The Middle Ages Life and Times During Medieval Europe 500 to 1400 AD

(Fall of the Western Roman Empire) Ancient Times (Fall of the Western Roman Empire) Middle Ages Modern History (Renaissance)

Roman Empire Had Split

REASONS THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE COLLAPSED ECONOMICS-EMPIRE TOO LARGE POOR LEADERSHIP, MORALS and VALUES INVASIONS FROM BARBARIANS

Background The time period following the fall of Rome in Europe is sometimes known as the “Dark Ages.” The term implies that the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the European Renaissance was a period of decline for Europe. This time is also called the Middle Ages because it falls in the middle of 2 important time periods: Classical Period (Greece & Rome) and the European Renaissance.

Why “Dark”? The metaphor of “dark” and “light” was originally used by Christians to describe the “darkness” people lived in before God sent Jesus Christ to bring “light” to the world. Petrarch was an Italian scholar during the 1300s who loved Greek and Roman writing. He used the terms “dark” and “light” to describe learning instead of religion. He believed that Europe was in the “dark” after the “light” of the Greek and Roman empires were gone.

Why “Dark”? Historians, and others, since Petrarch continued to use the phrase “Dark Ages.” They argued that during the centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was in a state where it: Did not support learning Created very little culture (art, literature, architecture, etc.) Was repeatedly invaded Had no central government Had a bad economy Was basically a miserable place to live

Early Middle Ages Rise of influence of barbarians as Roman Emperors had granted barbarian mercenaries land with the Roman Empire in return for military service and it was these barbarians who eventually became the new rulers

Warriors and Warbands in the West Period of change in Western Europe as barbarians were migrating in to areas given up by Romans As more barbarians moved westward, other tribes were forced to move Groups categorized by languages and little else Celtic: Gauls, Britons, Bretons Germanic: Goths, Frank, Vandals, Saxons Slavic: Wends

How did feudalism develop into a political system in medieval Europe?

Charlemagne 771 A.D. became sole ruler of Franks The best known Medieval King was Charlemagne, who ruled over a large empire in what is now France, Germany and parts of Italy. His empire is known as the Carolingian Empire

Emphasized Christianity and Education Charlemagne In 800, Charlemagne became crowned as the new emperor of the Roman Empire.  Emphasized Christianity and Education

Carolingian Empire

Charlemagne died in 814 and again the empire broke apart. The Empire weakens and falls due to constant tribal warfare and invasions:  Invaders began to attack Europe.  Muslim armies invaded France and Italy.   Magyars invaded Europe from the east.   Vikings invaded from Scandinavia After Charlemagne died, his son Louis the Pious ruled as sole emperor. When King Louis died in 843, the Frankish Empire was divided into three separate states which would later become countries in Western Europe such as Germany and France.

FEUDALISM IS BORN There was little security and virtually no real political organization

Protection From the Invaders  Feudalism (Europe)- a rigid social hierarchy in which a vassal served a lord and received protection and land in return. LAND FOR LOYALTY           1. social hierarchy - any system of persons or things ranked one above another in a class system.           2. Your class of citizen was determined by your birth.

LAND = POWER  People needed to be able to defend their land from Muslim, Magyars, and Viking invaders.

Feudal Society   King or Queen - Monarch - At the top of Feudal Society - All land in a kingdom belong to the king.    Lords/Nobles- The king gave lords large fiefs (pieces of land) in exchange the Lords/Nobles gave money and military support by providing knights. Vassals/Knights - Lords/Noble gave out smaller fiefs to Vassals/Knights in exchange vassals/knights protected the kingdom and served in the military.

FEUDAL SOCIETY CONT. Peasants (serfs) - Vassals/Knights allowed peasants (serfs) to work their land. Majority of the population. Serfs were not slaves but could not leave their land without their Lord's permission. Serfs worked in their Lord's fields. In return, serfs got a small piece of land to farm themselves. For working the Lord's fields, serfs received protection from outside invaders. Serfs/Peasants provided food and other services to Vassals/Knights when demanded.

The Feudal System The feudal system provided order and stability. Everyone knew their place and what they had to do. The manorial system provided for an economy that was based on farming and being self-sufficient on the manor.

Lesser Lords (Vassals) The Feudal System King Military Service & Labor Loyalty Lords Lesser Lords (Vassals) Land & Protection Knights Peasants (Serfs)

Manors: The Economic Side of Feudalism Manor System (Manorialism) - Lords allowed peasants/serfs to farm land on their fiefs in exchange the peasant/serf gave the lords food or other payment.   Manor - A large fief owned by a Lord. It had a large house or castle, pastures, fields, and forests.   The Lord's manor was divided among Peasants/Serfs - workers who were tied to the land on which they lived.

Manors Peasant/Serfs   1. Serfs were not slaves but could not leave their land without their Lord's permission.    2. Serfs worked in their Lord's fields. In return, serfs got a small piece of land to farm themselves to feed their families. 3. For working the Lord's fields, serfs received protection from outside invaders.  4. Serfs did most of the work and the land. Had to pay a lot of what they grew to the Lord as a rent for using the Lord's land. 5. Serfs could not sell their land.

3 Field Rotation The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

Manors Become Powerful Kings start to produce kingdoms Nation-State - self-governing countries made up of people with a common cultural background.      A. Eventually powerful kings combined the military power and created nation-states.      B. Nation-States started in France and England and spread to Spain and Russia.