Download - Franks Early Mideval Europe
The Middle Ages 500-1500
By Mr. Jack
Book pages 285-300, 314-316
Collapse of Classical Europe
The Roman Empire in the west relied on slaves, which stifled innovation and social growth.
Classical civilization collapsed so totally in Europe that it never recovered.
However, the new culture of Europe carried remnants of the old Roman and Greek world.
Early Middle Ages 500-1000
Dark Ages, Age of Faith, city life gone, illiteracy, constant war with barbarians or with other tribes, Christianity spread Monasteries
High Middle Ages 1000 – 1250
Rise of Feudalism, supremacy of Pope and Catholic Church, chivalry, mannerism
Late Middle Ages: 1250 – 1500
Rise of Kings, Nation States, revival of learning
Dark Ages 500-1000
Near total anarchy and lawlessness. Education, town and city life and trade gone.
Warriors and Warbands in the West
Groups by languages and little else Celtic: Gauls, Britons, Bretons (Irish, Scotland, Wales, etc
today)
Germanic: Goths, Frank, Vandals, Saxons (British, Germans, Netherlands, Czech Rep today)
Slavic: Wends (Russians, Poland, Latvia, etc today)
Schools, trade, roads, building tech all but disappeared in western Europe.
The German tribes break down into thousands of warring states .
Life degraded to brutality not seen since the Neolithic Age.
Small communities
Non warrior people fled to anyone who could protect them. Warriors build up forts to protect people who become serfs.
Germanic tribal traditions
1. Individualism and equality based on fighting ability.
2. Tribes elected their chiefs or kings. 3. Kings job to lead in raids and plunder and to
divide up plunder. 4. Remained king until killed in battle, or by
another tribesman. 5. King divided up conquered lands to sons.
Family the crucial social bond
Extended families worked together and provided protection.
Groups of families formed clans and tribes.
The Kingdom of the Franks (France today) provide some stability under the
Merovingian 481-751 Carolingian 751-814 dynasties
Merovingians481-751
Leaders of the Frankish Tribes
Clovis I united the tribes and expanded territory
He converted to Christianity And the Roman Catholic Church Supported him
Baptism of ClovisWashes away Original Sin of Eve
Merovingians
They founded and built many monasteries, churches and palaces
The Spread of ChristianityPope Gregory Great
590-640
Rome sends Bishops and Monks to spread Christianity.
Sing Gregorian Chants
Gregorian calanderSends out St Augustine to Angle
land (First Archbishop of Canterbury) to convert the Anglo Saxon barbarians.
St Patrick converts the Irish Celtic tribes of Ireland.
Catholic Monks
Monks swore an oath of celibacy, poverty, and obedience to the Pope
400 -700 monasteries (abbey) converted people to Christianity.
Strict codes of monastic conduct called Rule of St. Benedict
Head monk called an abbot.
cloister
A Medieval Benedictine Monk’s DayA Medieval Benedictine Monk’s Day
Catholic Nuns
Nuns, women who devote their lives to the Church, had a life of chastity, charity, and community work..
They live in a nunnery led by a mother superior or abbess.
A Medieval Monastery: The ScriptoriumA Medieval Monastery: The Scriptorium
Literacy survived at the monasteries and nunneries.
Illuminated ManuscriptsIlluminated Manuscripts
Books became works of art.
Romanesque architecture Thick walls small or no windows, thick walls.
Romanesque Churches - Interiors
Church of Saint Sernin, Toulouse
France: Saint-Gilles-du-GardBenedictine Abbey of Saint-Gilles, 1140 AD
Benedictine Abbey Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
Tympanum and south portal of St.- Pierre, Moissac. c. 1115-1135
Most structures collapsed as nobody remembered how to build out of brick or stone.
Most structures made of wood, like this King’s Hall.
They used old Roman structures for protection.
S s
He wrote the Salic Law – put a financial value to everyone and everything; wergild.
Trail by ordeal
Medieval justice held that the Christian god would not allow an innocent person to be hurt.
Clovis I
Warriors could demand Trial by battle
The Christian God would support the innocent side, “might makes right”.
Merovingians
Kings divided their kingdom between their sons
For example Clovis divided the kingdom between his 4 sons
Merovingians
So by the time of his grandsons 10 small kingdoms fighting each other .
They spoke a mixture of Frankish and Latin, which became French (Romance Languages French, Italian, Spanish)
Merovingians
The top warriors soon had huge fortunes. Those with the biggest amounts of land called a Duke or Count
Mayors of the Palace in charge of a King’s dwelling also increased.
Theoretically, they had to provide warriors for the King’s army.
Eventually, the King’s power declined as that of local lords expanded
Carolingians Charles Martel , a count, dominated Frankish
kingdom during the 700’s
Nicknamed the Hammer
He invented the knights
A two Mercedes Benz man War horse=1 Benz Armor=1 Benz
Charles Martel stopped the armies of the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate from invading further into
Europe
X Tours
At the battle of Tours 732
Carolingians Charles Martel expanded
Frankish territory and ruled without a King after 737. He supported the reform of monasteries.
He divided up the empire between his sons, but his son Pepin soon became King.
