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HIstory 2100 Medieval Europe
Jan 12, 2010
Greek Contributions to the arts - originated the basic ideas of comedy and
tragedy
Greek Philosophy Plato (427-347)
the world of ideas - believed that the material world of the senses
was like seeing shadows on the walls of a cave. we must be able to
understand the world with our mind not just our senses. these ideas of the world
don’t change and are constant. For Plato the Physical world isn’t the best
place to find knowledge but rather the world of ideas is a place of true
knowledge and is constant. This is a very rational world.
Mind/body dualism - Humans are an amalgamation of Minds and
Bodies and the mind is the more important part b/c it will survive the death of the
body and go to the world of ideas.
the Neoplatonists - “New Plato’s” arrive in the 3rd century CE and their
works were the closest many people in the MA ever got to Plato.
Western Science, political ideology and philosophy, architecture, drama, and
many other aspects of western european culture have their roots in the ancient
Greek culture.
together Plato and Aristotle are important b/c they took a stance against the
moral relativism of their day. They believed that it was possible to arrive at
fundamental truths that would never change. Truth was certain and
knowable and unchangeable.
many people in the Middle ages had a similar belief as Plato. they believed that
there were two different worlds, the world of the body and the spiritual
world that is immediately present to them and more important than the
physical world.
Plato himself wasn’t very common or well known in the middle ages. people
didn’t know Plato second hand through the Neoplatonists.
Aristotle - His approach to finding truth was much different than Plato’s. for
him the physical world wasn’t a shadow of reality as it was for Plato but
very real and a place were absolute truth could be found. Aristotle used
Empirical evidence where Plato had used rational evidence.
Science - he is the father of western science astronomy, physics, biology.
He designed the basic vocabulary of western science and the naming system in
biology
Logic - he literally wrote the book about basic logic “something cannot be
and not be at the same time”
Ethics - Aristotle believed that ethical virtue was a middle ground b/w two
extremes. one of his most famous sayings is “Man is a political animal” for
Aristotle it is a natural event for people to get together and form political units
Like Plato Aristotle was not directly known in the MA it wasn’t until the late 13th C
that his ideas were “re-discovered”
Another important school of Philosophy originating out of Greece was Stoicism.
Stoics believed that it was their duty to live in harmony with the universe
and fulfill their role. they believed that emotions showed that you were not
living in harmony with the universe. If you were a emperor be the best
emperor you could be and if you were a slave be the best slave you could
be, and accept what happens to you. They also believed that every human
had a spark of the divine w/i them
Roman Achievements
Administration and Gov’t - had a massive yet efficient gov’t that could
effectively rule a large empire
Law - Roman laws were the same for everyone all across the empire and it
helped bind together the empire.
Latin Language - the language of the romans was fundamentally important
for the empire and for the MA. the Latin language remained the language of
the educated throughout the MA and even past the MA in western europe.
Architecture - also fundamentally important for medieval society. the romans
developed on top of the ideas and designs of the Greeks. The Roman Arch made
it possible to build bigger and more structurally sound buildings. Roman styles of
building were used late into the MA
Idea of Empire - creating an idea of a politically united region that covered
western Europe. the idea of an emperor with the right to rule europe goes
back to the original Roman Empire.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Problems with the “decline and fall” metaphor - it gives is a sense that
roman society was degenerate and collapsed from within which may or
may not have been true. Also when people talk about the fall of the Roman
empire they are talking about the Western Roman Empire b/c the Eastern
Roman Empire doesn’t fall until 1453. Historians started calling the eastern
roman empire the Byzantine Empire from about 500 BC on.
Rome fell b/c
Empire was over extended
unable to maintain its boarders against barbarian invaders
Theodocian Code - laws were passed that restricted people mobility
both professionally and physically. if you were a bread maker or a farmer you
had to remain bread maker or a farmer for the rest of your life and thats what
your children must do to. they did this b/c there were not enough people making
the basic goods to sustain the empire. The empire was also desperately short of
money. It got so bad that taxes had to be payed in kind rather than in money.
poor leadership - the Romans were never that good at figuring out how to
choose new leaders. this led to coups, assassinations, and Civil Wars. These
political problems sapped the strength of the empire.
restrictive taxes that are incredibly high and there is to much corruption.
So high are the taxes and so great the corruption that Romans themselves
actually flee to the barbarians to get away from these things.
The moral destruction of Rome
there was a partial restoration of the Roman Empire in the 4th C. Two powerful
and important emperors Diocletian and Constantine were the leaders of this
restorations
Diocletian - he believed that the Roman Empire had simply become to
large so he split the Empire into two halves - the Eastern and Western Roman
Empires. That split would come to represent the division of Latin and Greek as
common speech. He stabilizes the boarders of Rome
Constantine - reunited the Roman Empire but he also protected it as he
was a great General. He rebuilds the City Byzantium and renames it
Constantinople.
the works of Diocletian and Constantine allow the empire to survive another 100
years.
by 476 the Western Roman Empire is dead. Rome itself sacked multiple
times and Barbarians stop even bothering to set themselves up as the
Roman emperors anymore.
B/c of Greece and Rome’s great history many people in the MA sam themselves
as dwarves compared to the ancients.
Jan 14, 2010
Christianity
Christianity was different from the previous religions that existed in many
ways
monotheistic vs polytheistic
there was no moral code with greco/roman gods
there was no salvation with greco/roman gods
many Romans wanted a personal relationship with gods in the late imperial
roman period. this lead to the rise of mystery cults
mystery cults were secretive and only open to those invited by those already in
the cult. the often spoke of salvation and saviour figures. Mystery cults are close
to Christianity. Mystery cults tended to be polytheistic.
thus religion in the late roman empire was very diverse. there was also a
religious philosophy that was changing in the upper classes, religious
philosophers began to talk about god in the singular.
Jesus and the Early Church
Jesus was a jew and his teaching a preaching emerged out of the Jewish
traditions. Jesus said that the Messiah was going to bring about the end of the
world and a day of judgement in which the world have to answer for their sins.
Jesus was in opposition to many Roman ideas and beliefs. He was a monotheist
and wouldn’t pay lip service to roman gods and said that they weren’t gods at all.
he spread trouble saying that the world was soon coming to an end.
After Jesus' death the religion survived and slowly began to spread. gradually
organization’s begin to emerge. eventually Christianity spread all over the roman
empire.
with the growth of the church leaders are required for small services and to
coordinate the activities of all the christian communities in a city. this leads to the
positions of priest, Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal and finally the Pope as the
penultimate leader.
the authority of the pope emerges very gradually and slowly and is originally the
Bishop of Rome.
The Pope’s claim to the senior figure in the church is called the Petrine
Doctrine - the idea that the Bishop of Rome is a senior authority figure over
all the church because of Jesus’ telling the disciples that Peter is the head
of the Church and on him he will build the Christian Church.
The Christian Apologists - the first group of people who attempt to explain the
Christian faith and doctrine to non christians and tried to convert them
from the 2nd C on there was a dialogue b/w Christian revelation and classical
philosophy. Christians wanted to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of the
classical greco/roman philosophies. the central philosophical question was how
to reconcile the bible with Aristotle and Plato.
in the 4th and 5th C the Church Fathers emerge who helped establish the church
and established its fundamentals doctrine and theology
St, Jerome 345-420CE - he compiled the official bible that would be used
throughout the MA. it is known as the Vulgate Bible (old and new testament
together) The Vulgate bible was written in Latin, previous editions were written in
Greek so the Vulgate Bible translates the bible into the common language.
St. Augustine 354-430 - probably the most important Church Father in the
western Church. He converted to Christianity late in life and he understood how
greco/roman philosophers thought b/c he had read and knew the greco/roman
philosophies. He develops some of the basic of the Church such as
Original Sin - the sin that we all have as part of our nature passed
down to us fr/ Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden
Grace - since we are all sinners we all need God’s help to be saved.
Violence as an act of Love - the old testament was very militaristic
and the new testament was pacifistic. He argues that violence for a Christian can
be justified if it is an act of love.
The Conversion of Constantine
before the 3rd C CE Christianity had been a persecuted religion it was under
Constantine that it stopped being persecuted and rose to become the official
church of the Roman Empire
the Battle of Milvian Bridge 312 CE - the account of a battle that leads to
Constantine’s conversion. on the eve of his large battle in the West he has
a dream in which he sees the Chi Rho symbol and he has his troops put
that symbol on their shields and defeats his enemy and goes on to become
the emperor of Rome. This leads him to convert to Christianity
with Constantine’s conversion Christianity goes from a small persecuted sect to a
legal religion
the Edict of Milan - Constantine and the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire
decide that Christianity (and all other religions) would profit the Empire aka.
Christianity is accepted. Persecution ended and Christianity joins the other
religions of the Roman Empire. The Edict doesn’t make Christianity the sole
religion of Rome it just makes it Legal.
now Christians are free to worship and evangelize of course it helps that the
Emperor is a Christian which leads to a period of rapid spread of Christianity.
Over the next 70 years Christianity grows and by 385 becomes the sole
religion of the Roman Empire.
in 100 years from 300 to 400 Christianity goes from 10% and an illegal
persecuted sect to the only religion of the empire.
The Relationship b/w the Church and State
with the emergence of the dominance of the Christian Church there starts to be
struggles b/w the Church and the State. the Church is acquiring land and
gathering taxes and growing in power
in the 4th and 5th C the Emperor still has far more power and is able to control
Christianity. It is during this time the Council of Nicea is called in 325 CE
the Council is the supreme authority of the church at that time and they are
called together to decide issues of theology and church doctrine. The Pope
is given a place of honor but is only just equal to the other leading Bishops
Pope Gelasius I - he explains what he believes is the proper relationship b/w
Pope and Emperor. He believes there are two powers in the world, Religion and
Political, and that the Church and Religion is more important than political and
secular power.
In the minds of the bishops religion is more important than the state because the
sole will live on after a person dies.
the central political challenge of the MA is reconciling the power of the Church
with that of the State.
