European Middle Ages :European Middle Ages 400 AD – 1300 AD


Middle Ages :Middle Ages 476 AD: With the decline and fall of Rome a power vacuum existed in Europe. Barbarian peoples from northern and central Europe sought to fill the power vacuum Barbarian: an uncultured and uncivilized person in actions and/or appearance.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The barbarians overran the western half of the Roman empire destroying cities and property. These tribes were mostly Germanic with names such as: Goths (Ostrogoths and Visigoths) Vandals Frisians Franks Saxons Lombards


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The barbarian tribes set up their own kingdoms in Europe. The only non-Germanic tribe was called the Huns led by Attila. The eastern half of the Roman empire remained intact and was called the Byzantine Empire.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The largest of the Germanic tribes was the Franks which controlled, what is today, France. 510 AD: The Frankish kingdom was started by Clovis who became the first Germanic ruler to convert his tribe to Christianity. Christianity had the effect of leading the Franks and eventually other tribes to civilization and its values.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages 732 AD: Charles Martel, another Frankish king, fought a battle that saved European and Western civilization. The Muslims invaded France at that time from Spain by crossing the Pyrenees mountains.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages 732 AD: Muslim armies reach Tours, France just 100 miles south of Paris. Charles Martel defeats them (the Battle of Tours), pushing them back across the Pyrenees into Spain.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages 768 AD: Martel’s grandson Charlemagne or Charles the Great, takes the throne of the Franks. He calls his dynasty the Carolingian Dynasty. He conquered much of western and central Europe creating a large empire. He restored peace to Europe by controlling the other barbarian tribes and by keeping the Muslims from invading Europe again.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages 800 AD: Charlemagne is summoned to Rome by the Pope. Pope: leader of the Catholic Church and the largest Christian branch. The Pope crowns him “Emperor of the Romans.” This event will set a precedent for future relations between kings and the Church. Now all monarchs will be crowned by the Church.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages After Charlemagne, his empire collapses. Europe enters the Medieval Era or Middle Ages. Middle because it is between the Classical era of Greece and Rome and the Modern era.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Between 800 AD and 1000 AD Europe is subject to invasions from Vikings; Muslims; and Magyars (from central Asia). There is a breakdown in law and society: Cities almost disappear. Regions are controlled by noble families. A system of feudalism exists.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Feudalism: system in which loyalty to a leader is given in return for payment. The “lord” is the one who gives the payment. The “vassal” is the one who takes the payment. The “fief” is the payment.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages In the Middle Ages, wealth existed in two forms: land and gold. The contract between lord and vassal would be determined in advance. Vassals were sworn to serve the lord either by arms or service.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages A contract for defense meant a noble warrior, or knight, would defend the lord. Knights were sons of nobles. They were bound by a social code of conduct called “Chivalry.” Service contracts involved the religious and others.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Middle Ages was a time of much-needed protection and sub-contracts were common. Peasants needed protection too and contracted with the lord for safety in his castle. They became “serfs.”


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Peasants Nobility King Church Clergy


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The basic political unit in Europe was the kingdom, which was divided into noble manors. Each manor was a self-sufficient unit with its own economy and rules. It could have a castle for defense. Castle: structure for defense of land and inhabitants.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages


Middle Ages :Middle Ages A typical manor consisted of the following: Castle Fields for food Village Church Water supply Possible forest


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Manor economy was agricultural and based on crafts. The three-field system was basic. Two fields were always planted while the other was fallow for a year. All disputes between villagers will handled by the lord of the manor. a


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Socially, there was no middle class in medieval Europe, since all economy was controlled by the lord of the manor. Manors were supposed to be self-sufficient.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Church in Europe was in a special, and yet difficult, position. The Roman Catholic Church needed protection too and had to pay for it. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest of the Christian branches. Clergy sought protection in monasteries and convents.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Catholic Church was a universal organization. The Pope was the head, followed by the Bishops, and then the general clergy. The Church operated according to Canon Law. Canon Law: Law of the Catholic Church. The Pope is responsible for overseeing the functioning of Canon Law.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Pope could excommunicate anyone who threatened the teachings and well-being of the Catholic Church. Excommunication: Banishment from a religion and its benefits.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Example: Pope Gregory VII excommunicated King Heinrich IV when the king began to appoint his own clergy. This practice of a monarch creating his own clergy is called lay investiture.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages It was the Catholic Church that preserved the learning of the Classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. The Church saved and copied manuscripts that were being destroyed by barbarians after the fall of Rome. Monasteries often had scriptoria to copy manuscripts, particularly in Ireland.


