European Middle Ages Day 1 Middle Ages Spanned

European Middle Ages

Day 1

Middle Ages �Spanned from 500 -1500

Why are we learning this? �Christianity is still the dominant religion in European immigrants and their descendants have made Christianity the dominant religion in North and South America �Today’s forms of representative government include mutual rights and responsibilities, as feudalism did �Religious leader still speak out of political issues such as war and poverty

Germans Invade Former Western Rome �German forces invaded what had been the Western Roman Empire �Germans brought about a lot of change �Disruption of Trade �Downfall of Cities �Population Shift �Decline of Learning �Loss of Common Language

Disruption of Trade �Merchants were facing invasion from both land sea �Attackers were coming both on foot and ship �Created a problem from selling goods �No one wants to buy goods in the middle of a battle �Businesses collapsed �Breakdown of trade destroyed Europe’s cities as economic centers �Money transactions did not happen thus making money scarce

Downfall of Cities �People abandoned cities to try and escape the fighting �No one wants to live where fighting is taking place �People would move out of cities and not come back

Population Shifts �Because of the cities and governments collapsing, nobles retreated to the rural areas �Roman cities were left without strong leadership �Other city dwellers also fled to the countryside �Grew their own food, lived off of the land �Population became mostly rural

Decline of Learning �The German invaders could not read or write �People were displaced from the city to the countryside where there wasn’t any schools or libraries �Few people except priests and other church officials were literate �The knowledge attained about Greek and Roman culture was almost completely lost �Only a few people could read Greek works of literature, science and philosophy

Loss of a Common Language �With German people mixing with the Roman population, Latin changed �It was still the official language, but no one really understood it �Different dialects were developed as new words and phrases �Became part of everyday speech �By the 800’s French, Spanish, and other Roman- based languages had evolved from Latin �Eventually two different languages were formed: French and Spanish

Government 400 - 600 �Small Germanic kingdoms replaced Roman provinces �Borders of those kingdoms changed all the time with the fortunes of war �Countries would take land over, lose it, take it over again �Throughout everything going on, the Church as an institution survived the fall of the Roman Empire �During the time of chaos, the Church provided order and security �Small communities governed by unwritten rules and traditions were created

Government 400 - 600 �The concept of Government changes �Loyalty to public government and written law had unified Roman society �Family ties and personal loyalty, rather than citizenship in a public state, held Germanic society together

Germanic Leaders and Follower Relationship �Every Germanic chief led a band of warriors who had pledged their loyalty, rather than citizenship to him �People had personal relationships with their chief �The chief gave his people food, weapons, and treasure �In battle, warriors fought to the death at their lord's side �They considered it a disgrace to outlive him �Citizens felt no loyalty to an emperor because they never met �Wouldn’t respect any official who was sent to collect taxes on behave of the emperor

Franks and Christianity �Franks: a Germanic people who settled in the Roman province of Gaul and established a great empire during the Middle Ages �Frank Leader: Clovis brought Christianity to his people �While in a losing battle, Clovis turned to the Christian God for help �The battle shifted and the Franks won �The Church in Rome supported Clovis’s military campaigns against other Germanic peoples �In 511, Franks were united into on Kingdom (modern day France)

Germans Adopt Christianity �Politics played a key role in spreading Christianity � By 600, the Church and Frankish rulers, many Germanic people were converted to Christianity

Missionaries �Religious travelers �Often risked their lives to bring religious beliefs to other lands �Goal was to spread their religion �We are talking about Christianity

Monasteries �Monastery: a religious community of men (called monks) who have given up their possessions to devote themselves to a life of prayer and worship �These were built to adapt of rural conditions �Women who followed this way were called nuns and lived in convents �Importance of education is a major focus �Helps to keep learning and education alive during the Middle Ages

Monasteries �Benedict �Monk, wrote a book describing the rules for monastic life �These guidelines became a model for many other religious communities in western Europe �Became Europe’s best educated communities �Many monks opened up schools, maintained libraries, and copied books �Scholars consider monasteries the best historical work of the early Middle Ages

Pope Gregory I/ Gregory the Great �Expanded the authority of the papacy (pope’s office) �Traditionally the pope just played a spiritual role �Secular (worldly) power – involved in politics �The pope’s palace was the center of the Roman government �Used Church revenue to raise armies, repair roads, and help the poor �Negotiated peace treaties with invaders such as the Lombards �Strengthened the vision of Christendom �Church kingdom that fanned out from Rome to the

Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer) �Mayor of the palace �Held more power than the king �Extended the Frankish kingdom to the north, south, and east �Battle of Tours �Stopped the Muslim Invasion �If the Muslims would have won, western Europe might have become part of the Muslim Empire �His victory at tours made him a Christian hero �His son, Pepin the Short, was his successor

