Picking up the Pieces A cultural mix: Classical, Christian and Germanic

Medium Aevum Distillation process between the classical world and the modern Writers of the Italian Renaissance coined the term Middle Ages to describe the millennium between the 5 th and 15 th centuries. Later historians would refer to this period as the “dark ages” for several reasons. –Knowledge –The Church –Political Unrest

The Medieval Misconception Renaissance saw themselves as carrying the torch of civilization They were enamored by the classical culture of Greece and Rome and worked to restore that culture They felt that the Middle Ages had ignored the classical world and thought it was a millennium of ignorance and superstition In their harsh judgment they ignored the cultural complexity –A jigsaw puzzle of cultural traits that needed to be woven together into a consistent fabric

Three Strands of Culture The Classical World –Greek Ideas –Roman politics and techniques for organization The Catholic Church –When Rome lost its grip in the West, the Church was left behind to fend for itself –It created a new worldview that focused on the human soul and its preservation –Challenged from the 7 th century on by a new breed of “people of the book”- Islam Germanic Culture –Teutonic People become the political successors of the empire –Each group is staking its territorial claim The Middle Ages become a period of fusion

Germanic Successors to Rome The disintegration of political unity caused instability in western Europe There was no longer a Mediterranean axis of power Germanic Tribes: three main groups –West Germans: Franks, Alamans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians, and Thuringians –East Germans (distinct in dialect and customs): Goths, Vandals, Burgundians, Gepids, and Lombards –North Germans: Scandinavians (discussed in Subsequent chapters)

Transitions in Government From City-State with civic religion to a theocratic monarchy in alliance with Christianity Constantine’s burial (among 12 empty sarcophagi) created the image of caesaro-papism Wide spread Christian conversion became a new mission At the same time there was a decline in municipalities and urban life Rural landowners were able to capture an authoritative role and the social basis of Europe became agrarian The senatorial class (owned latifundia) established itself as the aristocracy and took action to solidify its hold Without an empire, slavery was in decline while peasants became more attached to the land as serfs

German Contributions Five major contributions to medieval law –Organization of folk by kindred –Holding assemblies of folk to make important decisions –The idea of comitatus- a sworn band of followers to a chief (early from of feudalism) –The original Germanic settlers saw themselves as guests in the Empire and sought to make the most of the land rather than destroy it –Religion- most tribes were founded in or around their common religion Ulfilas- The apostle to the Goths- translated the bible into gothic but he was Arian so the Gothic people became Arian Christians

Unsuccessful Kingdoms The Vandals: 1 st to from, 1 st to perish –Economic reasons: they cut off supplies of corn and oil to Italy –Religious reasons: they were Arian and were persecutors of Catholics –As a result, Justinian defeated them in the 6 th century Ostrogoths: ruled in Italy under the thumb, in a sense, of the east –Theodoric defeated the Hun Odovacer at the request of the Zeno in the east and ruled as a Roman and did what he could to restore it –In exchange he was given much of the vacant lands north of Italy which put him at odds with the Franks (Clovis). –Justinian banned all heretics from office (Theodoric was an Arian) and battle ensued. Ostragoths were driven out. Burgundians: Shortest history of all- sat between Arian Goths and Catholic Franks –Combined with the Franks to fight the Goths and eventually were absorbed

More Unsuccessful Kingdoms The Visigoths: Spain and Aquitane –Nature of Kingship changed from “sacred line” to election by bishops and nobles –Spanish geography encouraged separatism (one group started to piss off the Franks) Justinian and the Franks defeated them. –Established Catholicism and tried to stamp out Arianism causing further unrest The Lombards: after Justinian restored order in Italy, he was too exhausted to maintain it so the Lombards took advantage –They lost their kinship and were divided throughout Itay, ruled by Dukes (one of the dukes acting as king) – becomes a period of struggle between 4 main powers: Lombard King, The Byzantine Emperor, the pope, the dukes of Spoleto and Benevento –The fifth power was decisive: the franks who worked with the pope to defeat the Lombards