carolingians ended by invasion Muslims, Magyar nomads,
Vikings
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The Vikings
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Viking Origins Norse people from Scandinavia Think: North,
Normans, Normandy, Norway Vik = on the war path Lifestyle: Tribal,
warrior culture Polytheistic Expansion fueled by population
pressure
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Viking Expansion
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Vikings in Eastern Europe Sailed Russian river systems until
reaching Black Sea & Constantinople Opened trade links b/t
Russia & Byzantium Exported furs & slaves for Byzantine
manufactures Kievian-Rus (proto-Russia) Mixture of Viking &
Slavic ethnic groups Christianized by Cyril & Methodius
(Orthodox)
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Vikings in Eastern Europe Russian envoys reported : We went
among the Germans [the Catholic Franks] and we saw them performing
many ceremonies in their churches; but we beheld no glory there.
Then we went to Greece [in fact, to Constantinople and Hagia
Sophia], and the Greeks led us to the edifices where they worship
their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth.
For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are
at a loss to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among
men
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Vikings in Western Europe Explored & raided coastal France
& Britain Longships & weapons became sources of fear
Plundering, killing, burning Wealth & prisoners aided
exploration & expansion of slave trade Settle eventually &
Christianized Normans
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Viking Impact Fostered expanded trade links in Europe
Intensified local rule Eastern Europe = city-states Western Europe
= feudalism Looked to local lords to protect them
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End of raids Warming of climate Transitions (900 CE to 1100 CE)
~Steps toward Progress~
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Causes for Transition 1.Agricultural innovation Expansion of
arable land Three-field system Mold-board Plow
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Causes for Transition 2.Population growth fuels
urbanization
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Causes for Transition 3.Diffusion of new ideas Crusades brought
contact with Muslims & Byzantium
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The Crusades Catholic Pope Urban II called First Crusade in
1096 Originally effort to retake Holy Land from Islamic Empires
Resulted in small crusader states in eastern Mediterranean
Supported by Byzantium for striking at longstanding enemy
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The Crusades Later Crusades lacked success & focus
Crusading hordes disrupted Constantinoples economy Italian
city-states (Genoa & Venice) desired trade in eastern
Mediterranean Engineered 4 th Crusade, which temporarily conquered
Constantinople
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Other Conquests Christian Reconquista of Islamic Spain began in
1061 Christians wrestled control of Sicily from Muslims in
1091
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Christian Crusades
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Impact of Crusades on W. Eur One Muslim observer: Their bodies
large, their manners harsh, their understanding dull, and their
tongues heavy. Those of them who are the farthest to the north are
the most subject to stupidity, grossness, and brutishness.
Slide 45
Impact of Crusades on W. Eur Contact w/ more advanced societies
yielded: Adoption of innovations Arabic numerals Recovery of Greek
& Roman learning Architectural engineering Windmills &
watermills Greater trade Increased demand for silk, cotton
textiles, & spices Desire for direct trade in Asian
markets
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Western Europe During the High Middle Ages (1000 CE to 1300
CE)
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Economic Growth Early Middle Ages Towns were small with rural
agriculture dominating High Middle Ages Towns grew with commerce
& people moving to urban areas Population growth during
transition sparked revival of towns & trade
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Towns & Trade Town life exemplified by artisan guilds
Occupations were licensed, standards of quality Politically &
socially influential Emphasized Christianity Contributed to
building of cathedrals Adopted patron saints & sponsoring
parades Trade networks develop Hanseatic League Italian city-states
& Mediterranean
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Town Dwellings
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High Medieval Trade
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Formal Government
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Towns and urban population aid in strengthening royal
governments States England pioneer in creating modern state William
the Conqueror, 1066 France developed slower than England Hugh
Capet, a minor and weak noble, was elected king in 987 Modern
German state not created until 19 th century Royal Kingdoms and
Formation of States
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The Holy Roman Empire Feudal Monarchies in France and England
Regional States in Italy and Iberia Church influence in Italy A
complex of principalities and city-states, undergoes rapid
urbanization Muslim influence in Iberia The focus of the
reconquista The Establishment of Regional States
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Regional States
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High Medieval Universities
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Town Life during Middle Ages Town Life After High Middle Ages
Nobles had most of the power 1) Lords owned the land where most
towns were located 2) Towns needed protection from knights that
lords could provide *status determined by birthright Power Middle
class had most of the power 1) limited the power of feudal lords by
forcing them to grant charter 2) Gained control of great sums of
money by organizing banks *status determined by wealth and
ability
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Mosaic of Political Control Some still dreamed of recapturing a
Rome Holy Roman Empire Otto Investiture
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Mosaic of Political Control Yet regional states emerged France
Capetians England The Normans & William the Conqueror
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Mosaic of Political Control Still Spain & Italy remained
more complex Europeans expand & conquer Muslim held lands
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Social Development Three Estates those who work, those who
pray, and those who fight
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Social Development Social change: Chivalry
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Social Development Social change: Cities Independent cities
Guilds
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Social Development Social change: Women Rural Urban
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Christianity Continued to define W. Euro society
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Christianity High Theology Cathedral schools universities
Scholasticism & St. Thomas Aquinas Blend Aristotle &
Faith
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Christianity Popular Religion Sacraments & saints
Monasticism & heresies
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Compare with China Catching up Pluralism in Politics Reason
& Faith
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12 th and 13 th Centuries Religion Is represented in art and
architecture Romanesque and Gothic styles Vernacular literature
(Beowulf, Canterbury Tales) and secular art forms develop as well
Scholasticism combines faith and reason Peter Abelard St. Thomas
Aquinas St. Bernard of Clairvaux
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12 th and 13 th Centuries Economy Improvements in Agriculture
Peasant condition improves; landlord power weakens Growth of Trade
and Banking Use of currency Market system develops Guilds
organized
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Europe During The Late Middle Ages (1300 CE to 1450 CE)
~Disease & decline~
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Late Postclassical Decline Key Developments Professional
militaries & use of gunpowder Population boom & mini ice
age Bubonic plague Decline of Postclassical characteristics
Feudalism in decline, serfdom ending Aristocracy loses power Church
loses power to State Intellectual inquiries become separate from
state
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Fishbowl Discussion Questions To what extent were the Middle
Ages a Dark Age? To what extent do you agree that Charlemagnes
family was a family that forged Europe. Why might the Middle Ages
be a misnomer for this period? What postclassical themes are
present in Western Europe between 550 and 1000 CE? Why is the term
Western Civilization hard to define? Compare Postclassical Europe
to the Byzantine and Muslim Empires. What was the status of women
during the Middle Ages?
Slide 77
Halloween What does the interaction between cultures suggest
about how Christianity spread in Europe during the postclassical
period? brainpop