Download 4 and 5 The Middle Ages v2

Life and Times During Medieval Europe
500 to 1400 AD
Early Middle
Ages


Dark Ages (500 CE- 1000 CE)- A time when
the forces of darkness (barbarians)
overwhelmed the forces of light (Romans)
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

Repeated invasions and constant
warfare ended the Western Roman
Empire:
 Disruption
of Trade--Merchants
faced invasions from land and sea.
 Downfall
of Cities
 Population
(rural).
Shift to countryside
Anglo Saxons

Around 500 AD, Anglo Saxon
invaders were resisted fiercely by
the Romano-British, who might
have been led by King Arthur
Anglo Saxons Dominate

By the early 800s, there were many
small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms
throughout the former Roman
province Britain.
Anglo Saxons meet the Vikings
800’s
-- Danish Vikings
invaded. It wasn’t until
Alfred the Great, king from
871-899, managed to turn
back the Vikings.
Alfred united the kingdoms
of Britain under one rule,
calling it England (“Land of
the Angles”).
Norman Conquest
– In January 1066, King Edward died, and
Harold Godwine was proclaimed King Harold
II. William disputed his claim. The result was
the Norman Conquest after the battle of
Hastings.
The Franks under the
Merovingians

In 481 Clovis I- he united Frankish tribes and expanded
territory

His conversion to Christianity won him support from the
Church

Merovingian's founded and built many monasteries,
spreading Christianity throughout Western Europe
The Franks under the
Merovingians



Clovis I wrote Salic Law - assigned a
specific financial value to everyone and
everything; concept of trial options (trial
by oath and trial by ordeal)
Eventually dynasty declined whereas the
real power lay with the powerful officials
and leading aristocracy
Carolingians

Rise of aristocratic Charles Martel who
dominated Frankish kingdom in 8th century

He confiscated land given to Church and began
Church reforms that would restore spirituality to
clerical life

His son Pepin the Short continued
Church reforms and eventually
with the support of reformed
Church, removed last
Merovingian king from throne

Established the Carolingian
dynasty, named to protect the
papacy and establish the pope
and bishops are the makers of kings

Greatest legacy was Charles
the Great, or Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne (Charles the
Great) who was a military
general and restored Pope Leo III
who had been exiled
 In return, Leo named him the
“Emperor of the Romans” which
secured the relationship
between Frankish kings and the
papacy
 Charlemagne became the first
ruler to a dynasty which would
be called the Holy Roman
Empire.

Charlemagne’s capital, Aachen, in Germany.
The Holy Roman Empire
Under Charlemagne
Charlemagne- imposed order
on empire through the Church
and state
 Ordered the standardization of
Latin, textbooks, manuals for
preaching, schools for clergy and
people, new form of handwriting
 All these promoted education
and scholars and produced a
precise written language (Latin)

 The
feudal system
provided order and
stability. Everyone
knew their place and
what they had to do.
The Feudal System
King
Military Service
&
Labor
&
Lords
Lesser Lords
(Vassals)
Knights
Loyalty
Land
&
Protection
Peasants (Serfs)
Feudalism
Key terms

Fief = land given by a lord in return for
a vassal’s military service and oath of
loyalty

Serfs= common peasants who worked
the lords land

Tithe = tax that serfs paid (tax or rent)

The manor was the lord’s estate.

Impact: Increasing violence and
lawless countryside

The manorial system provided
for an economy that was
based on farming and being
self-sufficient on the manor.

The lord would provide serfs
with housing, strips of
farmland, and protection from
bandits.

In return, the serfs tended the
lord’s lands, cared for his
animals, and performed other
tasks to maintain the estate.

Medieval castles were designed in
response to the weaponry they had
to withstand. Wooden castles were
easily destroyed by the burning
missiles slung by siege weapons.

Castles began to be built with stone
and their walls were built higher and
thicker—exposed walls could be as
thick as 33 feet.

Rectangular towers were
rounded off to deflect missiles.

As protection against battering
rams, castle doors were
reinforced with one or more
iron grilles and sometimes a
second door.
The education of a young noble
began early (age 7).
He would be sent off to the castle of
another lord. He waited on his
hosts and learned courtly manners.
He played chess and learned war
strategies.
To develop fighting skills, he would
practice sword fighting.
At around the age of 14, the boy
would become a squire.
A squire would act as a servant to a
knight.
The squire took care of the knight’s
armor, weapons, and warhorse.
The squire would also escort the
knight to battles.

At around 21, a squire became a
full-fledged knight.

Knights were to abide by a
complex set of ideals, which
became known as the code of
chivalry.

Knights were bound by a strict
code of conduct called chivalry.

