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

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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.