Medieval Europe Changes in Western Europe Decline of

Medieval Europe

Changes in Western Europe • Decline of the Roman empire ushered in Medieval period in Europe 500 -1500 • Disruption of trade from invasions, which destroyed Europe’s cities • Downfall of cities • Population moves from cities to countryside

Decline of learning • Germanic invaders illiterate • Shift to rural areas decreased literate Roman citizens • Only priests and other church officials were literature • Knowledge of Greek lost

Loss of a Common language • Latin changed with new population and different dialects developed • French, Spanish, etc. Mirrored breakup of unified empire

Germanic Kingdoms Emerge • Small Germanic kingdoms replaced provinces • Germanic people lived in small communities and unwritten rules and traditions bound them together • Germanic stress on personal ties made it impossible to establish orderly gov. for large territories • Roman province of Gaul, a Germanic people called the Franks held power • Clovis, their leader, converts them to Christianity • Church in Rome supported Clovis’ conversion and gave him military support, which began the church and state partnership

Germanic Peoples Adopt Christianity • By 600 many Germanic peoples had • • converted Missionary activity helped Church built monasteries out in countryside, where monks and nuns lived Benedict, an Italian monk, wrote a book about the rules of monasteries that was adopted throughout Europe Monasteries became best educated communities in Europe

590 Gregory the Great became Pope • Increased papal authority • Became more secular- involved in politics • Expanded the idea of a churchly kingdom • This would slowly conflict with secular rulers with their own kingdoms

A European Empire Evolves • Clovis’ kingdom of the Franks was the strongest in Europe and he strengthened the Merovingian dynasty • By 700 the mayor of the palace ruled the kingdom • Charles Martel, the mayor in 719, had more power than the king • Defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732, which kept Muslims from further advancement into Europe • His son, Pepin the short, came to power • Pope named Pepin “king by the grace of god” thus beginning the Carolingian Dynasty 751 -987 • Charlemagne, one of Pepin’s sons, built a great empire in Europe

Charlemagne Takes Center Stage • Charlemagne conquered a lot of territory and spread Christianity • Reunited Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire • 800 Charlemagne went to Rome to crush a mob who had attacked the Pope • In return, the Pope named him Roman Emperor, signaling the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the heritage of the Roman Empire

Charlemagne’s government • Limited the authority of the nobles • • Judged cases Settled disputes Made regular visits to kingdom Encouraged learning

Charlemagne’s successors • Charlemagne died in 814 and left only son Louis as emperor • Louis’ three sons fought for the empire and it split apart • Carolingian’s lost power