Christianity wasn’t monolithic and unchanging. with the emergence of the
Church’s power so grows the power of it’s office’s.
Christianity sowed the seeds of a more unified western Civilization. it is the Glue
that holds together western civilization during the MA
Jan 19, 2010
The Barbarians - Were considered barbarians b/c they didn’t live in
cities, they didn’t write down their histories, and they weren’t greco/roman
Germanic Society - it is germanic customs and cultures that go on to become the
norm during the MA.
Interior tribes didn’t mint coins or even use money they traded in goods and
services.
The idea of a Grand Jury to find evidence and a trial jury to decide guilt is a
Germanic tradition.
In Germanic society chieftains were chosen by birth but war leaders were
chosen by merit.
Germanic society was more loosely organized and citizens had more personal
freedom than their roman counterparts.
Germanic kingship - had little actual control over german citizens. A
german King rules only his tribe and when important choices had to be
made for the tribe the King or priest spoke first only b/c of his power to
persuade not b/c of his power to make the decision. Couldn’t simply pass a
law (can’t write) as laws were the customs of the tribe.
Importance of personal bonds - personal relationships b/w individuals
is the glue that held Germanic society together
-- Kinship - probably the most important bond in germanic society.
people were identified by both their mother and their fathers side of the
family. Kin is the social safety net- there are no police, EI, pension or
anything like that so they are the first people you look to for support.
Extended family members were even held responsible for your debts.
Bonds of Blood
-- Lordship - this is a bond that emerges b/w the military leader and his
followers. Important people were important b/c they had a group of
warriors supporting them. Soldiers protects his leader in war and in peace and
does what the leader asks of him. the leader ideally gives his soldiers victory and
allows them to rise in society. it is this bond of lordship is the origin of Feudalism.
Personal freedom - the right to use and bear arms was one of the
personal freedoms and in fact personal arms were the symbol of a free
man. Romans had a professional army and only the soldiers of that army could
use arms while germanic society is a warrior society were every free man carried
his weapons with him.
Germanic society allowed blood feuds. Usually it was an obligation of the kin that
could spiral out of control and last for generations so another system was created
for vengeance.
this system was called the wergild. the payment of money in place of a
blood feud.
people could be brought before a tribal council and charge them with an
accusation of some wrong that they have done against you. it was up to the
assembly of the tribe to decide what to do. the tribal council could force him to
pay the wergild or swear an oath of innocence or make the accused go
through an ordeal which was an appeal to divine judgement
there was a special belief that the local tribe could settle these issues on their
own, mainly b/c there was no distant power to solve the problems.
Germanic languages - English, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, and
Dutch are all languages that can trace their roots back to the germanic
languages
Germans believed that women could speak their minds politically. the running of
the household and the fields was left to women as well.
slaves often didn’t live in the house of their owner but rather worked in their own
home and had to pay in kind to their masters - give them grain, cattle, beer or
whatever it is they produce. this system was a precursor to medieval serfdom.
it was Germanic culture that introduced pants into western civilization.
The Barbarian Invasions
The Federati - the name that the Roman empire gives the barbarian tribes
that originally allied themselves with Rome.
the Visigoth Migration - the fist visigoth migration happened in 376 and it was the
first time that a whole tribe moved into the Roman empire. the Visigoths
themselves were being pushed into the empire by the Huns. The Visigoth’s
appeal to the Roman’s for help, to be allowed into the empire for protection. they
agreed to fight in the Roman army. the romans are allowed in and settled in the
balkans to defend that region of the boarder against the Huns and other
barbarians. After 2 years of subjugation by roman tax collectors and cheating
business men they rise up and rampage against the Romans
Battle of Adrianople, 378 - the Visigoths defeat the Roman army and
Emperor Valance himself is killed in the battle. this marks the start of the
crumbling of Rome’s boarders as it is no longer to defend them.
- in 410 the Visigoths sack Rome
Fifth C invasions - most barbarian tribes were small and disappeared after the
death of their Kings or defeat in battle but some tribes set up kingdoms that have
lasted to this day
Anglo-Saxons migrated from Germany to Britain and formed the Kingdom
that went on to become England.
Franks migrated at the same time as the Anglo-Saxons. they moved from
the western side of the Rhine river into northern gaul and set up a kingdom that
is now France. the Dynasty that leads the Franks early on is called the
Merovingians. the turning point is when their leader Clovis converts to
Christianity
Lombards - settled in Norther Italy and create the Kingdom the Lombardi.
the fall of the western empire allows germanic tribes to sweep into the area and
germanic ideals and cultures become prevalent.
most Germanic kings didn’t want to destroy the empire, they wanted to come in
and enjoy the comforts of the empire. unfortunately they did end up destroying it.
They set up their own kingdoms and these kingdoms became the kernels of the
nations that would last throughout the MA.
Jan 21, 2010
The Spread of Christianity to 1050
Monasteries - played an important role in the spread of Christianity across
europe. They also preserved many of the ancient and and early MA texts.
they were centers of learning.
when historians talk of a nations converting to Christianity they are often talking
about just the King of the ruler and the aristocracy. everyday people were often
well behind of the rulers.
for many of the average people in Europe Christianity was but one religion
in the many.
Justinian, emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, sends out his troops to reconquest the Western Roman Empire. he managed to retake the city of Rome
but was unable to reunite the two empires. shortly after his death the eastern
empire shrunk back to its original size
Italy and the Papacy
The Lombard Invasion 568- the last of the great migrations of barbarians
are the Lombards. they set up in northern part of Italy (Milan, Turin etc.) Italy is
divided b/w different tribes and Italy would remain fragmented for another 1200
years.
Gregory the Great - founder of the Medieval Papacy. it was under his
direction that the office of the Pope became very powerful not only
religiously but politically. they became powerful almost by default as Italy
was divided. The arrival of the barbarian kingdoms to the doors of the
papacy was a problem because they are Arian Christians who the papacy
view as Heretics.
In the vacuum of political power in Rome the Pope’s start to take care
of the city . They begin to take on political power and begin to Rule Rome. It was
Gregory that set in motion the taking on of political power by the Pope.
Gregory started the first Papal State.
The Donation of Constantine - a document that claimed that Constantine
gives political power to the Pope over the Western Roman Empire. the document
itself was a forgery but this wasn’t discovered until the late 15th C. this document
gave the Papacy the political Legitimacy in the MA
Gregory wrote to the bishops to explain the Petrine Document and told
them that the Pope was the leader of the Christian world. He is eventually
able to enforce this fact and unites the Christian world. Gregory stressed
that a Bishops job was to take care of his flock.
Britain
Christianity in Britain we can witness the birth of a vibrant and flourishing form of
Christianity in a place on the boarders of the Roman empire.
The Venerable Bede is a Irish historian who gives us an account of the
Anglo-Saxon’s conversion to Christianity.
Christianity came to modern day England with the Romans and they converted
many people. Christians pulled out of England with the Romans and the island
reverted to the pagan religions that had existed before.
Ireland was converted by Christian missionaries like St. Patrick. Ireland had
never had Roman rule and so the Christianity that emerges in Ireland has
its own characteristics. The Irish learned latin as a foreign language.
Ireland became a great center of scholarly learning and the printing of
manuscripts. it was the monasteries that were the centers of Christianity in
Ireland.
It was the Irish that brought the ideas of Penance and Confession to
the Roman Catholic Church. In the early Christian church very few people
privately confessed sins. It was the Irish that came up with the system of
frequent personal and private confession and penance.
It’s the Irish monks that come to England and re-convert the island to Christianity.
St. Columbus came from Ireland and established a Monastery at Iona
and from that monastery Christianity spread through Scotland. late 6th C
Roman Monks begin to come back to Britain sent by Gregory, they land in the
south of england and spread north towards the Irish Christianity.
the Irish and Roman systems of Christianity had a showdown at the Synod
of Whitby in 664. in the end the Roman side wins out and all of Britain
becomes, at least officially, roman catholic.
France
In Frankia (france) christianity had come with the roman empire and the
barbarians who moved into the area converted to Christianity so that
Christianity never left the area. the problem was not to convert but to order
and re-invigorate the Frankish church
Irish and English missionaries went to France and St Columbanus is
probably one of the most important. These missionaries founded many
Monasteries that would go onto become some of the most powerful in Europe.
Germany
LIke Ireland, Germany was new to Christianity as the romans had never brought
it there
St. Boniface was an anglo-saxon Monk who came and converted the
Germans. He worked with the Papacy and was sent beyond the Rhine river
and organized the church in germany. by the time of his death Germany
had largely been converted and the church was spreading rapidly through
Germany. was often called the Apostle of the Germans
Spain
during the roman empire was largely Christian but the Visigoths moved in
and set up their own Kingdom and then they converted to Roman
Catholicism.
Islam arrived in Spain in the early 8th C. started by the prophet Mohammed in
the boarder lands of the two great empires the Romans and the Persians.
Mohammed pushed for the conversion of people to Islam and the rejection of
multiple gods.
he was a very successful military and religious leader and his religion and
subsequent empire spread rapidly.
Islam arrived in Spain in 711 and quickly destroyed the Visigoth Kingdom.
With the destruction of the Visigoth Kingdom, Christianity... was allowed to
continue to be practiced. the Christian’s lived under Muslim rule, they
couldn’t build new churches or temples and they had to pay an extra tax.
Islam believed in the Old Testament and referred to Christians and Jews “People
of the book” the big difference was the muslim rejection of the triune nature of
God.
the Conversion of the People
the Church in the cities - Christianity first spread in the cities and early on
was known as an urban religion. the organization of the church focused on
and favoured cities. the church took on the form of the roman
administration.
Roman civitates and the pagans - cities were the centers of government
and the church copied this and created a system of governance that closely
mimicked the civil authorities.
The Pope was in Charge of the entire Christian World
Archbishop was in charge of Provinces (large junks of kingdoms)
Bishops was in charge of a Diocese (one big city)
Priest in Charge of a Parish (a part of the diocese)
the church in the countryside
the destruction of pagan religion
development of the parish system
Monasticism
Saints and relics - saints were christian super heros and their physical
remains were believed the maintain their spiritual powers. Cathedrals and
Churches to pray to the relics.