According to this code, knights
were expected to be brave, loyal,
true and protective of women
and the weak.
Women’s Role in Feudal Society

Most women in feudal
society were powerless,
just as most men were.
But women had the
added burden of being
thought inferior to men.
This was the view of the
Church and was
generally accepted in
feudal society.
Church Hierarchy and duties

Like the system of
feudalism, the Church
had its own
organization. Power
was based on status.
Church structure
consisted of ranks of
clergy.
Church Role as a Unifying Force.

Turmoil. Feudalism created
divisions among people

Function. Yet, the Church led to
a sense of security and of
belonging to a religious
community.

Attraction. Everyday live was
harsh. What made life bearable
was the belief of an ever lasting
life.
Cathedral of Chartres:
Gothic Architecture
Monasticism and
Saints

Monks were people who gave up
worldly possessions and devote
themselves to
a religious life

Monasteries 400 -700 became centers
of education, literacy and learning

Rule of St. Benedict were Strict codes
of monastic conduct.

St. Augustine- discussed ideas of
ethics, self knowledge, and the role of
free will which shaped monastic
traditions.
Church Powers in Medieval Life.

Canon Law applies to all

Church Courts. Church
created courts to try those
accused of violating canon
law.

Interdict.

Label Heretics

Excommunication.

Power to Tax. Tithing
Papal Power Expands

Under Gregory I. In 590, Gregory I,
became pope. As head of the
Church, Gregory broadened the
authority of the papacy, beyond its
spiritual role. Under Gregory, the
papacy also became a secular, or
worldly, power involved in politics

Other Popes extended Church Power
by crowning Emperors such as
Charlemagne and Otto I, the first Holy
Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor clashes with
Pope

In 1075, Pope Gregory VII banned lay
investiture. Henry IV, ordered Gregory to
step down. Gregory then
excommunicated Henry. To save his
throne, Henry tried to win the pope’s
forgiveness.

In January 1077, Henry crossed the snowy
Alps to beg for forgiveness

Gregory kept Henry waiting in the snow
for three days before ending his
excommunication, leading to feuds that
will continue by the religious authority and
Emperor.
Formation of Western Europe
1000 to 1500 AD
Beginnings of the Crusades

Muslim Seljuk Turks conquered
nearly all Byzantine provinces in
Asia Minor.
 In 1071, Jerusalem was
conquered by the Seljuk Turks.
 In 1093, Byzantine emperor
Alexius I wrote to Pope Urban II
asking western Europe to join his
war against the Muslim Turks.
 Urban declared that all who join
this armed pilgrimage will be
absolved of all sins.
Goals of the Crusades
 the
pope wanted to reunite
Christendom, which split in 1054.
 An
opportunity to get rid of
quarrelsome knights.
 Opportunities
younger sons
 In
for disenfranchised
addition, the merchants of
Pisa, Genoa, and Venice hoped
to win control of key trade routes
to India, Southeast Asia, and
China from Muslim traders.
First Crusade
 Four
armies of Crusaders
were formed from troops of
different Western European
regions
 After
various struggles, the
Crusaders conquered key
locations including
Jerusalem in 1099, then
occupied by Egyptian
Fatimids.
 Many
atrocities committed
by Crusaders
The Second Crusade
Fighting continued in the Holy Land between
crusaders and Muslims.
 Led by Zangi, the Muslims conquered Northern
Crusader territory.
 Led by two great rulers, King Louis VII of France
and King Conrad III of Germany, the Second
Crusade began in 1147 but failed to retake lands.

The Third Crusade

A successor of Zangi, Saladin
captured Jerusalem and most of
the Holy Land in 1187.

The Third Crusade to recapture
Jerusalem was led by three of
Europe’s most powerful monarchs.

Yet, only one managed to arrive,
Richard the Lion Hearted who
fought Saladin.

Jerusalem was not recaptured.
Outcome of the Third Crusade

King Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Saladin agreed to a peace
treaty.
 Under
the treaty, European
pilgrims would be allowed to
safely visit the Holy Land,
which would remain under
the control of the Muslims.
 Many
new trade routes
opened between the East
and the West.
The Crusades Continue…

In the Fourth Crusade 1204, crusaders
attacked and plundered
Constantinople, the city they had
originally come to protect!
•
For the next 68 years, many more
crusades were fought, but the Holy
Land remained under Muslim control.
•
The Children’s Crusade 1212
•
The Albigensian Crusade (1208-29
•
The Baltic Crusades (1211-25)
The Reconquista

The End of Crusader States. In 1291,
Muslims captured the City of Acre, the
last Christian stronghold.

The only successful Crusade. The
Reconquista was a long effort by the
Spanish to drive the Muslims out of
Spain.