Pepin the Short �Became King when his father passed away �Agreed to work with the pope �Fought the Lombards in agreement with the pope �Lombards were invading Italy and threatening Rome �In exchange for fighting the Lombards, the pope made Pepin “king by the grace of God” �Became the first king ever anointed by the pope �This began the Carolingian Dynasty �Ruled the Franks from 751 to 987

Charlemagne �Also known as Charles the Great �Ruled the kingdom after his Father and brother died �Wanted to expand the empire and Christianity

Charlemagne the Roman Emperor �Built an empire grater than any know since ancient Rome �Led armies to battle the enemies surrounding the Frankish Empire �Reunited Western Roman empire �First time since the Roman empire �Protected the Pope so became known as the Roman Emperor

Charlemagne’s Empire �Limited the authority of the nobles �Sent out royal agents to make sure the nobles were governing their counties justly �They made sure that the powerful landholders (counts) governed their kingdoms correctly and weren't corrupt �Charlemagne regularly visited every part of his kingdom �Encouraged learning �Surrounded himself with German, English, and Spanish scholars �Monasteries opened schools and expanded their libraries

Downfall of Charlemagne’s Empire �A year before Charlemagne died, he crowned his son, Louis the Pious, as emperor �Louis was very religious but not a very good ruler �Louis left his three sons the empire �All who split the empire up �All signed the Treaty of Verdun which divided the empires into three kingdoms �Without central authority or strong leadership the empire weakens

Feudalism �A political system and economic system based on land ownership and personal loyalty

Day 2

Vikings �Came from Scandinavia, a Germanic people �Also known as Northmen or Norsemen �They worshiped warlike gods and took pride in nicknames �Eric Bloodaxe and Thorfinn Skullsplitter �Were able to attack and get away quickly �They would raid a ship or port, steal and kill, then quickly move out to sea before locals could mount a defense �Known for their ability to sail, trade, and raid

Viking Warriors �May have reached the Americas around 1000 �This is almost 500 years before Columbus �Leif Ericson led the voyage �Gradually started to accept Christianity �This stopped them from raiding monasteries �Started to adopt agricultural practices

Invasions throughout Europe �Magyars attacked from the East �After taking over land, they did not settle, capture people as slaves �Muslims attached from the South �Their plan was to conquer and settle in Europe �Were very good at attacking settlements on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts �Vikings attacked from the North

Vikings v. France �Rollo – head of the Viking army �Charles the Simple – King of France �Charles gave the Vikings a piece of land – Normandy in return for Rollo ending his plundering of French land

Feudalism: Mutual Obligation �Lord: Landowner given in exchange for military service and loyalty to the king �Fief: grant of land �Knights: mounted warriors served Nobles/Lords �Peasants: those who worked the land owned by their Lord �Serfs: people who could not legally leave the land

European Feudal System

Manors �Manors: lords estate �There was an agreement between the lords and serfs that lived at the manor �The lord provided the serfs with housing, farmland, and protection from bandits �The serfs tended the lord's lands, cared for his animals, and performed other tasks to maintain the estate �Peasant women shared in the farm work with their husbands

Manors � Only a few square miles � Contained 15 – 30 families � Typical manors included: �Manor House: the dwelling place of the lord and his family and their servants �Village Church: Site of both religious services and public meetings �Peasant Cottages: Where the peasants lived �Lord’s Demesne: Fields owned by the lord and worked by the peasants �Peasant Crofts: Gardens that belonged to the peasants �Mills: Water-powered for grinding grain �Common Pastures: Common area for grazing animals �Woodland: forests provided wood for fuel

Feudal Manor

Peasant Life �Paid taxes on grain ground in the lord’s mill �Paid taxes on marriage �Weddings had to be approved �Paid a tithe �A 10% tax given to the church

Day 3

Chivalry �Chivalry: a code of behavior for knights in medieval Europe, stressing ideals such as courage, loyalty, and devotion �Ideals that governed European warfare �Demanded that a knight fight bravely in defense of three masters �Feudal lord �God �Chosen lady (his love)

Knights/Soldiers �Heavily armored �Armored themselves to protect from arrows and swords �Try to cover every part of the body �Well trained �Sword training and horseback riding �Fought on horseback �Leather saddles and the use of stirrups for balance �Was able to carry heavy weapons because of the stirrups �Most important part of an army

Knights Defend �Europe was a battle ground between nobles �All were trying to fight for power throughout the lands �Feudal lords raised private armies of knights to protect their lands �In exchange for military service, feudal lords used their most abundant resource (land) to give to the knights and most skilled warriors �Fiefs: pieces of land given out to the knights and skilled warriors �A lord would typically require knights to give 40 days of service