Migrations of Christian missionaries were wildly successful and by 1050
Christianity was clearly the dominant religion in Europe.
the Christian word was big with wide boundaries.
the seeds of modern problems can sometimes be traced back to the conversion
of Europe.
Christianity and kingdoms often grow hand in hand in europe during this time.
christianity was often the glue that held Medieval Europe together. western
society begins to take shape in the christian form.
Jan 26, 2010
Clovis - first King to unit the Franks. his original family lands come from
both sides of the Rhine river but under Clovis the north of France, the
southwest of France and then went on to put together an empire that is
basically all of western europe minus Italy, Spain and the north of
Germany.
Clovis founded the Merovingian dynasty but the Merovingian Gaul Empire
seemed to be on a roller coaster of expansion and breaking up. the problem was
that there really wasn’t a gov’t. it was just a really large barbarian kingdom not a
self governing empire.
the strength of the empire relied on the strength of the King.
another problem the merovingians had was Gavelkind - if a King had
multiple sons, the kingdom was split up equally b/w all the male heirs.
these problems with the Merovingians led to the eventual fall of the dynasty and
it was replaced with the Carolingian Dynasty.
the Carolingian family gets kind of luck b/c there is only one male heir (or
one male heir that wants to rule) for 4 generations. so they get stronger and
stronger aka they surrounded themselves with more and more supporters.
the Carolingians acquired more and more land till they have more land
under their control than the kings themselves.
Charles Martel was nicknamed the “Hammer” which meant that he was a
powerful warrior.
at the battle of Tours, 732 - Muslim armies from spain have advanced
deep into france and at this Battle Charles is able to defeat the Muslim
forces and that stopped the spread of Muslim advance in Europe and
eventually his descendants will drive them out of france completely
By the time of Martel the Carolingians are the most powerful family in France but
he isn’t the King he is the Mayor of the Palace - like the PM. Charles dies in 741
and his Son Pepin the Short takes over
Pepin works out a deal with the Pope - an alliance with the Pope and the
Carolingians. the Carolingians wanted to be kings and they got Papal
authority to take over the thrown of France. It was decided that the Pope
had the right to choose who can become King. St. Boniface was sent to
crown Pepin as King of the Franks in 756.
the old Merovingian king was sent to a monastery to get him out of the way.
the Pope decided to crown Pepin as King of the Franks because the
Lombard’s were going to conquer Rome and the Papacy and so they
needed the Franks for protection. this means that the Papacy stops looking
east to the Byzantine Empire for protection but to the franks.
Donation of Pepin, 756 - Pepin the Short King of the Franks who had just
finished defeating the Lombards recognized the Authority of the Papacy
over lands in and around Rome and promised to protect them
Charlemagne - created the largest and strongest European empire since
the fall of Rome. He inherited the Kingdom of the Franks and he led many
successful military campaigns two important ones were.
Lomabard, 774 - finished the job Pepin had started he conquered the
Lombards completely and sent their King off to a Monastery. thus he
became king of the Franks and the Lombards.
Saxons, - Charlemagne had a difficult time with the Saxons. He would go in
and defeat them in battle but as soon as he left they would rise up and kill his
officials and rebel. it literally took decades for him to finally and fully defeat the
Saxons.
the Capitulary of the Saxons - a set of laws that Charlemagne used to
finally pacify the Saxons.
he converted the Saxons to Christianity
he killed a whole bunch of Saxons if they: killed church officials, vandalized
of robbed a church, practice old pagan rituals didn’t follow the rules of the
Church.
he forcibly converted Saxons in to Christianity and is used to assimilate the
saxons into the Empire and hold the empire together.
finally by about 804 the Saxon’s quite down and become part the Charlemagnes
empire.
one of the most famous and controversial events of MA history was the
Coronation of Charlemagne on christmas day 800.
the Pope called Charlemagne b/c he needs help and on Christmas day
Charlemagne goes to worship. the Pope comes to him and Places a crown
on his head proclaiming him to be Emperor of the Romans
there are some conflicting accounts of what happened. Some say that
Charlemagne hated what happened and never would have gone to the church if
he knew what was going to happen. and others say that everyone involved was
really happy about what happened. Physical evidence (his palace at Aachen and
his imperial coinage) seem to dispute that.
Charlemagne is clearly the most powerful authority figure in Europe but that
eventually changes later in the MA when the Papacy gets more and more
powerful
Charlemagne was also responsible for a cultural renaissance.
Law and Government
He encouraged different tribes to write down their law system and then
governs each of them by their own laws
Capitularies - He starts to pass capitularies (laws) that apply to all people in the
empire.
Missi Dominici - officials of the King - they take care of the interests of the king
throughout the realm
the Carolingian renaissance
Cathedral and Monastic Schools - taught basic reading and writing as
well as Christian doctrine to monks within the realm.
the Carolingian Court and the Palace School - Charlemagne gathered
around him the best and brightest of the empire to his court. People from all over
the christian world come to learn and study and teach. they all speak and read
Latin and thats how they communicate.
Caroline Miniscule - a new type of script that was much easier to read and
write. It is the ancestor of our lower case script.
the carolingian renaissance means a lot of us today. it is this renaissance
that preserved much of what we have left of classical and christian
literature. they helped to preserve a vast body of Greco/Roman and early
christianity.
it is this survival of learning and ancient texts that we still use today.
a new European society that was able to record events and was held together by
the Greco/Roman, Christian and Germanic traditions
there is the seeds of a problem in the Question of who is the head of Europe the
Pope or the Emperor.
Jan 28, 2010
New Invasions and the Ottoninan Renaissance
after the Carolingian renaissance there was a new round of barbarian
invasion and the most important results of these invasion was that it
hastened the end the Charlemagne’s empire.
France fragments where as England and Germany seem to get stronger from the
new round of invasions.
- the renaissance was named after Charlemagne but it continued on after him for
a number of generations.
The Renaissance after Charlemagne
Cathedrals and Monastic Schools - founded by Charlemagne they
continued on in the reigns of his successors. they wanted to be seen like
Charlemagne as those that cared for the arts and the people’s spiritual well being
John Scotus Erigena (810-877) - John the Scot from Ireland is the literal
translation of his name. He was an accomplished scholar. he could read and
write in Greek which was extremely rare. he translated some late antique
greek works into latin and he translated and popularized the works of the
neoplatonist’s.
decline of the Carolingian Empire
Weaknessses of the Empire - so many ethnic group within the empire and
they all have their own customs and traditions and laws. there were disputes and
civil wars w/i the empire.
the Reign of Louis the Pious (814-40) Charlemagna’s successor. it is at
the end of his reign that the empire first starts to break up. He had three sons
and b/c of gavelkind they all wanted a piece of the empire. he wanted to pass on
the empire to his eldest son Lothar I. but people in carolingian society would
have seen Louis with holding inheritance from two of his sons as an injustice.
the Treaty of Verdun, 843 - it is clear that Lothar will be unable to get the
whole empire so the three sons get together and divide up the Carolingian
empire into three sections. Charles the Bald gets France, Louis the German gets
most of Germany, Lothar gets Northern Italy, southern France and a strip in
between Louis and Charles.
the Carolingians are dismantling their own empire even as the new rounds of
invasions begins.
in the 9th C. Europe itself was increasingly under siege.
The Saracens (Muslims) - coming out of Spain and North Africa they
invaded and raided, although mainly raiding. These are not something new
its just that as the Carolingian power breaks down the raids became more
successful. in the 10th and 11th C Christian cities build up strong navies
and take the fight to the Shores of north africa
the Magyars - Modern day Hungarians they settled in what is now
Hungary. it is a flat plain and good for raising horses. they raided through
germany into france and down into Italy. their raids last until about 955
when they are defeated by Otto I of germany. Magyars are not germanic
their ancestors came from central asia. but they have the same basic ideas
raiding and plundering makes you a important person.
The Vikings - the widest ranging raiders of the three. they spread from
scandinavia all the way to the south of spain and france, deep into russia
and even to Constantinople.
Vikings may have raided b/c there may not have been enough food and territory
to go around. It is really unknown why the Vikings ventured forth and spread
across the world. Raiding was also extremely profitable and the decline of
the Carolingians lead to the rise of the Vikings.
much of the Vikings success is attributed to the Viking Longship. it was stable
enough to go across the open sea but light enough to be carried across land. it
was also agile enough that it could sail up rivers and in narrow shoals.
the vikings presented a difficult problem to europeans as they were very
hard to catch or stop and often refused to fight against soldiers, preferring
to attack undefended villages
the Swedes looked eastward across the baltic sea towards russia
the Danes were important in England and northern France
the Norse raided Ireland and down into spain and the west coast of France.
Norse Vikings were the first to land and settle on North America.
by the 10th C the raids get so big that the Vikings bring their families and
decide to stay and settle the area. Normandy on the north coast of France
was one of these areas.
A large part of modern day England was also once ruled by the Danes.
Eventually the Vikings were converted into Christianity and then absorbed
into the European population but that takes a long long time.
in the 9th and 10th C the vikings still had large armies and kings. The English
fought against the Vikings. it was a see-saw affair finally Alfred the Great leads
the English to defeat the Vikings and in the terms of the peace treaty the Vikings
are forced to accept Christianity. It is the viking threat that forges England into
the Nation of England.
In Normandy there is a different story. the Kings of West Frankia couldn’t
fight against them anymore. he offers the chieftain Rollo a deal - he
recognizes Rolllo as duke of Normandy as long as Rollo recognizes the
King as King of France. When they get together there is a snag in the
ceremony. Rollo refused to kiss the kings feet so he gets one of his knights
to do it. the knight doesn’t bother to bend over and just grabs the kings
foot and kisses it, knocking the King over in the process.
Ottonian Kingship - Germany comes out of the second round of Invasions
and the collapse of the Carolingian empire as the strongest nation.
The Magyars were kicking the crap out of germany so the leaders of germany get
together and decide they need a leader to fight against the Magyars.
