2. MEDIEVAL TIMES Mrs. Coxwell Geography

3. We’re in the middle!  Medieval is Latin for “Middle Ages.”  It is the 1,000 year period between Classical Europe and Modern Europe  It combined characteristics of the Roman Empire with practices of Christianity and other European traditions.

4. Christianity?  Christianity was in the form of the Roman Catholic Church.  Bishops headed each major Christian community.  500 A.D. the bishops became known as Popes.

5. Pope  Pope is leader of the Catholic Church.  Popes became important political figures.  Popes sent missionaries to spread religious views.

6. Missionaries  Missionaries were monks and nuns.  Monks were men who devoted their lives to prayer, study, and good works. They lived in monasteries.  Women were called nuns they lived in convents.  Missionaries helped the poor and needy  They were also teachers.

7. What about Byzantine?  The Byzantine Empire’s (started by Constantine I) Christianity was called Eastern Orthodoxy.  It was not under popes in Rome, but rather under the emperors in Constantinople.

8. The Crusades, Where’s Indy?  1000 AD The Catholic church sponsored a series of Holy Wars.  Between Christians and Muslims for the control of Jerusalem.  Led to mistrust between Christians and muslims and the mistreatment of Jews in Europe.

9. Charlemagne In 700s the Franks set up a German kingdom that controlled much of what is now France and Germany. In 771 Charlemagne was elected king. Through war he added to the Franks kingdom. In 800 the pope proclaimed him as the protector of the Christian Church in the west. He was also crowned the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

10. After Charlemagne  In 814 Charlemagne died. His kingdom was split up between his sons and grandsons.  These kingdoms made up modern day Germany, Italy, France, and Spain.

11. Other Germanic Tribes.  The Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Danes helped found the first English kingdom.  England gets its name from “Angle Land.”