Pepin the Short 751-768
Charles's son and mayor of the Palace became King with the help of the Pope. Pepin continued Church reforms, expanded Frankish territory and established the Carolingian dynasty.
Pepin the Short 751-768
Pope Steven II (752-757) asked for Pepin’s military aid against the Langobards, which Pepin gave.
Pepin received the title “protector of the Romans”
Pepin the Short 751-768
In addition to military protection, Pepin gave the Pope lands in Italy “the donation of Pepin”.
These lands gave the Pope much needed resources, but would prevent Italy from uniting until the 19th Century.
The Pope had forged the “Donation of Constantine”
Popes justified temporal power, until Lorenzo Valla proved it was a forgery in the 15th C.
Charlemagne
King of the Franks and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
742 - 814
Let my armies be therocks and the trees and
the birds in the sky.
—Charlemagne
By the Sword and Cross Charlemagne waged war for
30 years in Europe, he executed tribes that would not convert to Christianity.
He became master of Western Europe.
He restored some learning and much order to Europe.
• Charlemagne increased the power of the pope. Peasants and serfs had to pay a tax be paid annually to the church (10% of one’s income = a tithe).
• Charlemagne helped the Pope• The Pope helped Charlemagne• Declared Emperor
Charlemagne’s Coronation
Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas day 800.
Charlemagne’s Coronation
Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas day 800.
The Carolingian RenaissanceThe Carolingian Renaissance
Carolingian Renaissance His chief advisor and Bishop
Alcuin could read Latin and some Greek .
While Charlemagne could not write, he needed literate men to run the empire so he supported literacy.
He coined money, helped trade and business, and spread better farming methods.
Alcuin of York
The Carolingian Renaissance
• Charlemagne built churches and monasteries which will be centers of learning
• Alcuin of York ran a school for the children of nobles at Aachen
• Charlemagne and Aachen.flv
Carolingian MinisculeCarolingian Miniscule
..\Charlemagne and Aachen.flv
Agricultural revolution provided much more food.
The heavy wheeled plough allowed more land to be turned into farmland.
Agricultural revolution
Horse collar (6th to 9th centuries) allowed more horse to pull heavy loads.
Agricultural revolution
Horseshoes (9th century) Allowed horse or cattle to adapt to rocky terrain,
mountains) and carry heavier loads.
Agricultural revolution
Two field farming, one area not farmed to replenish soil.
Agricultural revolution
Most large villages had mills to grind grain for making bread.
Agricultural revolution
Overall, Northern Europeans grow much stronger and bigger, than the people of the Mediterranean.
Charlemagne divided the Empire among his sons. By the Treaty of Verdun, the Western part became France, the Eastern the Holy Roman Empire (German States), the middle fought over as the neither lands.
Charlemagne divided the Empire among his sons. By the Treaty of Verdun, the Western part became France, the Eastern the Holy Roman Empire (German States), the middle fought over as the neither lands.
Treaty of Verdun 843
These broke down into smaller states and came under attack by new waves of barbarians.
The Vikings , Muslims, and Hungarians.
The Vikings , Muslims (Saracens), and Magyars (Hungarians).
Homework 290 1-6
end
Feudalism Increasing violence and lawless countryside Weak turn to the strong for protection, strong
want something from the weak Feudalism= relationship between those ranked
in a chain of association (kings, vassals, lords, knights, serfs)
Feudalism worked because of the notion of mutual obligation, or voluntary co-operation from serf to noble
A man’s word was the cornerstone of social life
Key terms Fief = land given by a lord in return for a
vassal’s military service and oath of loyalty Serfs= aka villeins or common peasants who
worked the lords land Tithe = tax that serfs paid (tax or rent) Corvee= condition of unpaid labour by serfs
(maintaining roads or ditches on a manor)
“Feudalism” There really was no “feudal system” if that implies a neat
hierarchy of lords and vassals who collectively took charge of political and military affairs
Because the feudal hierarchy arose as a makeshift for defense against invaders, it always had a provisional, ad hoc, and flexible character There was no “system”
However, medieval European society was characterized by: Fragmentation of political power Public power in private hands Armed forces secured through private contracts
Medieval SocietyEarly Middle Ages (450-1050)
The country was not governed by the king but by individual lords who administered their own estates, dispensed their own justice, minted their own money, levied taxes and tolls, and demanded military service from vassals
Usually the lords could field greater armies than the king In theory the king was the chief feudal lord, but in reality
the individual lords were supreme in their own territory Many kings were little more than figurehead rulers
Retainers
The nobles maintained their armies by offering grants, usually land, to armed retainers
In exchange for the grants, the retainers pledged their loyalty and military service to their lords The retainers gained increased rights over their
land, to include the prerogative to pass on their rights to the heirs
Political-Military Relationship
A close relationship between political and military authorities developed As a result, political authorities and military specialists
merged into a hereditary noble class which lived off the surplus agricultural production that it extracted from the cultivators
Only by tapping into this surplus could the lords and their retainers secure the material resources necessary to maintain their control over military, political, and legal affairs
