Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms

 A new era of European history after decline of Rome  Spans from  During this, a new society slowly emerges with roots in: 1. Classical heritage of Rome 2. Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church 3. Customs of various Germanic tribes

 Effects of Constant Invasions and Warfare  Germanic invaders overrun western Roman Empire in 400s (fell in 476 AD)  Marks the beginning of the Middle Ages-period from

1. Disruption of trade  Money becomes scarce; businesses collapse b/c of invasions from land and sea 2. Downfall of cities  Abandoned 3. Population shifts  Nobles and city dwellers retreat to countryside to grow own food 4. Decline of learning  Knowledge of Greek language and culture is almost completely lost  Germanic invaders could not read or write, only had song and legends  Priests and church officials only ones literate 5. Loss of Common Language  Latin changes as mixed w/ Germanic tribes  Different dialects emerge 1. By 800s, French, Spanish, and other Romance languages had evolved

 Why were cities particularly hard hit when the Roman Empire declined?  Cities were no longer centers of trade and government. Many city dwellers moved to the country.  Why did the move to rural areas contribute to a decline in literacy?  People were more widely dispersed, so harder to obtain any schooling.

 Years of Upheaval Between 400 and 600  Germanic kingdoms replace Roman provinces  Continual wars change borders between kingdoms  The Church provides order and security

 Family ties and personal loyalty held Germanic society together  They lived in small communities governed by unwritten rules and traditions  Germanic warriors pledge loyalty to their chief who lived in lord’s hall  Warriors fought to the death at their lord’s side  Felt no obligation to a king they didn’t know nor would they obey an official sent to collect taxes for an emperor

 Germanic people called Franks hold power in Roman province of Gaul (France/Switzerland)  Clovis, leader of the Franks, in battle, converts to Christianity in 496;  From then on, the Pope supports Clovis  Leads warriors against other Germanic armies  Brings Christianity to the Franks  By 511, Unites them into one kingdom with Church’s help  (FIRST KING OF FRANKS)  The alliance b/n Clovis’ Frankish kingdom and the Church mark the start of a partnership b/n 2 powerful forces

 “For I have called on my gods, but I find they are far from my aid… Now I call on Thee. I long to believe Thee. Only, please deliver me from my enemies.” - Clovis Fresco at the Panthéon (Paris) by Paul- Joseph Blanc circa 1881.PanthéonParisPaul- Joseph Blanc

 The alliance b/n Clovis’ Frankish kingdom and the Church marks the start of a powerful partnership

 How the Church Spread:  Frankish rulers convert Germanic peoples to Christianity  Missionaries travel to convert Germanic and Celtic groups  Fear of Muslim attacks spurred many to convert in 600’s

 Church builds monasteries-where monks live to study and serve God  Italian monk, Benedict, writes rules that govern monastic life (how monks should eat to what kind of beds they should sleep on) He emphasized a balance between work and study.  His sister Scholastica adapts rules for nuns living in convents. She showed the importance of love and compassion to balance rigid rules.  Monks establish schools, preserve learning through libraries  ( pictures: wikipedia)

 St. Benedict founded a community for monks for which he wrote a set of rules  Divides day into series of activities, with emphasis on prayer and manual labor  Physical labor: “…idleness is the enemy of the soul”  Prayer- meditation, readings, gather 7 x day, for chanting of Psalms and common prayer  Ate, worked, slept, and worshiped together  Monastery ruled by an abbot  Monks take vows of obedience, poverty

 In 590, Gregory I, also called Gregory the Great, becomes pope  Under Gregory, Church becomes secular-a political and worldly power; even coined money  Pope’s palace becomes center of Roman government  Uses Church money to raise armies, care for poor, negotiate treaties, fix roads  Establishes a Christendom- churchly kingdom fanning out from Rome  (picture: wikipedia)

 How was Pope Gregory I like a Roman emperor?  He saw the Church as a kingdom spreading over a wide territory ruled from Rome. He raised armies, repaired roads, and helped the poor.

 Europe’s Kingdom’s:  The Franks control largest and strongest of Europe’s many kingdoms  By 511, Frankish rule extends over what is now France

 Most powerful official in kingdom is major domo— mayor or the palace  In 719, major domo Charles Martel becomes more powerful than king  Defeats Muslims from Spain at Tours in 732; becomes a Christian hero  Son, Pepin, begins Carolingian Dynasty- family that ruled

 Fights the Lombards who were fighting in Italy and threatening Rome  Pope was pleased and as a reward anointed Pepin king  (picture:wikipedia)

 From Pepin to Charlemagne  Pepin dies in 768, leaves kingdom to two sons; in 771 one son dies  Second son, Charlemagne (Charles the Great), rules kingdom  6’ 4”; fair hair, piercing eyes; “His nose was rather larger than is usual; he had beautiful white hair and his appearance was dignified and impressive; He constantly practiced swimming; He took the trouble to learn foreign languages. He built the great and most beautiful church at Aachen.”

 Charlemagne’s armies reunite western Europe, spread Christianity  In 800, Charlemagne travels to Rome to protect Pope Leo III (bottom left) from mobs  Pope crowns Charlemagne emperor; gives him title, “Roman Emperor” on Christmas Day  Reunited western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire (see map on page 356)  Germanic power, Church, and heritage of Roman Empire now joined together  (pictures:wikipedia)

 Gold and silver lamps lighted the palace chapel, and gold mosaics adorned the chapel’s dome.  In the palace area, he built a marble pool that could hold 100 people and was filled with water from a hot spring. Italian marble decorated a reception hall.

 Charlemagne limits nobles’ power by governing through royal agents  Encourages learning and orders monasteries to open schools; “He paid the greatest attention to the liberal arts, and showed the greatest respect and bestowed high honors upon those who taught them. He tried to learn to write…but he made little advance in this strange task, which was begun too late in life.”

 Charlemagne dies in 814 after ruling over 40 years; his son, Louis the Pious, was a weak ruler and rules poorly  Louis’s three sons fight for control of empire in a civil war  In 843 they divide empire into three kingdoms by signing the Treaty of Verdun (see map p. 356)  As a result, kings lose power and central authority breaks down. This leads to feudalism and invasions.  (picture: wikipedia)

 What role did the Church play in helping Clovis conquer other Germanic peoples?  The church supported his military campaigns against other Germanic peoples.

 2. What role did Pope Gregory the Great play in spreading the idea of a vast unified kingdom?  He broadened the Church’s power to include secular affairs and spread the idea of a churchly kingdom.

 3. What was important about Charles Martel’s victory at the Battle of Tours?  The victory halted a Muslim invasion, prevented the Frankish kingdom from becoming part of the Muslim Empire, and made him a hero.

 4. How did Pepin the Short strengthen the Frankish kingdom?  He successfully fought the Lombards and was anointed by the pope, establishing an informal alliance between the pope and the Frankish kings.

 5. What was the importance of Charlemagne’s coronation as emperor?  The even signaled the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the heritage of the Roman Empire.

 6. How did Charlemagne govern his unified kingdom?  He sent out agents to see that counts governed their counties justly, and visited every part of his kingdom; he supervised the management of his huge estates.

 Maps and pictures were obtained from Wikipedia, Encarta, clip art, UnitedStreaming, and the textbook.