introduction early middle ages marks birth of europe new ideas and experimentation unique...

IntroductionEarly Middle Ages marks birth of EuropeNew ideas and experimentationUnique combination of

Graeco-Roman cultureGermanic cultureEvolving Christianity

Threat from Islamic worldWestern Europe increasingly isolatedLost touch with classical learning

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.

End of Western Roman Empire

ThreatsVisigoths under Alaric sack Rome – 410

Huns under Attila invade Italy – 452

Vandals overrun Rome – 455

Odovacar – 434-493Deposed Romulus Augustulus in 476

Odovacar recognized by Byzantine Zeno

Western empire completely overrun by barbarians


Romans and BarbariansFall of Rome did not mean end of RomeBarbarian tribes borrow from Rome

Germanic institutions coexist with• Roman law• Roman government• Latin

Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals entered the empire as Arian Christians

Franks converted to Catholicism

Roman traditions remained the stronger tradition


Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman empire survives

Constantinople – capital

Justinian – r. 527-565Theodora

“One God, one empire, one religion”

Corpus Juris Civilis• Foundation for most European law

Goal was to centralize government• Impose legal and doctrinal conformity


Byzantine Empire (cont.)

Religion also served to centralizeClose ties between emperors and patriarchsLarge number of Jews

• Legal protection

Empire’s strength was its 1500 citiesConstantinople – population of 350,000Cultural crossroads of Europe and AsiaDecurions – councils of wealthy landowners


Eastern InfluenceHeraclius – r. 610-641

Much greater Eastern influencePressure from Islamic armies

Leo III – r. 717-741Enforced ban on images in Eastern churches

Manzikert - loss to Seljuq Turks in 1071Beginning of the end for the empire

Byzantium remained barrier between east/westMajor conduit of classical learning and science


Religious DiversityChristianity official faith of Eastern Empire 391

All other religions “demented and insane”Enforced strict laws regarding Jews

East and west religious disputesMonophysite heresyRelationship among the members of the TrinityImages and IconsAbsolute sovereignty

Resulted in eventual schism 1054


Impact of Islam

Vast Arabic conquestsFrom Spain to India

Christian world badly divided

Generally tolerant of Christians and JewsProvided they paid taxes

Kept their distance

Made no efforts to proselytize Muslims

Forbade mixed marriages

Special taxes on conquered peoples


Western Debt to IslamEurope developed lasting fear of Islamic world

Arab expansion stopped by Leo III at Constantinople, and Charles Martel at Tours

More advanced Arab civilizationsGolden Age

• Arabic translations of Greek works• Hippocrates and Galen

Al Razi (Rhazes)Ibn-Sina (Avicenna)Ibn Rushd (Averroes)


Developing the Roman Church

Slowly gained in strengthCentralized, organized on Roman modelLocal cathedral center of urban life

Constantine granted Christian churchSpecial privilegesWealth

Edict of Milan in 313 – legal standingsOfficial religion of empire in 391


Monastic CultureFirst monks were hermits

Life of complete self-denial

Anthony of Egypt – father of hermit monasticismPachomius – organized monks in communitiesBasil the Great – emphasis on social serviceBenedict of Nursia – 480-547

Monte CassinoRules for MonasteriesPeriods of study and religious devotion


Doctrine of Papal PrimacyPopes much stronger than Byzantine patriarchsDoctrine of “papal primacy”Pope Damasus I – r. 366-384

Declared Rome’s “apostolic” primacyPopes as direct successors of Peter

Pope Leo I – r. 440-461Pontifex maximus – “supreme priest”

Pope Gelasius I – r. 492-496Claim of supremacy over kings


Division of Christendom

Split between Byzantine and Roman Catholic

Three major factorsQuestions of doctrinal authority

• Roman supremacy unacceptable in East

Western addition of the filioque clause to Nicene Creed• Belief that Christ of one essence with God