Henry I is the first King elected in Germany - he starts building fortresses
and gathering troops and starts fighting back
Ottos the Great - next German King
Battle of Lechfeld - first major German victory against the Magyars in
955.
after his victory at Lechfeld Otto travels to Aachen and become the Holy Roman
Emperor. He revives the title and from this point on there will be a Holy Roman
Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire becomes the largest nation in Europe and the
most powerful leaders in Europe.
the Holy Roman Empire was made up of Germany, Northern Italy, Holland,
Belgium and parts of France.
Otto institutes the imperial Church system in Italy - Otto is far from his base of
power in Germany so Otto appoints a Church leader as leader of the city or
territory. Otto is using Church officials as his officials. The Church and State are
welded together.
the Ottonian Renaissance
Gerbert of Aurillac Went on to become Pope Sylvester II - a great scholar
who had read the Muslim texts of the ancient greeks and romans
Roswithda of Grandersheim - a nun and the first great playwright since the
fall of Rome. she was also a historian and a scholar.
General Characteristics - there were no great works of art and such
like in the Italian renaissance but there were some works of art and some
great works of philosophical ideas. one of the big shifts was the Gero Crucifix
of Christ on the cross suffering which was a change away from the Byzantine
Christ who was regal and austere.
Feb 2, 2010
Feudalism
Entomology and the Meaning of “Feudalism”
the feudum or fief - grant of land given by the king to a lord or from a
lord to a vassal.
Feudalism vs. Manorialism -
Lords had control over the fief in the areas of taxation, military command
and justice. Lords had their own vassal. Lords had to protect the people
within their lands.
the minimum size of a grant of land was linked to the amount of land needed to
support a single night.
vassals didn’t have to pay taxes but in place of them they had to pledge to
fight for the lord. Vassals were expected to supply good hospitality.
Vassals were expected to supply council - attending the lords court as well
as giving him your best advice. Vassals also had to give feudal aids which
were irregular payments made by vassals to lords.
the feudal system was designed to operate with the exchange of large amounts
of money cause there wasn’t that much money going around.
military service didn’t just mean fighting in wars it could also mean service in the
lords fortresses.
there could be multiple levels of lords and vassals meaning that a man
could be both a vassal and a lord at the same time.
homage - to become the vassal/follower of another person. When you pay
homage to a person they return that symbol by promising to protect you.
Fealty - the act of pledging allegiance and loyalty to a king or lord. usually
done by placing hands on a sacred relic or object.
Origins of Feudalism
Germanic Personal Bonds - the ideas of warriors fighting for their
King and a King fights for victory. there is already this following around
military leaders in germanic culture and as early as the 7th or 8th C we
have records of oaths of fealty by warriors to their leaders. this was just an
oath of loyalty and there is no grant of land as well there are no knights yet.
Late Antique “Beneficia” - the patron and client relationship. wealthy and
powerful would gather people around them. it could be a land grant but it could
also be money or other civil bonus’s
The White/Brunner Thesis - states that feudalism started in 732 with the
Battle of Tours and the defeat of the Muslims in France. although the invention of
the stirrup was thought to change the make up of the army and thus started
feudalism. this theory has been discredited.
The Breakdown of Carolingian Authority - with the breakup of the empire
into small independent states. the kings still claims to be their king but they can
do whatever they want.
Feudalism as a term doesn’t exist until after the MA. no one in Medieval
time period used the word. Feudalism as a pejorative - everything the
enlightenment thinkers thought was backwards and authoritative.
people define feudalism differently - some people keep it as the military
and legal relationship b/w a lord and a vassal. Others have argued that it
should be a wider definition that includes more than just the Lord and
Vassal by including the Serfs and free peasants.
The “Feudal Revolution” - argument that feudalism started around the year 1000.
the big difference may be said to be the formation and construction of castles.
the Motte-and-Baily Castle - an early basic castle. a man made earthen
mound with a tower on the top of it. around the year 1000 these castles
start to proliferate. the vassals are starting to build their own castles. this
causes the political power to fragment even further. it allows vassals to
become independent rulers as they are really really hard to kick off the
land.
“Feudal Violence”
The Peace and Truce of God
The New Nobility: the milites of “knights” - begin to emerge around
1000 and become an important class of citizens.
Changing Inheritance practices - with the arrival of the castle we see
some changes in inheritance practices. the gavelkind begins to decline and
in it’s place we see primogeniture begin to be practiced. meaning the first
born son will inherit all of the family land and title.
there is still considerable debate among historians about when feudalism started
or if there ever was a system of feudalism outside of just the lord vassal
relationship. some historians say that feudalism extends right down from the king
to the lowest serfs.
others say feudalism depends on the changed inheritance practices, the rise of
castles and knights.
feudalism didn’t seem to hurt the economy or the population. it is right
after the year 1000 we enter the high middle ages when europe begins to
become very wealthy.
feudalism creates a new, powerful, and independent military aristocracy from
which grows out our modern rights. they become the new masters of europe.
Feb 4, 2010
Manorialism, technological innovation and the rise of towns
farmers start to get more productive around the year 1000 and around the
same time the european population starts to expand and towns and cities
grow because there is now more food available. there is development of
new occupations and money is used more commonly. ag productivity leads
to an explosion of population and economics in europe in the 12th C
the avg people in the MA were peasant farmers. Well over 80% of european
population would fit into this category.
- Manorialism/Seigneurialism/Seignorialism - the relationship b/w the vassal
and the peasant farmers on their fiefs.
Villages vs. Manor - villages are the physical settlements of peasants
and the immediate lands on which the settlements reside. A Manor isn’t a
physical thing it is a unit of administration, its more like lines on a map that
decide who you pay your taxes to as a peasant. One manor per lord.
Origins of Manorialism - grew out of the roman coloni which became MA
serfs
organizing life labour and property - ag is extremely important and the main focus
of ht peasant farmers life
in-field/out-field - in fields are the fields close to your house that you fence
of and fertilize with manure and farm intensively. Out-fields had to be shifted to
different fields each year as the crops used up the nutrients.
open-fields - the most common type of field system in europe during
the MA. fields are in narrow strip and not fenced in. Each family in the
village would farm some of these strips usually about 200m long and only a
few meter wide. Some production in the village that are done communally.
there are common areas that are available to anyone. the three field system
emerges in the high MA. crops are planted in the spring, and fall and one
field is left fallow.
bread is the staple of the european peasant diet. Milk, cheese and other dairy
products are also important as are protein grains like peas, beans and lentils.
meat is rare with the pig being the most common type of meat being eaten.
there are distinctions of social classes w/i villages in MA society. people are not
equal before the law even at the level of peasants and non-nobles. ranked from
bottom to tops it goes
Slaves - lowest of the low and slavery is dying out by this time
Serfs - not totally free, they are bound to the land and are forced to
work the lords lands for so much time in a week.
Free Peasants - non-noble farmer. they can leave their land if they
want to and don’t have to perform services on the lords land although they
still have to give the lord a quota from their lands.
commoners - ranked again into artisans and then merchants - these
groups lived in towns.
Lords couldn’t kick serfs off of the land he owned. Peasants back then had
certain rights that we equate to ownership to .
there are many technological innovations in the high MA as well
The three fields system
the heavy plough
horses, horseshoes, and the horse collar
Iron
Wind/water mills
towns were emerging around the year 1000 although they are still fairly small
very few would have approached 100,000.
Feb 9, 2010
Church and State before the 11th C - the church and the state had grown so
closely together that it was hard to tell them apart at times. As the church
spread from the cities into the country side there were often times when
rural church’s came under the authority of secular authorities.
Church and state therefore became more integrated. Local lords may build a
church on their own land with their own money. they thought then that they
would have a say in who the priest was or what church money was spent
on.
Church’s may be built in a local knights castle to protect the church but the knight
expect some things back from the church.
The Franko-Papal Alliance - the Pope looks to the Franks as his protector
and the Franks looked to the Pope as their King maker. during Charlamagnes
time the church and state were closely allied.
Otto the Great and the Imperial Church System - Otto would appoint
bishops as the rulers of a city that he is a long way a way from his power base in
Germany. The king can keep appointing the title as Bishops aren’t have to heirs
to pass on control of the city to. Allowed Otto to maintain power for a long time.
relationships b/w secular and church officials become to be a problem and
people look at them as an underhanded arrangements that were the same as
corruption.
Simony - the act of buying or selling of church offices, was illegal and
became common in some parts of Europe.
people were wondering why secular officials were choosing who would
become a priest, bishop and even the pope.
there was also anger over lay people gaining places of prominence and
important officials in the church.
Church officials were supposed to serve in the Kings Army and had to bring all
their knights to fight as well.
by the year 1000 more and more people are thinking that this cozy
relationship b/w Church and State needs to end and reforms are needed
monks in the monasteries were the first people to begin to call for reforms in the
church.
there were two centers of Monastic reforms Cluny in Central france and Lorraine
Cluny - monks were worried about interference from local authorities.
Their solution was to separate their monastery from the local lords and get
independence. They were given a chunk of land to build on by the local
lord and then he stepped back and allowed them to run the monastery
however they saw fit.
Lorraine - Bronge and Gorze were the main monasteries. The monks
actively sought the help of the local authorities. they asked the duke to
come in and help them reform the monastery. they used local authorities to
come in and kick out corrupt monks and inject money to help with reforms.
reform starts in the monasteries and takes a long time to make it to the Pope and
high officials. at times during the 10th and 11th C the papacy was very week and
extremely corrupt. Pope Steven the 7th had the bones of his rival dug up and
charged him with heresy.
Henry III Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire got fed up with the struggle to
become Pope so he comes down to Italy with His army and decided to
depose all three rivals for the Pope and Henry appoints a reform minded
Pope Leo 9th
Leo 9th starts the process of reforming the church and he wants to root
corruption out of the church. He brings with him a bunch of like minded monks
Peter Damian (1007-1072) identified a particular abuse called Nicolaism the marriage of priests and church officials. he identifies clerical marriage
as an indication of corruption and abuse of their power. At this time
Bishops often had wives. because of his work this tradition stops.
