1. The Middle Ages

2. Early Middle Ages
Dark Ages (500 CE CE)- scholars named this as a time when the forces of darkness (barbarians) overwhelmed the forces of light (Romans)
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

3. 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

10. Decline of Society in Europe
Decline in…
Urban population
Technology
Trade
Education
Employment
Engineering
Luxuries
Medicine
Sanitation
Overall Standard of Living

11. Expanding Influence of the Church
Christian Church has become an important political, economic, spiritual and cultural force in Europe
Leading officials of Church were the Pope and Patriarch
Banning of heresy (holding beliefs that contradict the official religion)
Inquisition
Conversion by force
Christian Church has become an important political, economic, spiritual and cultural force in Europe
Leading officials of Church were the bishops of Rome (Pope) and Constantinople (Patriarch)
As influence grew, laws were passed to forced people to become Christians and banned heresy (holding beliefs that contradict the official religion)
Fines were given against heretics, then harsher penalties and even death
Eventually, conversion by force
Eventually in 11th Century, Church split into two independent branches Eastern Orthodox (Greek) based in Constantinople and Roman Catholic in Rome

13. You scratch my back… I’ll scratch yours….
Church was granted favours by Kings (land, exemption from taxes, immunity in courts, positions in courts) and in return the Church would endorse kings to help secure their rule
Kings looked to Church to supply educated administrators to help run kingdoms and in return kings would enforce laws that prohibited other religions

15. Monasticism and Saints
Monks were people who gave up worldly possessions and devote themselves to a religious life
Established between communities called monasteries which became centers of education, literacy and learning
Strict codes of monastic conduct
Saints- one who performs miracles that are interpreted as evidence of a special relationship with God
Rule of St. Benedict- years probation, solemn vows of obedience, chastity, poverty and silence, strict rules, 5-6 hours of prayer, 4 hours of spiritual reading, 5 hours of labour

16. Byzantine Empire Eastern Roman Empire = Byzantine Empire
Was much wealthier than the Western Roman Empire that fell
Was able to protect itself from invading “barbarians”
Had more stable political system (bureaucracy) that held it together
Lost more and more territory as Islam grew

17. Byzantine Empire Eastern Roman Empire = Byzantine Empire
Was much wealthier than the Western Roman Empire that fell
Was able to protect itself from invading “barbarians”
Had more stable political system (bureaucracy) that held it together
Lost more and more territory as Islam grew

18. Constant Warfare and Invasion
Threat from outside invaders
Vikings
Muslims
Europe in constant state of fear
Militarized Europe
Built Castles
Trained professional soldiers
Knights

20. Constant Warfare and Invasion
Internal conflicts within Europe persisted after threat of invasions.
Lords hired Knights as personal armies and law enforcers
Wars between Kingdoms over land and power were constant
100 years war
Conflict and Violence left little to no time for intellectual and cultural development

24. Plague: Black Death
Devastating pandemics that first struck Europe in the 6th century
Plague of Justinian
Other plagues and disease epidemics hit Europe over the centuries
Killed about half of Europe’s population
Devastated population and Economy

25. The Bubonic Plague
Called “black death” because of striking symptom of the disease, in which sufferers' skin would blacken due to hemorrhages under the skin
Spread by fleas and rats
Most victims died within four to seven days after infection
Couldn’t get rid of dead bodies fast enough
Towns left empty of people

28. Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411).

29. In Europe during the Middle Ages, the feudal and manorial systems governed life and required people to perform certain duties and obligations.

30. Origins of Feudalism Knights and Lords
Nobles needed trained soldiers to defend castles
Knights most important, highly skilled soldiers
Mounted knights in heavy armor best defenders
Being a knight expensive; had to maintain weapons, armor, horses
Knights demanded payment for services
Feudalism originated partly as result of Viking and Muslim invasions
Kings unable to defend their lands, lands of their nobles
Nobles had to find way to defend own lands
Built castles, often on hills
Not elaborate structures; built of wood, used as place of shelter in case of attack

31. Knights were usually paid for their services with land
Land given to knight for service was called a fief
Anyone accepting a fief was called a vassal
Person from whom he accepted fief was his lord
Historians call system of exchanging land for service the feudal system, or feudalism

32. Oath of Fealty
Lords, vassals in feudal system had duties to fulfill to one another
Knight’s chief duty as vassal to provide military service to his lord
Had to promise to remain loyal; promise called oath of fealty
Financial Obligations
Knight had certain financial obligations to lord
Knight obligated to pay ransom for lord’s release if captured in battle
Gave money to lord on special occasions, such as knighting of son
Lord’s Obligations
Lord had to treat knights fairly, not demanding too much time, money
Had to protect knight if attacked by enemies
Had to act as judge in disputes between knights

33. A Knight’s Duties to His Lord included:
Therefore, feudalism was built upon relationships of obligation and service.
A Knight’s Duties to His Lord included:
Provide military service
Remain loyal and faithful
Give money on special occasions
A Lord’s Duties to His Knights included:
Give land
Protect from attack
Resolve disputes between knights

38. Lord and Vassal Fealty to King
Europe’s feudal system incredibly complex
Person could be both lord, vassal
Some knights with large fiefs gave small pieces of land to other knights, created many levels of obligations
One knight could serve many lords; no prohibition against knight accepting fiefs from more than one noble
Almost everyone in system served more than one lord
Theoretically, everyone supposed to be loyal to the king
In practice, not everyone loyal
Some powerful nobles as strong as kings they were supposed to serve, ignored duties as vassals
Feudal rules specific to time, place; could change over time; England’s rules not same as France’s rules

39. A lord gave land to a knight in return for protection and loyalty
Quick Review:
A lord gave land to a knight in return for protection and loyalty

41. Lords, Peasants, and Serfs
The feudal system was a political and social system. A related system governed medieval economics. This system was called the manorial system because it was built around large estates called manors.
Lords, Peasants, and Serfs
Serfdom
Free People
Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights
Peasants farmed manor fields
Were given protection, plots of land to cultivate for selves
Most peasants on farm were serfs, tied to manor
Not slaves, could not be sold away from manor
But could not leave, marry without lord’s permission
Manors had some free people who rented land from lord
Others included landowning peasants, skilled workers like blacksmiths, millers
Also had a priest for spiritual needs

42. Rotation Small Village
Most of manor’s land occupied by fields for crops, pastures for animals
Middle Ages farmers learned that leaving field empty for year improved soil
In time, practice developed into three-field crop rotation system
Rotation
Small Village
One field planted in spring for fall harvest
Another field planted in winter for spring harvest
Third field remained unplanted for year
Each manor included fortified house for noble family, village for peasants, serfs
Goal to make manor self-sufficient
Typical manor also included church, mill, blacksmith