In 1492, Granada, the last Muslim
stronghold finally fell to the Christian
army of Ferdinand and Isabella, the
Spanish monarchs
The Legacy of the Crusades
 Power
of Church. The Church created crusades.
However, the failure of later Crusades also
lessened the power of the pope.
 Women’s
Roles. For those who stayed home,
especially women, it meant a chance to
manage and run affairs.
 European
merchants expanded trade bringing
new items and knowledge.
 Absolute
Monarchs. The Crusades weakened
the feudal nobility and increased the power of
the principal organizers the kings.
 Intolerance
and prejudice. The emotional
investment led to atrocities that are still
remembered in the hoy land till this day.
England Under Henry II
King Henry rules from 1154 to 1189.
(He is a descendent of William the
conqueror.)
Henry marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.
She was a wife to two kings and a
mother to two kings.
Henry strengthened the royal courts of
justice by sending royal judges to
every part of England at least once
year.
They collected taxes, settled lawsuits, and
punished crimes.
England Develops
King Henry also introduced the use of
the jury in English courts. A jury in
medieval Europe was a group of loyal
people—usually 12 neighbors of the
accused—who answered a royal
judges questions about the facts of a
case.
Jury trials became a popular means of
settling disputes. Only the king’s court
was allowed to conduct them.
England and Magna Carta
King Henry was succeeded first by his
son Richard the Lion-Hearted, hero of
the Third Crusade.
When Richard died, his younger brother
John took the throne.
John was an extremely poor king. The
last straw was when he raised taxes.
The nobles revolted.
John was forced to sign the Magna
Carta (Great Charter). This
guaranteed the nobles certain basic
political rights. Put a limit on the
king’s powers.
England Under Edward I
King Edward I needed to
raise taxes for a war against
the French in 1295.
 King Edward I summoned
two burgesses (citizens of
wealth and property) from
every borough and two
knights from every county to
serve as a Parliament, or
legislative group.

England and Parliament

Two groups gradually
formed in Parliament:

House of Commons (Knights &
Burgesses)

House of Lords (Nobles & Bishops)

At first Parliament was
meant to be a tool to
weaken the great lords. As
time went by, however,
Parliament became strong.

Like the Magna Carta, it
provided a check on royal
power.
English Reforms during the
Glorious Revolution
 English
Bill of Rights. 1688 William
and Mary coregents during
glorious revolution. Parliament
drew up a list of provisions, with
these points: Raising an army
under Parliament consent, No
taxes without parliament
consent, Free trial, Freedom of
excessive bail, and Free speech
in parliament
Challenges to the Church

Why was power shifting
away from the Church in
the Late Middle Ages?

Kings were forming strong
governments. Nationalism
was growing as well

Townspeople felt church
practices limited trade and
industry

Controversies of Church
was becoming evident
Babylonian Captivity

In 1302, The French King Philip IV,
challenged the Pope authority over
taxes.

He kidnapped the Pope

In 1305, Philip IV persuaded the
College of Cardinals to choose a
French archbishop as the new pope
who resided in the city of Avignon
France.

From over 100 years Popes would live
there.
Great Schism

In 1378, two Popes were elected,
one Roman and one French.

Each declared the other to be a
false pope, excommunicating his
rival.

The French pope lived in Avignon,
while the Italian pope lived in
Rome.

In 1414, the Council of Constance
attempted to end the Great
Schism by choosing a single pope
Farming Improvements:

Use of horses instead of oxen. Horses could plow
twice as much as an oxen in a day.
The Three Field System emerges.
Enables people to use 2/3 of their 600
acres of farmland instead of just 1/2.
–Field 1: 200 acres for a winter
crop such as wheat or rye.
–Field 2: 200 acres for a spring
crop such as oats, barley, peas,
or beans.
–Field 3: 200 acres lay fallow for
animals to graze.
Guilds

A guild was an organization of
individuals in the same business
or occupation working to
improve the economic and
social conditions of its
members.

The guilds set standards for
quality of work, wages, and
working conditions.
Commercial
Revolution

Just as agriculture and
craftsmanship was
changing, so were trade
and finance. This
expansion of trade and
business is called the
Commercial Revolution.
Increased availability of
goods and new ways of
business changed life.
Towns Grow
Revival of Learning

At a time when serious scholars and writers were writing in
Latin, a few remarkable poets began using a lively
vernacular


Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy (1321) -- Italian
Geoffery Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) -English
Since most people could not read or understand Latin,
these writers brought literature to the people.
 Scholar, Thomas Aquinas, argued that the most basic
religious truths could be proved by logical argument.-Influenced by Aristotle.

Bubonic Plague



Black Death
a devastating
worldwide
pandemic that
first struck
Europe in the
mid 14th
century
killed about a
third of
Europe’s
population, an
estimated 34
million people.
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
painful lymph node swellings called buboes
buboes in the groin and armpits, which ooze
pus and blood.
damage to the skin and underlying tissue until
they were covered in dark blotches
Most victims died within four to seven days
after infection
EFFECTS of the Plague
Caused massive
depopulation and
change in social
structure
 Led to rise of individual
self worth
 Weakened influence
of Church
 Originated in Asia but
was blamed on
Jews and lepers

Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411).