Imperial Decline and the Birth of Christian Europe SSWH3:e; 4:a.

1. Imperial Decline and the Birth of Christian EuropeSSWH3:e; 4:a.

2. Time and Geography

4. POLITICAL

5. Roman Decline • Rome’s power to rule began to decline • Germanic tribes invaded outer provinces • Internal strife • 4th C: effort at renewal and realignment with Christianity and absolute monarchy doomed • Germans invaded heartlands and imposed forms of Roman law and government • Slow process of conversion to Christian belief softened Germanic warrior culture • Dark Age began to lift • Charlemagne - reviver of Roman authority and belief, had transitory moment

6. Internal Upheaval and Invading Barbarians • After 193, central government fell into hands of military • Age of the Barracks Emperors • Ordinary citizens suffered because of power struggles • Coincided with first barbarian invasions

7. Restructuring the Empire • Diocletian • Emperor was an absolute ruler • Divided empire into East and West with emperors in each – Tetrarchy Diocletian

8. Restructuring the Empire • Constantine the Great • More restrictions on personal freedoms • Moved imperial government to Eastern Empire • West went into permanent decline Colossal marble head of Emperor Constantine the Great, Roman, 4th century, located at the Capitoline Museums, in Rome

10. RELIGIOUS

11. Christianity • Christianity developed as Roman Empire weakened • Jesus challenged authority; led to his execution • Christian cult spread slowly in Judea • Fanatical Jews rebelled in Jewish War • Appeal of Christianity • Universality • Hope and optimism • Spirit of mutuality • Appeal to idealism

12. Christianity’s Spread and Official Adoption • Christian groups sprang up in major towns • Constantine’s Edict of Milan ended persecutions of Christians • Christianity became official religion of the empire • Recognition both helped and hindered the new religion Edict of Milan

14. Early Church Organization and Doctrine • Bishops, elected as head of diocese, appointed priests • Petrine Succession – Bishop of Rome claimed primacy as direct successor of Peter • Council of Nicaea defined questions of theology and church administration • Fathers of the Church: Augustine and Ambrose – apologists (explainers of scared doctrine) Artist’s depiction of the Council of Nicea in 325 CE

15. POLITICAL

16. Germanic Invaders • Vulnerability of West was clear • Germanic tribes roamed at will • New kingdoms formed • Franks • Angles and Saxons • Vandals • West Goths (Visigoths) and East Goths (Ostrogoths) • Western half of empire in ruins by 500s

18. Germanic Customs and Society • Brought habits, values, beliefs with them • Highly personalized concept of government • Traveled until found favorite castles or towns • New idea: subjects to give tribute to office of king, not to the individual The 3rd-century Great Ludovisi sarcophagus depicts a battle between Goths and Romans.

19. Germanic Customs and Society • Conversion to Christianity • Germans originally animists: no priests, temples, theology • Some tribes converted to Christianity: 450-700 • Accepted Christianity because of internal politics, desire for trade, recognition of advantages A romantic depiction of Ulfilas converting the Goths to Christianity.

20. Germanic Customs and Society • Germanic Law • Derived from unwritten custom, collective memory • Objective: to prevent/diminish personal violence by payment of fines (wergild) • Used trial by fire, water, and combat to decide guilt • Purpose of trial was to ascertain damages, determine compensation An Ostrogothic eagle-shaped fibula, 500 CE

21. Germanic Customs and Society • Female status • Attention given to rights of mothers, wives • Woman’s chief asset was to perpetuate family name through children • Romans admired Germanic sexual morality Visigoth woman, 6th century CE.

22. Feudalism and the Dark Age • Beginnings of Feudalism • New self-sufficient, self-governing manors (estates) • Local owners of manors took over basic government during invasions • Increasingly, population was in manorial villages controlled by local landlords • The Dark Age • Refers to lack of documentation • Clergy were only group semi-literate • Bishops had secular and military duties: king’s lieutenants • Christian Church was only imperial institution to survive German invasions • Church was changed, for the worse, by German custom and concepts • Church also operated charitable and medical institutions • Church supplied all of education in early medieval Europe

23. Charlemagne and Holy Roman Empire • Charlemagne was greatest of Germanic kings • Controlled largest area since western empire fell • Tried to revive Roman order • Carolingian Renaissance • Missidominici created by Charlemagne: officials reported on nobles • Tried to encourage learning and piety • His “renaissance” was short-lived • Disintegration of Carolingian Empire • Empire was divided among his 3 sons • War between brothers until Treaty of Verdun (843) • King of Germany now called Holy Roman Emperor

24. Charlemagne (742–814) receiving the submission of Widukind at Paderborn in 785

26. Invasions and Feudalism • Renewed invasions • Vikings, or Norsemen • Magyars • Muslims • Development of Feudalism • Government authority more fragmented • Local strongmen and their mercenaries (knights) controlled increasingly large areas • Invasions stimulated appearance of professional military and feudal military system

27. The Byzantine Empire • Grew out of eastern half of early Christian world • Emperor became semi-divine head of state and church – Casearo-Papism • Emperor Justinian ordered many public works, including Hagia Sophia church • Remained most powerful political and military unit in Mediterranean basin Mosaic of Justinianus I

28. The Hagia Sophia

29. The Byzantine Empire • Empire was under attack for 2 centuries • Lost both eastern and western territories • Attacks by Muslims and Slavs • Most outstanding achievement was Christianization of eastern Europe and Russia • Christianity was permanently divided into West and East • Corpus juris – Byzantine distillation of Roman law and practice

30. REVIEW

31. Discussion Questions 1. The early Christian church was composed of a number of small groups of worshippers all over the Roman Empire, yet it grew rapidly in converts and popularity, to the point that it became the official religion in 381. Why did it grow so quickly? What factors were responsible for its popularity? What groups did it particularly attract – why? 2. The Germanic invaders were regarded as barbarians by the Romans, uncouth and uncivilized. Yet many aspects of the culture and world-view can be seen in today’s culture and law. What elements of Germanic culture can you see in modern society? In particular, can you see remnants of their attitudes and practices regarding women in today’s world?