Download Western Roman Empire

UNIT 0
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
THE GERMANIC PEOPLES
THE BYZANTINE AND CAROLINGIAN EMPIRES
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Chronology: 27 BCE – 476 AD
Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire): until 1453.
Political organisation:
Emperor (1st emperor – Caesar Augustus)
Senate: ratified the decisions of the emperor.
Social organisation:
- Citizens (all rights and privileges): Patricians.
- Non citizens: plebeians (free. No political right)
Women
Slaves
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Economy:
Agriculture – Specialised depending on the region.
Commerce  Importance of roads
and Mare Nostrum.
Single currency.
Religion: polytheism.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Principles:
- Centralised powers  Emperor.
-PAX ROMANA (27 BCE – 3rd century AD)  Importance for commerce.
- Urban life – Rome. Public works (infrastructures).
-Polytheism.
THE CRISIS OF THE LOWER ROMAN EMPIRE (284-476)
- Political crisis: weaker emperors.
- Social and military revolts  Sack of cities  Insecurity  Migration to the
countryside.
- Commerce collapses.
- Villas (Country house, large-scale agricultural production)  Almost
feudal.
FROM COMMERCE TO AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK FARMING
- Germanic peoples  Cross the borders.
- Late 3rd century  Huns  They pushed the Germanic peoples
(Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks, Saxons, etc.) into the Roman Empire.
 More instability.
- Religion: 313  Edict of Milan (Constantine the Great)  Freedom of worship.
-380  Theodosius the Great proclaims Christianity official religion.
THE CRISIS OF THE LOWER ROMAN EMPIRE (284-476)
395 – Theodosius the Great died  Division of the empire.
Western (Capital: Rome)  Until 476.
Eastern (Capital: Constantinople)  Until 1453. 
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
395 – Division Roman Empire
Eastern Roman Empire  Byzntine
Until 1453.
Justinian the Great (527-565)
- Splendour and territorial expansion.
- Wanted to emulate the glory of the
Roman Empire.
- After his death, progressive decadence.
1453  The Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople
THE GERMANIC PEOPLES
476  The Ostrogoths conquer Rome.
Western Roman Empire  Divided into the different Germanic peoples.
HIGH ROMAN EMPIRE
GERMANIC PEOPLES
Centralised power  Emperor
Division. Conflicts.
PAX ROMANA (Commerce)
Insecurity  No commerce.
Agriculture
Cities
Rural life
Polytheism
Christianity
THE FRANKS AND THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
Franks  Germanic peoples. North of Gaul.
507  Expelled the Visigoths (Kingdom of Toulouse).
736  Battle of Poitiers  Vs Islamic Empire (Umayyad Caliphate).
Stop expansion of Islamic Empire in Europe
THE FRANKS AND THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
751  Pippin the Short becomes king  New dynasty. Supported
by the Pope.
768  CHARLEMAGNE.
- Great territorial expansion  Re-establish the unity and glory of
the Roman Empire.
- 800  Proclaimed HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
- Emperor: protector of the Church and christianity.
THE FRANKS AND THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
“Two days later it was Christmas. St. Peter’s Basilica was full of people
wearing colourful clothing and shiny ornaments. Charlemagne, king of
the Franks, entered, wearing sandals and dressed in the Roman style
with a long tunic and a cloak. He proceeded to the altar, where he
knelt down and prayed for a long time in silence. Leo III, the pope,
walked towards him and placed a golden crown on his head. All the
people cheered and shouted three times: ‘To the Emperor Charles
Augustus, crowned by God, noble and peaceful emperor of the
Roman, life and victory!’. The noise was very loud. The pope knelt
before the emperor and kissed his cloak. Charlemagne became the
emperor of the West. He was the first since the fall of the Roman
Empire in 476”.
F. Lebrun. The days of Charlemagne
THE FRANKS AND THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
814  Death of Charlemagne  Louis the Pious.
843  Death of Louis the Pious  Fight among his sons  Treaty
of Verdun  Division
of the empire in three:
• Lothair: central area.
• Charles the Bald: France.
• Louis the Germanic: East.
THE FRANKS AND THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
POLITICAL ORGANISATION:
Territory  Divided into counties  Counts.
Marches (areas by borders)  Marquises.
ECONOMY:
Based on agriculture. Large estates belonged to aristocracy and church.
Scarce commerce and craftwork.
SOCIAL ORGANISATION: Pyramidal hierarchy (Emperor – Nobility and high
clergy – Free people – Serfs).
Start manorial system  Emperor gives land to nobles.
Nobles are loyal to the emperor.
SWEAR FIDELITY TO
ADVICE AND DEFEND
GIVES A FIEF (LAND)
TO
CHARLEMAGNE
NOBILITY