Humbert of Silva Candida - he argues that Simony is illegal and goes
against the teaching of the Bible. Simony had always been considered
wrong but it was becoming more common and took the form of gifts to
local authorities.
Leo 9th starts asserting and enforcing Papal primacy and the Petrine
Doctrine. He travels around europe and enforces both his authority and his
reforms. he deposes bishops and arch bishops to enforce his reforms.
there is a split in the Church over Leo’s power and this leads to the Eastern
Schism. this is the Split between the Roman Catholic Church and the
Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054. at the time no one really thought that
this was a permanent split but it lasts until this day.
Nicholas II and the Papal Election Decree - a decree to allow the reforms started
by Leo 9th to stay and allow the reformers to maintain control of the Papacy. Also
stopped emperors from choosing who the pope could be. He gave the power to
elect a Pope to the Collage of the Cardinals and set up the process of the
Conclave.
Pope Gregory VII and Henry III and the Investitures Struggle
Gregory VII was a committed reformer who went to extreme measures to make
sure they were enforced.
the spark that started the Investiture Controversy was a dispute b/w the pope and
Henry III over who would choose the next Arch-Bishop of Milan.
the issue at the heart of the fighting was the issue of the Lay Investitures.
when a person was chosen as Bishop the Emperor would come in and give
the new Bishop his staff and a Ring. Reformers saw this as Simony and
corruption.
By 1074 Gregory has declared that Lay Investitures is the sin of Simony. he
strips power from people that have be given positions of authority through this
process.
in 1075 the Decrees of the Pope is written. it is a number of decrees and
statements that Gregory passed over the Roman Church and all of Western
Rome. in it the church is decreed above all earthly powers, the pope is the
head of the church, that the Pope and the Pope alone has the right to
choose and depose Bishops, and most controversial that the Pope could
choose and depose of Emperors.
that last one was a declaration of war against secular leaders as he is claiming
supreme political authority in Europe.
Henry gets together the Bishops of Germany and they all vote to depose
Pope Gregory. the Pope retaliates by excommunicating Henry.
by the late 1070’s there is open warfare b/w Henry and Gregory and their armies.
Gregory frees Henry’s vassals from all feudal obligations and this leads to Civil
War.
the Emperor is forced to blink first and this is a major turning point in
European History. He looses a few major battles and he decides to humble
himself before the Pope.
He begs the Pope to forgive him and recognize his crown. He waits for three
days but eventually the Pope does receive him back into communion. After this
point the Pope is the supreme authority in Europe
this didn’t end the Investitures Controversy. Henry went around restoring
his power and he came back and kicked the Pope out of Rome. He appoints
his own Pope who came on to become known as the Anti-Pope.
the controversy lasts for about 40 years. reformers still have control of the
collage of Cardinals so they keep electing reform popes
the Investitures Conflict ended with the Concordat of Worms in 1122. Lay
Investitures were abolished, but it is recognized that bishops can have
lands and incomes granted to them by the Emperor. the King has the right
to give Bishops lands and power with knights and vassals. the Emperor
also has the right to withhold lands and vassals from Bishops.
this is the beginning of the separation of church and state.
Clergy are now Celibate from priests to the Pope and everyone inb/w
with the separation of Church and state comes a competition. the church grows
in power and authority. some say that the Popes are becoming the real authority
of Europe.
the investitures contest is only the first round of conflicts b/w Church and
State in Europe. there would be other rounds as it only settled the
investitures issue, it didn’t settle the issue of who is the head of Europe.
Feb 11, 2010
MIDTERM:
All of the classes until today. Midterm the first Tuesday back after Reading Week (23rd)
first part
is exactly like the quiz. 10 questions = fill in the blanks and multiple choice
(based on the terms)
Second part is an essay. Consider things from the bigger picture and start to create own
opinions about medieval period. Also generally the questions come from more than one class.
Be as specific as you can, give examples, also mention primary sources whenever possible,
NOTES:
The Origin of the Idea of Crusade and The First Crusade
Why did more than 100 000 people
decide to get up one day and march from Paris to Jerusalem. Many would die on the way and it
would take a long time, and yet they still made it. What did they want? What was driving them?
How did we get from Christ to Crusade.
I. Political and Military Foundations in the East
Dissension and Conquest:
-The Fatimid Caliphate
-The Seljuk Turks
--Mansikert, 1071
Why did people in Europe decide to launch a crusade at the end of the 11th century?
The first
was an appeal for help from the Eastern Roman Empire to the pope. They were asking for
military help.
First crusade largely a crusade against Muslims. In Egypt a new dynasty arose – the Fatamid
dynasty – proclaimed selves leaders of the Muslim world; called themselves the Caliphates.
Fatimid’s claimed that they were descendants of Muhammad’s daughter Fatima and thus
Muhammad. This gave them, as they felt, the right to rule all. Were called the Shiites.
Sunni’s were the opposing, and also rather popular, group of Muslims
There was a split in the Muslim world between two groups. This split became important
because these divisions meant that people did not have to fight all the Muslims at once.
Muslim world disunited but expanding.
The Seljuk Turks had recently been converted and pushed deep into the Byzantine Empire
1071, the byzantine emperor put together an army and marched out to meet the Turks, one of
the greatest defeats in byzantine history, emperor Romanus 4th captured by Arslan – Battle of
Manzikert.
Turks defeat Byzantines. Turks push deep into byzantine territory and started to carve out own
kingdoms. This frightens the Byzantines, and they start to get desperate, so they start to look to
western empire. As early as 1074 we can see emperors reaching out for help.
II. Political and Military Foundations in the West
The Christian counteroffensive:
The Spanish reconquista (conquest of Spain, by Christians, from
Muslims)
Italy
Essentially the Christians start to push back against Muslims and take back some of the land,
in advances like the one in Spain. Starting to launch raids on the North African Coast.
The
pope is becoming more powerful and sanctioning some of these raids and campaigns and
portraying them as Holy Wars (because they are against Non-Christians)
European economy is expanding, towns are growing up again and expanding, the population is
growing, and thus the economy is more vibrant.
2 main areas of urbanization at this time: Flanders (like Flanders Fields) and Northern Italy
The Rise of the Bourgeoisie - beginning of a middle class. Bankers, artisans, Guilds people, etc
Many of these towns, once they get large enough, push to be cities. They want to take control
of their own affairs. So some of these towns eventually become essentially independent
states/cities.
Western society that is starting to flex its economic muscles.
Guilds and Town Life – Guilds are similar to modern labour unions, organization of craftspeople
Individual members of the guild own the tools and production and business itself. Help other
people in the guilds. (So.. the people who work at Ford don’t own the vehicles, but the guild
people would... So in that sense guilds were more powerful than trade unions today)
III.
Socio-economic Background: Development of Christian Society and the 12th Century
Renaissance
a. Towns, Trade, and Agriculture
b. Lands Pressure
c. From Gavelkind to Primogeniture
Farmers pass down farm = less land to go around
Primogeniture – noble families and knights started doing this, which meant there would be
children left without any inheritance, for nobles this especially became an interesting
situation because they were nobles, used to living like a noble, and yet got nothing from their
family so some would branch off and crusade to try and start their own lordship somewhere.
IV.
Religious background: Christian holy war in theory and practice to the eleventh
century:
Early Church Pacifism – Augsutine (354-430)
Violence as an act of love
Just War theory
Persecution of heretics
Constantine, the Roman Emperor, converts to Christianity. See a re-examination of Christianity
and their ideas of violence. Augustine looks at this.
Violence is not a terrible thing, need to look beyond the actual act, it can even be an act of love.
Example of a child running into streets over and over. Well you love her, but you may need to
beat her (as this was accepted and expected at the time) to show her she can’t do. Thus It is the
intention behind the act. So there are some cases where an emperor can use war. He can use
force to protect empire and prevent Christians from being killed.
Thus the Just War – it can be done, if the intention is right.
Persecution of Heretics is NECESSARY type of violence. They are essentially imperiling people’s
souls and thus must be executed, or jailed, or something.
Christian Holy War 1
The Peace of God – middle ages = a widespread peace movement; climaxes in 11th century;
Peace of God; bishops would call big meetings and ask everyone to take a vow that they
would not be violent (wouldn’t rob churches or beat up homeless or anything) Church
sponsored ‘holy war’. Bishops would go around the country, gather people together, enforcing
a vow, and trying to root out violence.
Pilgrimage – a trip to a holy space; trickle of people to Jerusulum, is now becoming a stream.
Jerusulam is the holiest of holy places for the Christians.
Elements finally all combined in the reform movement, which all come together to give us a
crusade
The reform movement and holy war:
-Leo IX (r. 1049-54) 1st of reforming popes. Led and army onto the battle field at Civitate in
S. Italy to fight against Brigants? (I think that’s what he says)
--Civitate, 1053
-Gregory VII (r. 1073-85)
--The militia Sancti Petri
Popes, like Gregory, learning to raise own armies and becoming increasingly militant. Starting to
work out the doctrine and call upon
NOTE: they would not call it a crusade at the time, they called it a pilgrimage V. The Course of the First Crusade (1095 -9)
a. Pope Urban II and the Council of Clermont, 1095
He proclaims the first crusade (pilgrimage) and the response was huge, tens of
thousands of people eager to go.
b. The so-called “Peasant’s Crusade” of 1096
i. The poorest people who cannot wait for months for the crusade to get
going because they cannot afford it, so disorganized bands of
crusaders pack up their things and started going. They mostly got
massacred by the Turks. So not a good start
ii. Then the big contingence starts off, war horses, bands of followers,
vassals, knights, people who know how to use swords. All the bands
meet up at Constantinople to form one extremely large group. Push on
deep into Turkish territory. Win some battles. Settle down outside city
of Antioch. Stay here for about a year. Surround the city and then
Muslim army after army (3 seperate total) comes charging against
them. Some Christians desert, they think that this might be the end of
the crusade, and that they will be destroyed. At a crucial moment one
of the Christians has a dream, that there is a holy lance buried in the
city and they find it and dig it up, and carry it out to the battle, and
defeat the Muslims and then move on to Jerusalem.
iii. Very famous event; Capture of Jerusalem. Story of suffering,
Christians marching for 3 years, most of companions die or be lost or
turn back, many starved to death, many taken as slaves, died of
disease and wounds. Not many left by the time they are at Jerusalem.