Slide 35:A Scriptorium


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Much of the manuscript copying was done in Ireland where many of the manuscripts were embellished with artwork. Such manuscripts were called illuminated manuscripts: Book of Kells Book of Lindesfarne


Slide 37:Page from the Book of Kells, 800 AD


Middle Ages :Middle Ages By 1096 AD, the power of the kings had grown tremendously. The Pope was concerned that the kings would try to overpower the Church. The Pope was also concerned about the Holy Land (Israel) being controlled by Muslims.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Pope Innocent III declares a “holy war” called a Crusade. Crusade: Christian holy war. If the kings were busy fighting the Muslims, they would not join forces against the Church.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Kings and armies marched from all over Europe. The Templar knights were created to specifically protect the holy land for Christianity. The immediate goal was to capture the city of Jerusalem. They did, and also captured the cities of Acre and Jaffa also on the Mediterranean coast.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Arabs would eventually take back Jerusalem as they had declared a holy war against Christianity. Jihad: Islamic holy war. Jerusalem was holy to Islam as well as Christianity.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages There were 9 major crusades including a Children’s Crusade in 1212. All failed to take the Holy Land from the Muslims. There was slaughter on both sides.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages In the Third Crusade, two famous leaders fought: Richard the Lionheart of England, and Saladin of Egypt. Saladin was leader of the Muslim forces against the Crusaders. Eventually the Crusades ended in failure for Europe.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Effects of the Crusades: Kings of Europe were weakened. Muslims emerged stronger. Trade returns to Europe. Europe learned about Middle Eastern products and wanted to trade with the Muslims.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages European merchants appear as an economic group. Manufacturing returns to Europe. High import costs force Europeans to create their own products in Europe. Business returns to Europe. Manufacturers sell their goods. Fairs and markets return to Europe. Towns and cities return to Europe. The middle class returns to Europe.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages New German cities form a trade group called the Hanseatic League. This group protected the economic and business interests of the German cities. With wealth came an interest in the arts and learning. The Catholic Church started to build institutions of high learning called universities. This concept was the first of its kind in the world.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Paris became the center of a great university. Bologna, Italy became known for the first university. Scholasticism was studied in the universities. Scholasticism combined the ideas of religious faith and reason.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Christian religion was joined with the approaches and teachings of the Greek philosophers: Socrates; Plato; and Aristotle. Thomas Aquinas, great medieval philosopher, showed how Aristotle could be combined with Christian teachings. His famous work was the Summa Theologica.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Although most writings were in Latin, some were beginning to appear in the vernacular of the region. Vernacular: common language or native language. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in English.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages After the Crusades, the kingdoms of Europe went back to fighting among themselves. Britain and France entered into the Hundred Years War. In the war, England was fighting to control large areas of France. Partially due to the efforts of Joan of Arc, France forced England to withdraw from French territory.


Slide 52:Joan of Arc. 1412-1431


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Architecture makes great progress at this time: the Gothic cathedral is introduced. Cathedral: extremely large Catholic Church, where the Bishop is located and makes his decisions.


Slide 54:Notre Dame in Paris 12th century


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Gothic Cathedral concept was based upon using as much glass and possible with stone walls. The concept of the flying buttress was a first. It took pressure off large stone walls and allowed for more glass.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Massive cathedrals were built largely with funds coming from tithing. Tithe: a tax or financial obligation amounting to ten percent of income.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Cities grew too rapidly and without much planning. They became dirty and crowded. 1348: disaster strikes: The Bubonic Plague, or Black Death. It started in Sicily in 1348.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages The Plague spread northward up Italy covering all of Europe in 3 years. The cities were the hardest hit. It is estimated that 30-40% of Europe’s population died. Whole villages, manors, and towns were wiped out.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages Effects of the Bubonic Plague on Europe: Greater demand for workers. Workers could demand higher wages. Serfs could leave the manors to work elsewhere. Prices dropped due to surplus. Business opportunities increased.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages People could have more children. Cities were better planned. People began to look beyond superstition and to science for answers concerning disease. Learning became more important, and opened the way for a new era.


Middle Ages :Middle Ages End