Charlemagne and the Franks Fall of Rome and the Rise of the Middle Ages ( ) Decline of Western Europe Disruption of Trade Foreign invaders Cities Crumble Cities abandoned Population Flees Rural refuge Learning Declines Population flight to rural areas. Greek language loses significance. Priests and church officials. Culture and history suffer. New oral tradition. No written language Languages become muddled and differentiated. Rise of the Germanic Kingdoms Roman provinces fall; tribes fill vacuum. Unwritten rules and traditions. Stress placed on personal loyalty. Not loyalty toward the state. Church remains in tact. Frankish Fortune Clovis; leader of the Franks in Gaul. Christian ruler 496 leads warriors to fight Germanic army. Clovis Plea For I have called on my gods, but find that they are far from my aid. Now I call on Thee. I long to believe in Thee. Only, please deliver me from my enemies. Frankish Fortune Clovis; leader of the Franks in Gaul. Christian ruler 496 leads warriors to fight Germanic army. Tide of war shifts. Baptism. 511 Clovis unites the Franks Christian Expansion 7 th century Christianization. Monasteries and convents and rural life Monks and nuns followed strict codes. Church Influence 590 Gregory I; expands papacy into secular affairs. Infrastructure and army Lombards. Christendoms Middle Aged influence. 7 th and 8 th century monasteries grow as most educated section of Europe. Keeping literature alive. An Empire Expands Franks govern most of France Charles Martel Unofficial ruler Armies, policies, royal household. Christian leader and expansion of Franks. Defeat of Muslims in Battle of Tours (732) A Strong Alliance Pepin the Short; son of Charles Martel. Defends Church against Lombards. Pope appoints him king by the grace of God. Birth of the Carolingian Dynasty ( ). Charlemagne Pepin dies in 768. Two heirs, Charlemagne and Carloman Carloman dies in 771 (mysteriously?) Charlemagne takes sole control over Empire. A well-respected and powerful man. The Greatness Builds greatest empire since Rome. By 800 he maintains the strongest empire in Western Europe. Protects Pope Leo III Coronation of Roman Emperor; European King. The Reformist Limited noble power. Encouraged learning. Surrounded by multi-national scholars. Opened schools around Europe. Through the monasteries. In the End Charlemagne leaves empire to Louis the Pious. Very religious but ineffective. Louis passes it on to his three sons. Dividing the empire and dissolving central authority. Bringing the era of feudalism. Intl Charlemagne Prize The Payoff What are some of Charlemagnes greatest legacies? What makes him great? How does Charlemagnes Frankish empire speak to humanity seeking a society? Other historically relevant connections?