Mr. Snell HRHS

 Gradual decline ushered a new Era of European history.  The Middle Ages – Medieval Period  Spanned  New Classical society with roots in: Classical heritage of Rome Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church Customs of various Germanic tribes

 5 th century Germanic tribes invade Western Rome.  Repeated invasions caused changes like: Disruption of Trade  Money became scarce. Downfall of Cities  Abandoned as centers of administration. Population Shifts  Nobles retreated to rural areas. City dwellers flee too.

 Germanic invaders could not read or write. Had rich tradition of oral legends/myths  Roman learning sank as people went rural. Priests still literate Knowledge of Greek was almost lost

 German mixed with Roman population.  Latin changed – still official, no longer understood. 800s – French, Spanish, other Roman based Languages evolved from Latin.  Language development mirrored the break up of the once unified empire.

 Small Germanic kingdoms replaced Roman provinces. Constant border changing  The Church survived the fall of the Roman Empire. Provided order and security during chaos.

 Old: Loyalty to public gov’t Loyalty to written law Citizenship unifies Public state unifies  New: Family ties Personal loyalty Small communities Unwritten rules and traditions Germanic Chief: -Led band of warriors who pledged loyalty to him. -Followers lived in their lord’s hall. -Provided supplies to live. -Warriors fought to death at their lord’s side in battle. Germanic Warriors: -No loyalty to kings they didn’t know. -No obedience to tax collectors Orderly government could not be established!

 Germanic people – Franks had power in Gaul.  Clovis – leader of the Franks. Brought Christianity Clovis’ battle prayer conversion Clovis army baptizes by bishop  Church welcomed Clovis & his conversion.  511- Clovis united the Franks into 1 Kingdom.

 Politics played a key role in spreading Christianity.  600 – Church & Franks began converting tons of people.  Missionary – Religious traveler who brought their beliefs to other lands.

Monastery – Church built religious communities. Monks – Christian men who gave up possessions and devoted their lives to serving God. Nuns – women who followed the same lifestyle.

 Monasteries became Europe's best- educated communities. Schools, libraries, copied books. Monks preserved Roman intellectual heritage. Benedict & Scholastica

 590- Gregory the great becomes Pope!  Papacy - Pope’s office, beyond the spiritual role. Papacy becomes secular, or worldly  Church Revenue: Raise armies, repair roads, help poor. Negotiated peace treaties with Lombards.  Theme - Churchly kingdom, ruled by a pope, Middle Ages. Secular rulers expanded their political kingdoms.

 England split into 7 tiny kingdoms.  By 700 – Charles Martel – Major Domo Mayor of the palace. Most powerful person in the Frankish kingdom. Extended empire north/south/east.  Became a Christian hero!

 Charles Martel died. Power went to his son, Pepin the Short. Pepin wanted to be king Agreed to fight the Lombards for the church.  The Church Anointed Pepin “King by the grace of God” Ruled from 751 – 987.

 Pepin the Short dies in 768. Power to two sons, Carloman & Charles. Carloman dies in 771  Charles becomes Charles the Great, or Charlemagne. He stood 6ft4inches tall.

 Built a huge empire like Rome.  Fought Muslims in Spain, tribes from other kingdoms.  Spread Christianity.  Reunited Western Europe for the first time.  Trial by Panel  Became most powerful king in Europe.  Crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III Signaled the joining of the Church & Germanic power.

 Strengthened his power: Limit authority of the nobles. Royal agents to monitor the counts governing the empire.  Counts – landholders of huge estates.  The huge estates were the source of the Carolingian Empires wealth and power.  Encouraged learning: English, German, Spanish, Italian scholars.

 Crowned his only surviving son, Louis the Pious, emperor in 814 before he died. Very religious devout, but ineffective ruler. Left power to his 3 sons.  Lothar, Charles the Bald, Louis the German  843 Treaty of Verdun – divided the empire into three kingdoms.  The lack of strong rulers led to a new system of governing and landholding— feudalism.