the worlds of christendom

The Worlds of Christendom

Connected and Divided

Christianity DividedRome = West (Odoacer invades Rome 476ce) Schism of 1054 – Mutual excommunication

-Eastern Orthodox Church / Roman Catholic Church

Byzantium / Constantinople = EastWestern Roman Empire = Hybrid CivilizationWest = RuralEast = Urban/Cosmopolitan

Eastern ChristendomA continuation of the Roman EmpireNo clear beginning (Constantinople founded

330ce)Formal Division – late 4th centuryRome Falls -476ce and “barbarians” invade

Eastern Advantageswealthier and more urbanizedmore defensible capital (Constantinople)shorter frontieraccess to the Black Sea; command of eastern

Mediterraneanstronger army, navy, and merchant marinecontinuation of late Roman infrastructureconscious effort to preserve Roman ways

Split of the Roman Empire

The Byzantine StateRemained powerful until 1200’sCentralized PoliticallyGovernment bureaucracy based on PersiansEmperor ruled as “god’s representative on

earth”Important – tax collection / keeping recordscaeseropapism- church and state tightly

connected-emperor head of church and state

Orthodox ChristianityLegitimized imperial ruleCultural identity (barbarians to the west)Differences in Christianity West/East

-priest’s celibacy-shaving-Pope as head of church

Schism of 1054 – Mutual ExcommunicationCrusades begin in 1095 – worsen the

situation

Byzantium in the WorldIntense interaction in Europe and AsiaCrusades – Islam pushing into Byzantine

Empire-diversity of victims-economic + political motives

“Greek Fire” helped keep Byzantium standing so long

“Greek Fire” would even burn on top of Water

Conversion of RussiaMost important conversion was that of Prince

Vladimir of KievOrthodoxy transformed state of Rus; became

central to Russian identityMoscow finally declared itself to be the “third

Rome,” assuming role of protector of Christianity after fall of Constantinople

Western ChristendomOn the Periphery of the world

-far removed from trade routesGeography made political unification difficultRoman Collapse in 476ce

-Barbarians Invade-Rome becomes bankrupt (coliseum games, army)-lead poisoning?

Western Political Makeup after 476Large-scale centralized rule vanishedPopulation fell by 25% - war/diseaseLess land cultivatedLess Movement/ Dangerous / No Imperial

ArmyDecline in LiteracyFrom Urban to Rural

-Feudalism

Feudalism

Manor

Preservation of Roman CultureMany Germanic people were Romanized

already-many served in the Roman army prior to the fall

Adoption of Roman law systemAttempts to recreate Roman imperial system

-Charlemagne -Otto I of Saxony - Holy Roman Empire c. 800ce-Attempts failed to re-create a “Christian Empire”

The Wake of Roman CollapseNew Kingdoms

-highly fragmented-great local variation-landowning warrior elite possessed most power

Social Hierarchies-serfdom replaces slavery-life on the manor

Stability was found in the Catholic Church

Catholic Church “On Top”Became VERY richConversion of most of Europe

-Top-Down Conversion-considerable cultural accommodations-amulets, sacred wells, and festivals were preempted by Christianity

Investiture Conflict – Who appoints pope/bishops?

Change in the West 1000-1300700-1000 – Muslim Invasions1000-1350 – High Middle Ages – Population Growth

- climate warms up (30million-80million)- More movement of people

- Growth of Trade/Cities (Italy)

CrusadesBegan in 1095

- wars at God’s command, authorized by the pope, for which participants received an indulgence (release from penalty  for confessed sins)- amazingly popular; were religious wars at their core - most famous Crusades aimed to regain Jerusalem and holy places- showed Europe’s growing organizational ability

Crusades Map

Crusades Propaganda

Lasting Impact of the CrusadesTens of thousands of Europeans made contact

with the Islamic world- stimulated demand for Asian goods- learned how to produce sugar- Muslim/Greek scholarship entered Europe- hardened cultural barriers- deepened the Catholic/Orthodox divide- development of anti-Semitism in Europe- memory of the Crusades still affects dealings between Western civilization and Islam

Christians did not regain much land at all

A Comparative PerspectiveWestern Europe was less developed than

Byzantium, China, India, or the Islamic worldMuslims regarded Europeans as barbariansEuropeans recognized their own

backwardnessEuropeans were happy to exchange

with/borrow from more advanced civilizations to the east

European economies reconnected with the Eurasian trading system

Europe Borrowing from the EastEuropeans welcomed scientific,

philosophical, and mathematical concepts from Arabs, classical Greeks, and India- i.e. the compass, papermaking, gunpowder

Europe developed a passion for technologyby 1500, Europe had caught up with China

and the Islamic world; surpassed them in some areas

Western European PoliticsCompeting States

-led to war / technological developments-paved the way for capitalism-kings less powerful than the east-parliaments develop (nobles want power)

Reason and FaithIntellectual tension between reason and faithIntellectual life flourished after 1000ce

-University Schools, Humanism-development of “natural philosophy”(study of nature)-applied reason to law, medicine, nature-searching for greek classical texts (Aristotle)

Cathedral School in Europe