Make an entrance into the city over the walls. Committed an act which
would never be forgotten. Charged through the city, pursued and
killed many Muslims (Beheaded, shot with arrows, killed with daggers
and swords etc)
iv. Fall of Jerusalem, Christians now can worship at holiest of
shrines. However Jerusalem falling in such a blood back will influence
Christian-Muslim relations in the future still..
j
The Origins of the Idea of the Crusade and the First Crusade
It can be hard to relate medieval events to the modern world – with the crusade we can see
how it does – in particular Osama Bin Laden, and Bush calling the campaign in Iraq a crusade
c. The Turks have pushed deep into Byzantines Just like the
Barbarians did
iii.
The Byzantines get desperate for help and ask the pope’s for help
2. Political and Military Foundations in the West
 The Christian counteroffensive:
i. The Spanish Reconquista
 The Christians are pushing pack and taking back Spain
 Well under way by the end of the 11th century
ii. Italy and the Mediterranean Islands
 Also took place all over Africa by city states across Islands in the
Mediterranean
 Now it is the Christians on the Offensive – the invaders – launching
raids on the North African Coast
iii.
Why is this happening – Pope starts to sanction these wars – Holy Wars
campaigns – against non-Christians – and a new incentive Indulgence – a
substitution for a sin
iv.
4.
Christianities Approach to War
 Early Christian Pacifism
i. Jesus rejected war “those who live by the sword shall die for it” – was the
prevailing view – Christians were killed often for refusing to serve in the
Roman army
ii.
Things start to change though with conversion of Constantine – he has
to defend the Christian state
 Augustine (354-430)
i. Violence as an act of love
 It is about the intentions behind the act
a. Love b/c you have to discipline to teach right from wrong –
disciplining children with violence – showing live
b. If the intention is like a fathers love for his daughter, than
the violence is accepted
c. Emperors can prevent Christians from being killed.
d. This is a Just War Theory
ii. Just War Theory
 if the conditions are right, war is good
iii.
Persecution of heretics
 This is a threat to the church and must be dealt with in order to
preserve the church
iv.
Still not at a crusade yet – his wars did not include spiritual rewards like
indulgences
 The Peace of God (11th Century)
i. Climaxed here – the peace of God because it was an attempt by bishops to
prevent people from committing violence
ii. Sometimes Bishops lead armies (enforcing a vow) to root out violence
 Pilgrimage
i. A trip to a holy place
ii. Even Jerusalem itself starts to become a stream of people
 The Reform movement and Holy War:
 The Crusades emerge out of the investiture Reform where the
reforming popes were well acquainted with waging wars, as seen
below
ii. Leo IX (r.1049-54)
 Clivitate, 1053
a. This pope led the army itself against Normans in Southern
Italy
b. Unfortunately the Normans Defeated and captured him
c. After this the popes don’t go on crusades, but they can put
it together and direct it
d. Reform pope’s helped bring the elements of crusading into
the element
iii.
Gregory VII (r. 1073-85)
 The Militia Sancti Petri
a. This was Gregory’s Army (Saint Peters Army)
 This shows that the Pope was working out the rules and ways of war
 Reforming popes are staring to become increasingly military – to start a holy war
5. The Course of the First Crusade (1095-9)
 Pope Urban and the Council of Clermont, 1095
i. The pope agrees to help the Byzantines
ii. He rallies a council of people at Clermont and proclaims what we would
later call a crusade – what they called a pilgrimage
iii.
This was really popular and tens of thousands of ppl agreed to go on
the crusades
iv.
If they go – they get a remission of sins – Indulgences
v. Use the violence that happened before against each other now be used
against the Muslims
vi.
It was promised that all their sins could be forgiven; you could have a
better life – the biblical life of land and honey (economic incentive) ; to help
our brothers in need in the East(satisfies Augustine’s Just Cause)
 The so called “peasants Crusade” of 1096
i. Immediately the poorest people take off out of excitement – disorganized
bands
ii. They are not equipped or armed and things don’t turn out too well and they
are massacred by the Turks – Massacre of Peter the Hermit’s Army
 Then the big one takes off with well equipped knights and vassals – several different
groups go out
6. The Official Crusade
 They all meet at Constantinople – tens of thousands of knights and push deep into
Turkish territory – most troubling time was their time in Antioche
 Siege of Antioch (1097-9)
i. They don’t take the city yet, and for a year they are hit by 3 massive armies,
one after the other
ii. It is the low point of the Crusade
iii.
One of the Crusaders has a dream that a lance which pierced Christ
side was buried their – so they dig it up and with the Holy Lance they defeat
the Muslim army and the way is open to Jerusalem
7. They make their way to Jerusalem
 A story of suffering for Christians and Muslims – thousands have starved to death in
turkey, most have died and only a small number are alive
 When they finally get through the walls of Jerusalem, the Christians saw this as an
ecstatic moment – and they committed an act to never be forgotten by Muslims:
i. Count Raymond – ran into the city to kill everyone in the city
ii. On Solomon’s temple – 10,000 were beheaded- not one was aloud to live,
not the women or children
 They have recaptured Jerusalem in a blood bath and influenced Christian relations
up to today
MIDTERM ENDS HERE
The Later Crusades and European Colonialism
- after the capture of Jerusalem many of the crusaders went home but
some decided to stay. those that stayed created their own little kingdoms
that would last for many decades.
Establishment of the Crusader States - it is the creation of the Crusader
states that ensure the long history of Crusades. Crusaders elected or
appointed their own rulers and enforced Christianity on the inhabitants.
They imposed a Feudal hierarchy.
County of Edessa - a small european state in south east turkey. the
crusaders took over the kingdom after the king died.
Principality of Antioch - formed after the Crusaders defeated the Muslim
armies at Antioch
Kingdom of Jerusalem - the largest of the Crusader states formed after
the capture of the City of Jerusalem.
County of Tripoli
the Military Orders: groups of Monk that live like monks.
The Templars - the first of the monk warrior orders to form up. in 1118
a group of knights decided that they wanted to help people get to
jerusalem, particularly the last leg of the of the journey from the coast to
Jerusalem. They started to live the lives of Monks, they had no personal
property, made ritual prayers, didn’t marry (they weren’t even allowed to kiss
their own mothers). Not until 1136 did public opinion start to accept the Templars.
After that the Templars start to become very important and powerful.
Hugh de Payens - founder of the the Templars. He got approval
from the King of Jerusalem to set up a protective order of Monks to get
pilgrims to Jerusalem.
Bernard of Clairvaux and the “New Knighthood” - not a Templar
but he did help to popularize the idea of a monk who fights. Monk knights
fight for a love of fellow Christians and not for personal gain.
The Hospitallers - started out as a charitable group of monks that ran
a hospital in Jerusalem. they followed the template set out by the Templars.
they had arrived in Jerusalem before the Templars but blossomed later
than the Templars and became rivals. They remain today as the St. Johns
Ambulance and the Knights of Malta
The Teutonic Knight - last of the monk knight groups to start up. they
were germanic knights that eventually crusaded in Europe as well.
The Second Crusade 1147-1148 - a crusade in response to the actions of
Moslem actions
the fall of Edessa 1144 - the spark of the second crusade as it was the
fall of Edessa that led to the second crusade.
Siege of Damascus 1148 - the Crusade suffers a number of setbacks
and in the end focus their efforts on this siege. it is unsuccessful and the
crusading armies are driven back from the the City.
Saladin (1137-93) and the Moslem Response - the Moslem world was slowly
getting it’s act together and getting over their own divisions. They realized the
threat that the Crusader states represented to them and they looked to Saladin
as their leader. He was a great Sunni General who helped to reunify Egypt with
Syria
Unification of Egypt and Moslem Syria - Saladin helped to reunify
these two nations which meant that the Crusader states were now
surrounded
the Battle of Hattin 1187 - Saladin puts together one massive army and
gives battle to the Crusaders. The Christian army was annihilated as
Saladin had lured the army into the desert where there was no water. this
was the turning point of the Crusades as from that point on the Crusades
as it puts the Crusader states on the defensive.
Capture of Jerusalem 1187 - Saladin Marches from Hattin to Jerusalem
unopposed and captures the city.
The Third Crusade (1189-92) - rises in response to the fall of Jerusalem.
Richard the Lionhearted, The Holy Roman Emperor, and the King of France
all went. They don’t retake Jerusalem but they do help shore up what was
left of the Crusader states.
The Siege of the Kingdom of Acre - Acre was the largest and most
important costal city and the Third Crusade takes the city and it becomes
the capital of the Crusader states
The 4th Crusade (1202-04) - the strangest of all the crusades. It ends up
taking the City of Constantinople which is a major gain for the Crusaders,
the problem is is that it is a Christian city.
the Conquest of Constantinople - the Crusaders ordered a bunch of ships to
sail to the holy land from the Venetians but can’t pay for them so they hired
themselves out as mercenaries to the Venetians and eventually ended up
sacking the City in order to repay their debt. Once the greatest city of the
Byzantine empire is sacked any hope of re-uniting the two different Churches is
gone. The Crusade never made it past Constantinople
Later Crusades and the Fall of Acre (1291) - The fall of Acre marks the end
of the Crusader states in the holy land but not the end of the Crusades.
Crusading continues, evolves and expands. they crusaded to northern
europe and islands in the Mediterranean. There are crusades against
internal enemies (w/i europe) to the Papacy.
people were motivated to go on Crusades by religious motives, and materialistic
goals.
Effects of the Crusade
permanently splits the Eastern Church and the Western Church
set the pattern for later western european imperialism and colonialism
Christianity becomes more accepting of warfare and Organized
violence.