Knights �Chivalrous knights protected the weak and poor �The ideal knight was loyal and brave �Those that failed to meet these high standards: �Stripped of their armor �Shield was cracked �Spurs were cut off �Sword was broken over his head �Thrown into a coffin and suffered through a mock funeral

Knights and Battles �Castles �Home of the lord, lady, family, knights, and servants �Fortress �Ways to defend the castle: �Boiling water, oil, or molted lead �Archers on the roof

Castle and Siege Weapons �Siege Tower �Had a platform on top that lowed like a drawbridge �Could support weapons and soldiers �Mantlet �Shielded soldiers �Batterling Ram �Made of heavy timber with a sharp metal tip �Swung like a pendulum to crack castle walls or to knock down a drawbridge

Castle and Siege Weapons �Tortoise �Moved slowly on wheels �Sheltered soldiers from falling arrows �Mangonel �Flung huge rocks that crashed into castle walls �Propelled objects up to a distance of 1, 300 feet �Trebuchet �Worked like a giant slingshot �Propelled objects up to a distance of 980 feet

Tournaments �Mock battles between a group of knights �Knights would try to prove their battle skills in front of an audience �Winners usually demanded some kind of ransom from defeated knights

Medieval Women �During this time period many of the men were powerless �This was even tougher for women since they were already seen as being inferior to men �Role became increasingly limited to homes and convents �This was backed by the church �Noblewomen held some power and played key roles in their estates �They could inherit land from their husbands and send his knights to war �Helped in defending the castle by firing arrows and hurling rocks

Troubadours �Poet-musicians �Worked at castles and courts throughout Europe �Composed short verses and songs about joy, love, and sorrows

Day 4

Literature of Chivalry �Idealized castle life �Made living in the castle sound great �Glorified knighthood, tournaments, and battles �Songs and poems about a knights love for his lady �Example of a medieval epic story: �The Song of Roland

The Power of the Church �Since there was a weak central government in feudal Europe, the Church was able to emerge as a powerful institution �After the crowning of Charlemagne as the Roman Emperor in 800, the Church sought to influence both spiritual and political matters �Pope Gelasius recognized 300 years earlier that a conflict could arise between Church and Kings �“There are two powers by which this world is chiefly ruled: the sacred authority of the priesthood and the authority of kings”

Structure of the Church �Power based on status �Pope: head of the Catholic Church �Clergy: religious officials consisting of bishops, priests, and various members of the Church �Bishops: supervised priests, settled disputes over church teachings and religious practice �Priests: local church leaders

Unification of Religion �Shared beliefs in the teaching of the church brought people together �The church was a stable force during an era of constant warfare and political turmoil �Provided a sense of security and religious community �Sacraments: important religious ceremonies performed for the common people �Examples: baptism

Church Laws �Cannon Law: the body of laws governing the religious practices of a Christian church �Church courts tried people who violated these laws �Harshest Punishments: excommunication and probation �Excommunication: banishment from the church �Popes would use threat of excommunication against political rulers as a way of getting what they wanted

Holy Roman Empire �Otto the Great (Otto I) was crowned king in 936 �Followed the policies of his hero, Charlemagne �Created a close alliance with the Church �Limited the power of the nobles with increased power to the clergy �Would gain the support of people to build up his power

Holy Roman Empire v. the Pope �Lay Investiture: a ceremony in which kings and nobles appointed church officials �This did not make the church happy �The church wanted to pick their own officials �The church knew that whoever controlled Lay Investiture held the real power in naming bishops, who were very influential clergy that kings sought to control �It wasn’t until 1075 that Lay Investiture was banned

Canossa, Italy �German Emperor Henry IV �Called the Pope a “false monk” �Pope excommunicated Henry, started losing control of Germany �Went to beg the Pope forgiveness �The Pope made Henry wait in the snow for 3 days before lifting the excommunication (The Pope was obligated to forgive any sinner who begged so humbly)

Concordat of Worms �Says that the church alone could grant a bishop his ring and staff, symbols of the church office �The Emperor had the right to veto (or prevent) the appointment of a bishop

Frederick I/Barbarossa �In 1152, seven German Princes realized that Germany needed a strong ruler to keep the peace �They elected Frederick I, nickname was Barbarossa �First ruler to call his lands the Holy Roman Empire �His forceful personality and military skills enabled him to dominate the German princes �Focused on invasion of rich cities in Italy �His brutal tactics spurred Italian merchants to unit against him

Lombard League �Italian merchants and the Pope united to fight Frederick � 1176 foot soldiers battled Frederick’s mounted knights and won �This was a very surprising victory, it proved that foot soldiers could beat knights �Italian foot soldiers used crossbows to defeat feudal knights for the first time in history

German Bickering �Frederick I empire dissolved into fragmented feudal states �Disunity weakened the nation �Territories would attack each other