Download After the Fall 1 #1

1
AFTER THE FALL
2
500-1200
Chaos to order
Shellie Hochstadt
Course layout
3
Week 1: introduction, Byzantine Empire, Western Europe 500-800
Week 2: finish Western Europe and Islamic Caliphate 500-800
Week 3: 800-1000 Politics and religion in all locations, Spain
Week 4: 800-1000 Social structures, technology and trade
Week 5 and 6: 1000-1200, political, religious and social culminating with the Crusades
Middle Ages
4
three heirs to Rome: Byzantine Empire, Islamic Empire, and Western Europe
Great diversity within the time frame of 500 to 1200 in Western Europe: Early, High and Late Middle Ages
Medieval another term
Middle Ages coined in 1700 to refer to the “dark ages” between classical cultures and empires and the Renaissance
void from the loss of the Roman Empire: loss of trade, coinage, language, literacy and law
Roman Empire circa 200 CE
5
6
7
8
After the Fall of Rome
9
power void in sections of the Mediterranean
Byzantines control the Eastern Mediterranean, but will see it reduced
Western Europe has no organized law, government, coinage, trade or language
North Africa is a power void initially filled by the Vandals
disintegration of the Roman world
how does it rebuild?
Byzantine Empire 500-800
10
Byzantines
continue the legacy of Eastern Roman rule
Greek speaking
called Roman Emperors
called Roman Emperors
use Rome law coupled with intense religion
Constantinople is the capital
Christian monarchy than can challenge Sassanids
very wealthy heirs to Rome
most famous Emperor is Justinian
11
12
Justinian 527-565
married to Theodora
under General Belisarius defeat Vandals in No. Africa
temporarily take parts of Italy 552
cannot hold the gains
devastation from the plague
bankrupt from the wars
creates Justinian’s Code of Law based on Roman Law which will be the bases for all continental Europe
Justinian and
Build large monumental art including Hagia Sophia
dome is 107 feet in diameter and 180 feet high
arches supporting the dome, ingenious structure
plain on the outside and highly decorated inside
becomes a mosque in 1453
Greek fire is used in 672
incendiary weaponry with a pressurized nozzle
stays flaming on water
used for successive centuries
protective walls
13
14
15
Leo III
16
opposed by the Pope (Bishop of Rome)
opens a serious breach between the two religious groups
Western Pope sees icons as worship of the saints
17
opens a serious breach between the two religious groups
Western Pope sees icons as worship of the saints
Pope’s validation is from St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s bones in Rome
Pope will seek support for icons from the Franks
deepens the break between Orthodox and Catholic Christians
Iconist vs Iconoclasts
18
fight lasts for 100 years
Orthodoxy turns to traditionalism
change between two groups
Eastern Orthodox see
sin=ignorance=contemplation=illumination
Western Roman Catholic see
sin=vice=salvation through good works
Political and Social
Scholarship = classicism= allowed for and used Ancient Greek writings
revered and taught along side Christianity
philosophy, mathematics, medicine, literature
very educated laity that created a strong bureaucracy
also educated women
women physicians
19
20
strong commerce and trade
vital trade route for Eastern goods
wealthy society
Antioch and Thessalonica are two important cities in addition to Constantinople
coinage in silver and gold
stop the expansion from the East into the Europe from 610-1071
stop the Persians in 614
stop the Arabs 650
will be defeated by the Seljuk Turks in 1071for some lands, Constantinople holds until 1453
Regime changes are difficult since the Emperor is “similar to God”
“byzantine” intrigue for internal changes
summary
20
“byzantine” intrigue for internal changes
summary
Orthodox Christians emerging as something different from Roman Christians
wealthy, strong trade system
inheritors of Rome
function under a Roman imperial system
use Classicism as scholastic underpinning
although they try to retake areas in the West they ultimately function in the Eastern Mediterranean