Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 1 Chapter 13 The Foundations of Society in Western Europe

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 2 The Germanic Successor States, c. 500 CE Germanic successor states:  Spain: Visigoths  Italy: Ostrogoths  Gaul: Burgundians, Franks  Britian: Angles, Saxons

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 3 Successor States to the Roman Empire c. 500

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 4 Clovis (ruled ) Started the Merovingian dynasty (481 – 714) Destroyed last of the Roman rulers in Gaul Franks establish themselves as preeminent Germanic people - dominated other Germanic peoples

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 5 Clovis’ Conversion to Christianity Paganism and Arian Christianity popular among Franks Clovis and army chooses Roman Catholicism Influence of wife Clotilda Political implications:  Alliance with western church

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 6 The Carolingians Charles “The Hammer” Martel begins Carolingian dynasty Takes power from the Merovingian dynasty Defeats Spanish Muslims at Battle of Tours (732)  Halts Islamic advance into western Europe

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 7 The Carolingian Empire

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 8 Charlemagne (r ) Grandson of Charles Martel Centralized imperial rule Functional illiterate Sponsored extensive scholarship Reunited western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 9 Charlemagne’s Administration Capital at Aachen, Germany Yet constant travel throughout empire  Continued yearly circuit travel Imperial officials: missi dominici (“envoys of the lord ruler) Limited power of his nobles  “agents” of the emperor kept an eye on them

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 10 Charlemagne as Emperor Pope Leo III crowns him as emperor in 800  Planned in advance?  Challenge to Byzantium Causes problems with the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Byzantine

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 11 Descendants Louis the Pious (r )  Son of Charlemagne  Lost control of courts, local authorities Civil war erupts between three sons  Charles the Bald  Louis the German  Lothair Empire divided in 843 (Treaty of Verdun)

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 12 Invasions South: Muslims East: Magyars North: Vikings  Norse expansion begins c. 800 CE  Driven by population pressure, hostility to spread of Christianity  Superior seafaring technology  Sailed to eastern Canada, northeastern US

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 13 Dissolution of the Carolingian Empire

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 14 Early Medieval Society Concept of Feudalism  Lords and vassals  Increasingly inadequate model for describing complex society Unequal arrangements occur in absence of strong central authorities Local nobles take over administration from weak central government and increase their independence

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 15 Lords and Retainers Formation of small private armies Incentives: land grants, income from mills, cash payments Formation of hereditary class of military retainers Development of other functions  Justice, social welfare

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 16 Origins of Serfdom Slaves, free peasants in both Roman and Germanic societies Heavy intermarriage Appeals to lords, special relationships Mid-7 th century: recognition of serf class  Midway between slave and free peasant

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 17 Serfs’ Rights and Obligations Right to pass on land to heirs Obligation to provide labor, payments in kind to lord Unable to move from land Fees charged for marrying serfs of another lord

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 18 Manors Large, diverse estates Lord provides governance, police, justice services Serfs provide labor, income

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 19 The Economy of Early Medieval Europe Agricultural center moves north from Mediterranean 8 th century iron-tipped plow introduced in Europe Draft animals breeded Water mill technology Agricultural output insufficient to support growth of cities Strong Mediterranean trade despite Muslim domination of sea

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 20 Population Growth of Europe, CE

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 21 The Formation of Christian Europe Clovis’ conversion forms strong alliance with Roman Christianity Church supplies Clovis with class of literate information workers:  Scribes  secretaries

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 22 The Franks and the Church Protectors of the Papacy Charlemagne destroys Lombards, who threatened Pope, Rome Spreads Christianity in northern areas Support of scholarship, scribal activity

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 23 The Spread of Christianity Charlemagne fights pagan Saxons ( )  Saxons later adopt Christianity Scandinavia, other pockets of paganism until c CE

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 24 Pope Gregory I ( CE) “Gregory the Great” Asserted papal primacy Prominent theologian  Sacrament of penance Major missionary activity, especially in England

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 25 St. Benedict ( ) Established consistent rule for monasteries  Poverty  Chastity  Obedience St. Scholastica ( )  Sister of St. Benedict  Adapts Benedictine Rule for convents

Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display. 26 Monasticism and Society Accumulation of large landholdings, serfs Social welfare projects  Esp. labor contributions Expansion of literacy Inns, orphanages, hospitals