Serfs Free peasants sought protection
from a lord and pledged their labor and obedience in exchange for security and land to cultivate
Beginning in the mid 17th Century, this category became recognized as serfs– neither fully slave nor fully free
Not chattel slaves subject to sale by their master
But still owed obligations to the lords whose lands they cultivated
Serfs’ Obligations
Had the right to work certain lands and to pass those lands on to their heirs
In exchange they had to perform labor services and pay rents in kind (a portion of the harvest, chickens, eggs, etc)
Male serfs typically worked three days a week for their lords with extra services during planting and harvesting times
Women serfs churned butter, spun thread, and sewed clothes for their lords and their families
Serfs’ Obligations
Since the lord provided the land, the serfs had little opportunity to move and had to get the lord’s permission to do so Even had to pay fees to
marry someone who worked for a different lord
Manors Manors were large estates
consisting of fields, meadows, forests, agricultural tools, domestic animals, and serfs
The lord of the manor and his deputies provided government, administration, police services, and justice for the manor
Many lords had the authority to execute serfs for serious misconduct
In the absence of thriving cities in rural areas, manors became largely self-sufficient communities
Transition to the High Middle Ages(1050 to 1400)
The regional stability of the early middle ages allowed local rulers to organize powerful regional states Holy Roman Empire Capetian France Norman England Papal States etc
The kings of England and France used their relationships with retainees to build powerful, centralized monarchies Still no one could consolidate all of Europe under a single
empire
Three Estates of Medieval Society
Those who pray The clergy of the
Roman Catholic Church
Those who fight Nobles
Those who work Peasants
The result was a society marked by political, social, and economic inequality
Chivalry Church officials
originally proposed a chivalric code to curb fighting within Christendom
By the 12th Century, the ritual by which a young man became a knight commonly included the candidate placing his sword upon an altar and pledging his service to God
Chivalry
With chivalry, warriors were encouraged to adopt higher ethical standards and refined manners and become cultivated leaders of society
The chivalric code called for a noble to devote himself to the causes of order, piety, and the Christian faith rather than seeking wealth and power
The Rise of European Monarchies: England
The Rise of European Monarchies: England
FeudalismFeudalismA political, economic, and social system based on loyalty and military service.
Carcassonne: A Medieval CastleCarcassonne: A Medieval Castle
Parts of a Medieval CastleParts of a Medieval Castle
The Road to KnighthoodThe Road to Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
Chivalry: A Code of Honor and BehaviorChivalry: A Code of Honor and Behavior
The Medieval ManorThe Medieval Manor
Life on the Medieval ManorLife on the Medieval Manor
Serfs at work
William the Conqueror:Battle of Hastings, 1066(Bayeaux Tapestry)
William the Conqueror:Battle of Hastings, 1066(Bayeaux Tapestry)
Evolution of England’s Political SystemEvolution of England’s Political System Henry I:
William’s son. set up a court system. Exchequer dept. of royal finances.
Henry II: established the principle of common law
throughout the kingdom. grand jury. trial by jury.
Evolution of England’s Political SystemEvolution of England’s Political System Henry I:
William’s son. set up a court system. Exchequer dept. of royal finances.
Henry II: established the principle of common law
throughout the kingdom. grand jury. trial by jury.
Magna Carta, 1215Magna Carta, 1215
King John I Runnymeade “Great Charter” monarchs were not
above the law. kings had to
consult a council of advisors.
kings could not tax arbitrarily.
The Beginnings of the British ParliamentThe Beginnings of the British Parliament Great Council:
middle class merchants, townspeople [burgesses in Eng., bourgeoisie in Fr., burghers in Ger.] were added at the end of the 13c.
eventually called Parliament. by 1400, two chambers evolved:
o House of Lords nobles & clergy.o House of Commons knights and
burgesses.
The Rise of European Monarchies: France
The Rise of European Monarchies: France
Gothic Architectural StyleGothic Architectural Style
e Pointed arches.
e High, narrow vaults.
e Thinner walls.
e Flying buttresses.
e Elaborate, ornate, airier interiors.
e Stained-glass windows.
“Flying” Buttresses
Pope Urban II: Preaching a CrusadePope Urban II: Preaching a Crusade
Setting Out on CrusadeSetting Out on Crusade
Christian Crusades: East and WestChristian Crusades: East and West
Medieval UniversitiesMedieval Universities
Oxford UniversityOxford University
Late Medieval Town DwellingsLate Medieval Town Dwellings
Medieval TradeMedieval Trade
Medieval GuildsMedieval Guilds
Guild HallGuild Hall
Commercial Monopoly:
Controlled membership apprentice journeyman master craftsman
Controlled quality of the product [masterpiece].
Controlled prices
Medieval Guilds: A Goldsmith’s ShopMedieval Guilds: A Goldsmith’s Shop
Crest of a Cooper’s GuildCrest of a Cooper’s Guild
Charlemagne Brings Order to Europe Charlemagne launched a 30-year military
campaign to bring order to Europe. By 800, he had conquered most of Western
Europe. what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and
The Netherlands. half of present-day Italy and Germany,
and parts of Austria and Spain. His strong central government restored much
of the unity of the old Roman Empire, paving the way for the development of modern Europe.