On the Edge of the Medieval West The Role of Byzantine and Islamic Civilization in European Society

I. The Martel Boys The man who would be (and finally was) King Charles & the Battle of Tours 732 CE “The Hammer” “The Hammer”

A. Empire reborn? 1. Charlemagne r Christmas Day Holy Roman Empire - Irene & Leo (III)

B. Carolingian Renaissance 1. Romanesque/ Gothic society - Reformed the clergy pagan influences universitiesmonasteries - Forced conversions

Legacy of the Carolingians… - Church props up Carolingians to deal with Byzantine & Muslim “threats” - Withstood new invasions ca (Vikings, Magyars, Muslims) End of the “Dark Ages”?

II. The Byzantines

A. Cosmopolitan 1. Crossroads of civilization UrbanHellenisticLatinChristianPersianSemiticIslamic

2. What price peace? - Theodosius Goths Theodosian Code - Zeno Ostrogoths / Franks

3. Re-Hellenization of the East - urban life - civilian bureaucrats - dependent aristocracy - Limits to Church power monasteries Imperial agents 3. Re-Hellenization of the East - urban life - civilian bureaucrats - dependent aristocracy - Limits to Church power monasteries Imperial agents

B. Autocratic 1. Circus, circus - Nika Revolt, 532

2. Justinian r Roman and not “individualism w/o freedom” - no republican pretense Theodora Theodora

C. Militaristic 1. One Emperor, one empire

D. Legal legacy 1. Corpus Iuris civilis ca. 530 (Justinian Code) “The maxims of law are these: to live honestly, to hurt no one, to give everyone his due.” Civil Law – establish principle first Archivists of the Classics

E. Claim to Orthodoxy 1. Metaphysical Christianity Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia

2. Monophysite heresy

II. Islam

A. Origins 1. Bedouin life - Abrahamic 2. Shrines [the Ka’aba] - “safe zones”

B. Muhammad Suras “divine messages” the Qur’an “Recitation”

2. Progressive populist - critique of elites - strict monotheism al’Ilah “the God” salama, or “islam” = submit to God’s will Final prophet?

C. Birth of Islamic Civilization 1. Hijra – “departure” to Medina 622 CE Umma “community” or bond of faith faith over tribe

2. Jihad “holy struggle” - Mosaic survival and social justice internal and external 627 – victory over Mecca purge of idols

3. Succession - Muhammad’s death Abu Bakr d. 634 Caliph, “successor”

D. Islam & medieval Christianity 1. Hebraic ancestry, Greek philosophy 2. The Five Pillars of Islam There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet Fixed prayer time Contribute to charities Season of fasting (Ramadan) One pilgrimage to Mecca

3. Authority – religious and secular - Christianity and Rome 4. Shari’a state “required path” - religious community responsible for social justice - Islamic law can govern secular activity Medieval West often divided between Church- political conflict…Islamic world largely avoids this problem during early expansion

III. The Islamic World The Truth must be taken wherever it is to be found, whether it be in the past or among strange peoples. - Ya’qub al-Kindi Alhambra Palace, Spain Alhambra Palace, Spain

A. Liberation Islam 1. Byzantine trouble - Abu Bakr & Umar “Wars of Reconversion”

B. Leadership 1. Succession Ali (son-in law) vs. Uthman (Umayyad) 2. Shi’a “party of Ali” - hidden Imam 3. Sunnis “orthodox” - historic dynasties

C. Umayyad Caliphate Mediterranean conquest - elitist / Arab “nationalism” Damascus

D. Abbasid Caliphate non-Arab revolt Baghdad Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab Hellenistic, Persian, North African + Arabic

E. Flowering of Islamic civilization 1. Intellect, humanity and the divine “Golden Age of Translation” “Golden Age of Translation” - Greek logic & medicine - Persian / Egyptian math astronomy

2. Trade

F. Things to come 1. Divisions - ca. 1000, 3 Caliphates Abbasid Umayyad (Spain) Fatimid (North Africa) - Emirs - Sunnis & Shi’a

2. Outsiders - Berbers, Seljuk Turks - Christian Jihad, 1100s-1200s The Crusades