Iconoclastic controversy• Byzantine Emperor Leo III – r. 717-741


Merovingians and CarolingiansClovis - 466-511

Founder of first Frankish dynasty• Merovingians

Converted to Christianity

Conquered territory across northern EuropeKingdom progressively fragmentedPepin II – d. 714 – mayor of the palace

Ruled in fact if not in title

Charles Martel “the Hammer” – d. 741Battle of Tours – 732


Frankish ChurchClose ties between Frankish rulers and PopesConversion of ClovisCharles Martel used the church to pacify conquered tribesPope Zacharias sanctioned Pepin the Short’s termination of the Merovingian dynastyPope Stephen II – r. 752-757

Appealed directly to Pepin the Short for helpPepin received title Patricius Romanorum


Charlemagne – r. 768-814Tremendous military leader

Kingdom – modern France, Belgium Holland, Switzerland, Germany, northern Italy

Capital at AachenUsed church to promote social stabilityImperial aspirations

Dreamt of Roman greatnessCrowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800Creation of Holy Roman Empire


Charlemagne and Government

Use of 250 counts Local magnates with three responsibilities

• Maintain local army loyal to king

• Collect tribute and dues

• Administer justice throughout his district Mallus - district law court

Missi dominiciLay and clerical agents to watch over empire


Carolingian Renaissance

Attempt to bring best scholars to court

Einhard – 770-840 – Charlemagne’s biographer

Alcuin of York – 735-804Director of palace school in 782

Brought classical learning to Aachen• Grammar, logic, rhetoric

Upgrade administrative skills of bureaucracy• Reading, writing, speaking sound reasoning

Minuscule


Manor and Serfdom

Manors were focus of agrarian economyLord gave land and protection

Peasants labored in subordination to a lord

Peasants treated according to statusFreeman - peasant with own small property

• Clear definition of economic and legal rights

Impoverished serfs with no rights

Increase in agricultural productionMoldboard plow and three-field system


Religion and Clergy

Lords had right to raise serfs to post of parish priest

Serf was supposed to be set free before entering clergy but lord was often reluctant to do this

Lords preferred a “serf priest”• Liked a docile parish clergy

Local priests often poorly educatedVeneration of relics and saints


Breakup of Carolingian Kingdom

Dissolution lay in regionalismLouis the Pious – r. 814-840

Salic lawSons – Lothar, Louis, Pepin, Charles

Treaty of Verdun – 843Split between modern Germany and FranceContinual contest over middle territory

Threat from invasionsVikings, Magyars, Muslims


Feudal Society

Chronic absence of effective central governmentAnd threat of famine, disease, foreign invasion

Weaker sought protection of stronger

Feudal society is the social, political, military and economic system from these conditions

Landed nobility became great lordsMaintained own armies

Regulated local tolls

Even minted own coins


Origins of Feudal Society

Found in divisions of Merovingian societyIndividual freemen began placing themselves under protection of stronger freemen

Ingenui in obsequio – freemen in a contractual obligation of dependence

Vassi – “those who serve”

Vassalage

Lords granted vassals land as “tenement”Known as benefice or fief


Vassalage and the Fief

Vassalage involved “fealty” to lordTo swear fealty was to promise to refrain from any action that might threaten the lordAnd to perform personal services

• Such as duty as a mounted knight• Scutage - monetary payment by vassal to get out of

military service

Vassal expected to give lord advice and sit as member of court when in session


Lord’s Obligation to Vassal

Protect vassal from physical harm

Stand as vassal’s advocate in public court

Provide physical maintenance by bestowal of benefice

Money fiefs

Fief was usually a landed estate

Bishops and abbots also swore fealty and received their offices from king as a benefice

• Angered church


Divided Loyalty

Multiplication of vassalageEffective occupation of land led to claims of hereditary possession

Hereditary possession became a legally recognized principle in the ninth century

One man could be a vassal to several different lords

“Liege lord”

“Oath of fealty”


introduction early middle ages marks birth of europe new ideas and experimentation unique...

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