Into the Dark Ages

1. Into the Dark Ages • Western Rome • Destroyed by German and Scandinavian invasions • Never reached the heights of culture seen in the East • Most people farmers • Life not much better then when they lived in caves

2. The Franks • Among the strongest Germanic tribes • Dominated France and Western Germany • 481 ACE Clovis became the king • Accept Catholicism • Military leader • Strong rule • Divided land among sons and control declined

5. Charles Martel • Charles the Hammer • Mayor of the palace • Defeated Muslims at Tours in 732 • Stopped the spread of Islam in Spain

7. Pepin the Short • 752 ACE became king of Franks • Son of Charles Martel • Came to the aide of the Pope • Pope gave his allegiance Pepin • Anointed by the Pope Holy Roman Emperor • Divinely appointed leader • Catholicism and Kingship became tied

8. Charlemagne • Son of Pepin the Short • Founded the Carolingian dynasty • Doubled size of kingdom • Germany • France • Northern Spain and Italy • Most of Europe under one rule • formed schools in churches and monasteries • Christian Roman Empire a united force

10. Frankish Empire collapsed • On death of Charlemagne his empire was divided among his grandsons • 843 Treaty of Verdun • Charles the Bald took France • Louis the German took Germany • Lothair – Holy Roman Emperor took a piece out the middle from Belgium to Italy

11. Islamic Invasions • Raided the south • Seized Sicily • Parts of Italy and Southern France • Pushed back into Balkans and Spain

12. The Viking Invasions 800’s • Scandinavian Raiders • Traveled in fast light boats • Came in the summer to raid • Colonists • Norwegians • Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and Ireland • Danes • England and Normandy in France • Swedes • Ukraine and Russia

14. The result • Europe by 900 ACE was a weak and backward area of the world • Cities isolated from one another • Trade declined education limited to church

15. Feudalism • Feudal relationships • Began with Charles Martel • Gave land in exchange for funds • In return nobles swore loyalty to King • Heirs inherited titles and lands in exchange for Knights (mounted warriors) for the king’s army

17. Feudal obligations • Each noble was a lord • People under him • Each noble a vassal • Owed his overlord • Ties made official by oath of homage • "I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."

18. The Castle • No strong government • Attack imminent • Fortified houses were built for defense • Usually built on a hill • Had thick walls • Towers to observe arriving attackers

21. Life of Nobles • Castles where large, cold, dingy • Lord was master of his realm • Had to work to keep under his control • Noblewomen had few rights • Married for power and wealth • Married as young as 12 • Cared for household and children

22. Entertainment • Tournaments • Displays of military expertise • Hunting • Dinners • Minstrels and singers • Fools • Traveling actors-Morality Plays

23. A Knight • Nobleman’s sons • Began training at age 7 • Page-assisted in the home of another lord • Squire – 15 assisted a knight and practiced using weapons • won his “spurs” of knighthood in battle

24. Chivalry • Knights code of honor • Fight fairly • Keep promises • Be brave in battle • Defend the Church • Treated “noblewomen” well

25. The Manorial system • Wealth of the lord depended on the work of the peasants • Economic relationship between lord and peasants • Manors varied in size • Included house • Pastures • Fields • Forest • village

26. Peasants exchanged work for protection • Farmed land • Paid for use of land, mills, ovens • Owed a specified number of days of service • Foot soldier or archer • Repaired castle and keep • Built roads and bridges • Most serfs (a polite term for slave)

27. Agricultural Advances • New plow made it possible to till land more efficiently • Three field system • Rotated crops and fallow fields • Helped preserve the soil • Surplus not large enough to support large cities

28. Peasant life • Hard • Few lived beyond 40 • Famine and disease frequent • First killed in war • Lived in tiny one room dirt floor huts • Ate coarse bread and huddle together at night for warmth

29. The Medieval Church • Roman Catholic • Unifying force • Decline in political power resulted in Church taking power • The Pope • Assumed spiritual authority over all • Claimed Peter first bishop of Rome had been chosen by Jesus to lead • Pope spiritual successor of Pete

30. Religious role of the Church • All people sinners • All people dependent on God’s grace • To receive grace you had to receive the sacraments • Baptism • Reconciliation ( confession) • Eucharist • Confirmation • Matrimony • Anointing of the sick (last rites) • Holy orders

31. Lack of education led to lack of understanding • Most people didn’t know Latin and did not understand the mass • Priests were poorly educated and didn’t preach well • Learned religion from pictures, statues, paintings and art that adorned the church

32. Church hierarchy • Pope at the top • Cardinals • Bishops • Parish priest-secular clergy in the world • Regular clergy – cloistered • Monks and nuns • Lived apart • Helped reform the church

33. Monastic life • St. Benedict • Founded a monastery at Monte Cassino in 520 ACE – destroyed in WWII • Model for all others • Monks lived life of work, meditation and prayer • Gave up all wealth • Never married • Bound to rules of his order and directives of the abbot • St. Scholastica adapted the Benedictine Rule (he was her brother ) for nuns

34. Influences of Monasteries • Preserved ancient religious works and classical writings • Scribes copied books by hand • Illuminated manuscripts-Book of Kells in Dublin • Provided schools for young • Provided hospitals for sick

35. Missionaries • Gregory I • Sent monks to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons • 600s went to Germany and Ireland • Reorganized the bishops • Stressed reconciliation - penance • By 1100 most Western Europeans were Roman Catholic

36. Power of the Church • Helped to govern Europe • Bishops and abbots played a role in Feudal society • Wealth through land and service of their serfs • Mediated disputes between lords

37. Church Reform • Called for riding church of abuses of power • Monastery at Cluny • Simple life of poverty and service • 1059 church assembly ruled that lords could not name the Pope • Pope chosen from college of Cardinals • Only church elders can choose Pope

38. 1073 Pope Gregory VII • Pope had complete jurisdiction over all church officials • Lords no longer named or invested clergy • Introduced obligatory celibacy for the clergy • Clash with Emperor Henry IV

39. Fighting Heresy • Divisions over interpretations • Innocent III 1215 ACE • Condemned drunkenness, feasting and dancing • Tried to convert heretics • Threatened to excommunicate – throw them out of the church • Meant no admission to heaven • Killed

40. What was the best Christian life • Early • Life of asceticism – prayer fasting • Chastity – better to marry then burn but abstinence was best • Later sects calling for chastity such as the Cathars of France and Manichaeans of Iran are condemned and followers killed

41. Heretics views of the church • concerned with wealth and power • Greedy • Corrupt • Bishops lived lives of wealth • Priests anything but saintly

42. The Inquisition • Mission was to seek out and punish heretics • People urged (tortured) to confess and repent • In the beginning repenters were allowed back into church

43. Friars – wandering preachers • 1200’s lived simply • Begged for food and shelter • Followed monastic rules but did not live isolated • Franciscans and Dominicans • Named for originators • St. Francis of Assisi -Italian • St. Dominic – Spanish

44. Bennet, J.M. & Hollister, C.W. (2006). Medieval Europe: A Short History.10th Edition. Boston. McGraw-Hill.