2. A fter After INB p. 121 T he F all of the R oman E mpire Remember to copy only those notes that appear in RED font.

3. T he R omans once ruled a vast and powerful empire, with territory extending across parts of three continents.

4. H owever, in time… conflicts arose between the rich and the poor slave labor caused many R omans to be unemployed and others to become very lazy R ome became unable to defend itself against barbarian invaders AND R omans became more loyal to the C hurch than to the government.

5. …and all those factors contributed to the weakening and eventual end of the Roman government.

6. Without the Roman government to control it, western Europe was left without a central authority. Hey! Who’s in charge here?! Who’s steering the ship? Who’s running the store? Somebody needs to step up to the plate! HELP!

7. Before we can understand who took control of Europe after the Roman Empire, it’s important to know who lived there. By the first century A.D., the Romans occupied much of western Europe. In the late 300s, Germanic tribes began to migrate into the Roman Empire.

8. Some of these tribes, like the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, even moved across the North Sea to become residents of the British Isles.

9. These Germanic migrations signaled the beginning of a new period of European history known as the… Middle Ages - the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire (about 500 A.D.) and the beginning of the Modern Age (about 1500 A.D.)

10. Historians, however, often refer to the beginning of the Middle Ages as the … Dark Age - the terrible time after the fall of the Roman Empire when Roman civilization vanished.

11. During the Dark Age, Germanic tribes divided Europe into a patchwork of small warring kingdoms. But even though the Roman government had collapsed, many aspects of Roman life, such as its roads and water systems, survived.

12. People still created art and learned Latin. And rulers dreamed of creating a new empire to carry on the legacy of Rome. Someday, I shall rule a VAST empire!

13. In 717 A.D., a leader named Charles Martel controlled the land that is now France and Germany. His name, which means “Charles the Hammer”, describes him well, because he hammered down all his rivals and enemies.

14. Charles Martel’s son, Pepin the Short, became the first king of a new dynasty. The dynasty was called the Carolingian, from the Latin form of the name Charles. Pepin went on to have a son who was also named Charles. It was this Charles who grew up to be one of the most famous rulers of the Middle Ages.

15. History knows this Charles as… Charlemagne (Charles the Great) - one of the greatest and most famous leaders of the Middle Ages. He became king in 768 A.D.

16. Charlemagne became king when he was 26 years old. He was a devout Christian who wanted to build a Christian empire in Europe. Charlemagne’s armies fought many battles in hopes of spreading Christianity throughout Europe. By the year 800 A.D. his empire included most of central and western Europe.

17. Charles is our MAGNE man!

18. To his people, Charlemagne was a just ruler, who encouraged law and learning. He enjoyed music and set up a palace school and library. He learned Greek and Latin in order to study history.

19. He ruled his empire personally, riding on horseback from one palace to another. In battle, he depended on his nobles, not a professional army.

20. Charlemagne depended on the Catholic Church to support his rule, and the Church depended on him to spread Christianity. In 800 A.D., Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne “emperor”, a title which meant that the ruler now had a special relationship with God.

21. Charlemagne died in the year 814 A.D. His power and personality were so great that his empire continued on for some time after. Within 40 years, however, quarrels among his grandsons divided the empire, and noble families gained control of separate regions.

22. While Charlemagne spread Christianity throughout Europe by means of force, others, like monks and nuns, spread the religion through peaceful methods. Monks and Nuns - deeply religious people who chose to live lives of study and prayer. They often cared for the poor and the sick.

23. Many monks and nuns were... missionaries - Catholics whose task it was to convert villagers from the countryside who still clung to their beliefs in the old gods.

24. Wherever they went, Christian missionaries brought a message of both fear and hope. The Church taught that humans were weak and sinful. The devil, they said, was always waiting to tempt humans into sinful behavior, and the only way to resist temptation and reach “salvation” was through the Church.

25. DARED No one DARED challenge the power of the Church! In Medieval Europe, the Church was the sole source of truth and the center of authority. Even kings had to submit to the teachings of the Church and judgments of the Pope.

26. Eventually, most of the groups of people living in Europe were united under the Christian faith. The idea of Christendom gave the peoples of Europe a common identity and a sense of purpose. Over time, this sense of common purpose would bring them into conflict with their Muslim and pagan neighbors.

27. Next time class meets, you will find out for yourself what life was like for the monks and nuns in the medieval monasteries. Along with your regular school supplies, be sure to pack a heavy dose of self-discipline. See you then… The End