March 2, 2010
Monasticism and the New Religious Orders
some christians tried to separate themselves from the world so that they could
focus on God. These mens became known as monks and they often moved into
Monasteries with other like minded monks and these Monasteries became the
center of medieval europe. by the end of the high middle ages they were
surpassed by Universities. they did however continue to give rise to new orders
and ideas.
Monks also spearheaded the fight against Heresy.
St Benedict was one of the most important early monks, he helped to
devise a set of rules for monks and nuns to live by. he recorded in minute
detail how a monk or nun should spend their day and this gave rise to the
Benedictine’s a group of monks that follow his rules.
The secular Clergy: Canons regular - by the 11th C many of the reform
minded monks have moved up to the highest levels of the Church (Popes
Leo and Gregory) these men promoted an order known as Canons regular.
the Canons regular are a group of secular (normal) clergy (they say mass,
marry people, baptize) that want to live the life of a monk or nun. Monks
and nuns were not ordained by the Catholic Church they simply lived lives
of piety and the Canons regular wanted to become more like them.
Augustinians - priests who tried to live the life of a monk as laid out by
St. Augustine.
Premonstratensians - same as above but not following the
commentaries of St. Augustine.
- Canons regular wanted to live the life of a monk and with a group of other
Christians because it was easier to keep each other accountable.
Eremitic or Hermitic monasticism - monks who live by themselves or
almost by themselves. sometimes they would enclose themselves into
caves and completely separate themselves from society
Camaldolese - an order of Italian hermits
Carthusians - French Hermits
Bruno Founds La Grande Chartreuse (1084) - this is where the order
of the Carthusians were formed and who by. they were concerned about both
physically, mentally, and spiritually separating themselves from the world
cenobitic Monasticism: the Cistercians - they are a reaction against the
Cluny and Benedictine orders. they thought that these orders had strayed
from the ideals. for them Monasticism was about enduring a harsh lifestyle
Citeaux, 1098 - the first of the Cistercian monasteries
Poverty and asceticism - the idea that a Monk should live a life of
harsh poverty. no great monasteries with beautiful architecture and no rich foods
Manual Labour - they believed that this was very important and would
often set up monasteries in very poor locations so that they would have to work
hard just to survive
they gave much more time for the individual monk to connect with God
and to work.
Bernard the Clairvaux (1090-1153) - a Cistercian monk who became
extremely popular and led to the popularization of the Cistercian order. he
becomes one of the most respected and feared churchmen of his day
Because of him and his work the order expands rapidly 1115 - 5
monastic houses and by the end of the century over 500 - each with over a
hundred monks and nuns
12th C mysticism: On the Love of God - a book Bernard wrote about
his personal relationship with God. he leads a trend towards a type of monastic
mysticism.
the Mendicants - another new order of monks.
the Franciscans - take their name from St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) - he
wanted to preach the word of God to different groups of people. he had been
raised to be a cloth merchant but as a young man he was transformed into a man
that wanted to help his fellow man by working with a group of Lepers. He
preached the joy of Gods creation and he even gave a sermon to a group of
birds.
Francis rejects the world and goes and lives among the sick and poor.
he gains followers but these people don’t become an order until 1209. In
1209 he goes to the Pope and asks for him to let him become a new
Monastic order, the pope is at first reluctant b/c St. Francis isn’t a priest of
monk and hadn’t even read the whole Bible. the Pope then had a dream in
which St Francis is seen holding up the Church. Innocent III ordains St
Francis and allows him and his followers to continue to preach. they are
then directly under the authority of the Pope.
the Mendicants live among the laity to preach the word of God to the people
and this was a fairly new idea. they don’t try and separate themselves from the
world rather they go and live in and among the people that need God the most.
they were called the Mendicants b/c they were intended to beg for
their meals. aka not only did they live among the poor, they lived like the
poor. in this way they wouldn’t just worship Christ but live like him.
soon the Franciscans became the largest and most powerful order of
monks in Europe. St Francis was concerned that his followers would
become too strong and powerful and that this would lead to corruption and
so instructed them to not take any, gifts, churches, powerful positions, or
anything that went against the life of poverty.
Conventual and Spiritual Franciscans - Conventual Franciscans are the
ones that accept some modifications of the order and get large churches and
own property. The Spiritual ones were the hard core's who accepted no
modification. this led to a split in the order and the Spiritual Franciscans have
disappeared
Many of the Franciscans went on to become the leading intellectual figures
of the church.
the Dominicans were the other large Mendicant order. it was formed by Dominic
de Guzman who wasn’t interested in preaching normally but in preaching against
heretics.
Guzman took it as his task to preach against heresy. he thought that
heresy spread b/c the priests weren’t good enough and didn’t know
enough about Christian doctrine. The Church recognized them as the Order
of Preachers in 1216.
like the Franciscans they lived and worked in the towns and cities in Europe, they
were much more focused on education.
Monks and Nuns and the new orders were part of a deepening relationship with
God that was sweeping across Europe during the high MA. at the same time as
this deepening of religious impulse we see a perceived rise in heresy.
March 4, 2010
Scholasticism and the 12th C Renaissance
the central question of the time was what was the proper relationship b/w faith
and science or reason?
Scholasticism: An alternative to monastic education the Cathedral Schools: Scholars and issues - schools run out of the
large churches in the towns and cities of western europe. these schools
had been part of the carolingian renaissance, these schools continued and in
the 11th C they started to expand in both size and importance. part of the reason
for this is that the towns themselves are growing and the middle class in the
towns and cities now have the money to send their sons to school.
the scholars in the cathedrals had a more worldly outlook on life than
did the monks. the scholars in cathedral schools aren’t monks they are
secular priests. they live and work among the laity. they aren’t interested in
separating themselves from the world.
St Anselm of Canterbury (1034-1109) - he was a monk that became a
bishop. he devised the one of the most important thinkers in the 11th/12th C. He
believed that he could prove that God exists through logic and reason.
the ontological argument - nothing greater than God can be
thought of. Even the fool has a definition of God in his mind even if he
believes that God doesn’t exist. the definition of God is that he is the
greatest thing. By this very definition God must exist because if he doesn’t
exist than something greater must exist and even the fool will agree that
there is nothing greater than God.
- some scholars questioned whether or not universal knowledge existed. how
could there be a right and wrong if there are no universals
Peter Abelard (1079-1142) - he helped to devise methods for solving problems
such as faith vs reason or realism vs nominalism. he was a controversial figure.
realism vs. nominalism - realists thought that universal ideas were real vs
nominalists believed that universals are mostly just human abstractions
not universal truths.
faith and reason: Sic et Non - means yes and no. it was Abelard’s
famous answer to the questions such as faith vs reason or universals. he would
line up both sides of the argument and line up to apparently contradictory
positions. this came to be known as the dialectician method. he tried to
understand each argument on it’s own. He never gave a final answer, he just
showed both sides of the coin.
the dialectical method - the idea of lining up both sides of an argument but
not arising at an answer. this got him in trouble as people thought he was
just showing contradictions w/i the bible. This becomes the hallmark of the
medieval schools
Peter Lombard’s Book of sentences (1150) - he did what Abelard had done in Sic
et Non but he provided answers. he line up both sides of an argument and then
gave his conclusions.
Development of Law
Revival of Roman Law
rediscovery of the Corpus Iuris Civilis - it was found by Irnerius at the library
of Bologna. It was written down by Justinian and codified hundreds of years of
Roman Law. in the MA it was used as a supplement to european law and by the
end of the high MA it has become the main source of law. It was the common
terms that could be used with any form of law.
Irnerius and the law school of Bologna - he found in the library of
Bologna the ancient roman codification of all roman law called the Corpus
Iuris Civilis. when he found it he realized that he had a code of law that
could become the single unified code of law of all of europe.
Refinement of Canon Law - Church law affected ordinary people not just the
pope, priests and monks but of all laity as well. Issues like heresy, church courts
and other issues are a big deal to everyone in europe.
Gratian (1090-1155): he used the dialectical method to unify church
law.
The Decretum 1140 - the work that Gratian wrote to reconcile the
church law and the bible as well as older church laws to newer ones.
The First Universities
Academic Guilds - universities in the south formed the guilds. they wanted
a good education and wanted profs to show up and keep prices low. In the
north it was the masters that formed the guilds they wanted students to
show up. Gradually, out of Cathedral schools in the north and private
tutors in the south we see Universities emerge. Our Modern structure of
our universities go back to this time.
The Bachelor of Arts (undergrad degrees) the basic university degree made up of
the 7 liberal arts that were broken up into two parts.
Trivium: Grammar, Rhetoric (speaking in public), Logic
Quadrivium: Arithmetic, Geometry Astronomy, Music
these 4 teach you essentially the way in which the universe
works
Grad degrees:
Law, Medicine, theology
here you study the big shit and the greatness of these - become a
master or a doctor
Originally only a very small percentage of the population could afford to got to
university. Students were part of the clergy technically to get into university you
have to be ordained which made it impossible for women to make it to university.
New Sources of Knowledge
- as Europe is in the high middle ages they begin to thirst for knowledge that they
know exist but not in western europe. so westerners travel to Arabia, spain,
north africa and translate Aristotle's and others works into latin.
Islam : Ibn Rushd and Averroes 1126-1198
The recovery of Aristotle - works like Aristotle's politics, logic are translated from
arabic into latin and then the original greek texts are also translated. This is a
fundamental turning point in medieval philosophy. Aristotle becomes know as
The Philosopher - aka the greatest philosopher of all time.
Faith vs Reason - Aristotle said that man is a political animal and this went
against the common belief at the time that it was the divine that gave us politics
(Queen by the grace of God).
solutions to faith vs reason
Bonaventura 1217-74: Primacy of Faith - he argued that when faith and
reason contradict, go with faith. reason is created by humans and is fallible
whereas faith is not. read the bible and not aristotle.
Siger of Brebant 1240-84: double truth - where reason and faith seem
to disagree, both are right.
St. Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274 - the most famous of MA philosophers
he chose the middle ground b/w the two above. he was still controversial,
some in the church thought he had gone to far in accepting reason but
eventually it was recognized that he was the greatest of the MA thinkers
The Harmony of faith and reason - if faith and reason seem to
disagree then you aren’t thinking hard enough (in most cases)
the Summa Theologiae - his compilation of theology - he went through
how the greek philosophers and the bible and the church agreed with each other
in reality.
the emergence of Cathedral schools and universities is part of the 12th C
renaissance .
characteristics
optimism about the capacity for people to understand God and Nature
systematization, order and comprehensiveness.
effects
shift from monasteries to universities
tremendous growth in science and learning - europe is becoming more
literate and complex.
new forms or artistic expression
March 9, 2010
Medieval Literature and Courtly Love
Latin Lit: in the early MA the dominant form of literature was Latin. Latin was a
scholarly language but it was also a living latin as it was the language used for
Law, poetry, music, and religious writing. In the MA all poetry obeyed strict rules
having to do with rhyme scheme.
The Goliards - a group of poets who helped break down stereotypes of
MA poetry they were usually students and they defied some of the old rules
of MA poetry. they often wrote about women, wine, and drinking.
Historical writing and historical methodology - Medieval historians
didn’t try to be objective in their writing but rather were often very biased.
People were either completely evil or completely good. people saw history
as God’s providential plan being worked out. they saw Biblical miracles as
fact and God as a God who is personally involved in the world. Books
could be combined and created from other authors - there was no
plagiarism in the MA - if you liked a text from another book you would
include it into yours.
Genres of Historical Writing:
Annalistic HIstory - basically a play by play of what happened in
chronological order. a bare recording of facts
Gesta - a greatest hits of a lay people - Kings, dukes, barons etc. Vita - a biography of a saint or of someone that the author
thought should be a saint. talks about the persons early life, their miracles
and various other facts. very common type of work from the MA
Vernacular Literature - texts writing in the language of everyday speech. it lagged
behind Latin lit until the late MA.
Early Epic and Heroic Literature - these were the great legends and stories
of the early peoples.
Beowulf, Norse Sagas - the story of a great germanic warrior and his
travels and adventures. it is Mythohistory. It was a moody and violent
masterpiece. The Norse Sagas are a little more historically correct.
Chansons de Geste: the Song of Roland - songs of deeds they
are poetry about great warriors. Roland is a Knight of Charlemagne and he
his a rear guard who fights to the death against a vast army of muslims. the
Song of Roland is written about the time of Charlemagne but is talking
about the crusades.
these epic’s cannot be called courtly love literatures as the main plot is not about
love b/w a knight and a lady but it is about the deeds and valor of great warriors.
this is heroic lit about manly men doing manly things
French Vernacular Literature - Courtly love comes out of the south of France
Courtly Love Lit - love is at the center and the theme of the lit. it is romantic
and erotic love b/w two lovers. the courtly part refers to the cult of manors.
People in these stories sang, danced, bathed and obeyed a more
sophisticated edict and have women constantly on their minds. it is for the
nobility and only the nobility. it can be very racy. b/w 15-20% of courtly love
authors are women. it was thought that courtly love couldn’t exist inside of
a marriage. Courtly love was something that was meant to make the
persons involved better. a knight became a better knight b/c of the love of
his lady. love as an ennobling agent.
the troubadours - traveling poets and singers, they help to create and
spread courtly love. They may have been influenced by persian and muslim love
poetry.
Ovid, The Art of Love - an ancient roman text that inspired many
courtly love. it was a manual of how to pick up women.
Socio-economic foundations - the frontiers of Europe are expanding
and Europe is no longer being invaded. Knights are emerging as a social
class and are becoming nicer to each other - Chivalry. Knights now have
castles and this is often the setting of courtly love lit. b/c of primogeniture
there were many young knight looking for a wife with lots of land and
money.
Chivalry and the tournament - a kinder gentler form of warfare. women can
watch and can sponsor a knight or a knight will fight for a woman and so they
become an important part of courtly love.
courtly love b/c very important in the MA, eventually it becomes so common that
it must be satirized b/c its all been done.
another love genera that emerges after Courtly love is the Romance
Romance took parts of both Courtly Love and Epics. it was an epic poem about
love. think all of the stories about King Arthur, Geunaveir and Lancelot.
English Vernacular lit - Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales - one of the first great works
of english lit
Italian - Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy - this worked prove to people that
vernacular lit could become masterpieces. it is commonly thought to be the
greatest Medieval works ever created. It became so popular that it changed
attitudes to vernacular literature and helps the people to see that the
vernacular can be just as great if not better than latin lit.
Drama took various forms and was broken into three types:
Mystery plays - based on Biblical passages
Miracle plays - based on the saints
Morality plays - based on impulses of the people - personified virtues and
vices fought over a persons sole.
by the end of the MA most towns have festivals with plays being performed.
March 11, 2010
Papacy and Empire in the 12th and 13th C
there was an increasing separation b/w Church and State and the emergence of
National Monarchies and the political fragmentation of Germany and Italy are the
results of the struggle b/w the Papacy and Empire in the 12th and 13th C
Pope were no longer just spiritual leaders in the 12th C. they were also
powerful authorities and europe comes as close as it has ever been to a
Theocracy.
with the death of Henry V in 1125 we start to see the first cracks in the
armor of the German Kingship. German Kings are weaker b/c they have to
be elected by the Princes of Germany. there had long been the cultural idea
of elected Kings. Henry V had no son and so the Princes of Germany
decided that they should choose who gets to be there king. They choose
Lothar (and a string of weaker kings) to be their King and he is not
particularly strong b/c the Princes don’t want a strong King.
Germany starts to slide into Feudalism and this lasts for 27 years. two powerful
families start to become the real rulers of Germany. By 1152 things have become
so bad that even the German Princes are worried
Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa (1152-90) - a member of the powerful
Hohenstaufen family and a very strong man. his challenge is that there has
been 30 years of weak kingship. nobles have built their own castles,
collected their own taxes and much more independent. Barbarossa needed
to become more powerful than his vassals so he decides to gain more
wealth and land than the princes. So he invades Northern Italy (Lombardy
the most urbanized area of Europe and they were very wealthy) and
Burgundy.
Feudal Germany - with a series of weak Kings Germany slips into
Feudalism
Attempt to Control Lombardy - Kings of Germany had traditionally
been seen as the holy Roman Emperor and rulers of Italy but when
Barbarossa tried to move troops into Lombardy tensions erupt.
Conflict with Pope Hadrian IV Tensions at the Coronation, 1155 - Barbarossa enters Rome and
is supposed to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor. But he refuses to help
the Pope off his horse (the role of a vassal to his lord). Barbarossa and the
Pope have a staring contests and eventually the Pope rides off and the
ceremony must be reworked to appease everyone involved.
Incident at Besancon, 1157 - the Emperor is holding a conference
in the city and a Papal ambassador arrives with a message for Barbarossa.
It was a sharp and rebuking letter and stated that it was the Pope had
crowned and given the emperor his power. The Emperor and his Princes
were implied to to be the Pope’s vassals and this really pissed off
Barbarossa and the Princes. They thought that the letter said that Germany
itself was a fiefdom of the Roman Church. The Princes were also mad b/c
the Pope said that it was he who gave the crown to Barbarossa and that
their election meant nothing.
the incident at Besancon highlights the competing views of how a King gains and
holds power.
eventually these conflicts break out into open warfare. the Central battleground
was Lombardy as it is b/w the Pope in Rome and the Emperor in Germany
the Pope allies himself with the cities in Lombardy in the Lombard League in
1167. there is open warfare and sieges in northern italy
at the Battle of Legnano in 1176 the Emperor is caught with a smaller army
against the Lombard league. Barbarossa almost wins but in the end he is
defeated and is forced to give concessions to them and stay out of their
business. he is still recognized as the Holy Roman Empire.
defeated on the battlefield Barbarossa won a great victory through
marriage. he married off his son to a powerful lord who controls Sicily and
Southery Italy. the Pope is now surrounded by the Knights and Vassals of
the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Papacy at its height
Financial and Judicial Advances - increasingly the Pope is seen as the court of
Final appeal in all of Europe. The Pope is collecting taxes from across europe,
had their own knights and vassals and could command massive armies through
crusades.
Innocent III (1198-1216), the first of the Lawyer-Popes - he pushed the
boundary over what Popes could claim to be theirs. he was a cannon
lawyer and was interested in advancing the Office of the Pope as far as was
legally possible.
relations with National Kings - Innocent was so powerful that he got
King John to donate the entire nation of England to the Holy Roman
Church. Innocent was able to get the recognition of a European King that
the Pope was lord. the Pope also used the power of Interdict (stops the
clergy from performing all of their jobs to put pressure on a political leader)
to get what he wanted. The pope also used the Donation of Constantine (they
didn’t know it was a forgery) to legitimate the power of the Pope to choose who
will be the Holy Roman Emperor.
Fourth and Albigensian Crusades - Innocent called more crusades than any
other Pope and he even called crusades w/i europe
the Fourth Lateran Council, 1215 - a council that is to be a council for
all the Bishops of the world but only the Western come. thousands and
thousands show up. it is a truly massive meeting and they pass laws for
the entire western world like - the Clergy were forbidden to hunt and
gamble, clergy weren’t to participate in ordeals, every christian must
confess and get absolution at least once a year. Innocent directs the
council and it effects western society for centuries.
the Papcy is at its height of spiritual and legal authority in Europe under
the papacy of Innocent III but it doesn’t last.
The Empire Strikes Back
Emperor Frederick II (1214-50) - said to be a forerunner to the enlightened
absolutists of the 19th C. so he was an absolute ruler but he was also a
great leader. He had good relations with the Muslims that lived on his home
island of Sicialy and this made him an enemy of the Papal court.
an excommunicate on Crusade, 1228 - finally went on a crusade but he
delayed so long that the Pope excommunicated him before he landed on the
shores of Palestine.
Reorganization of Sicily - Fredericks home and his source of power
and wealth. he reorganizes the tax collection to gain even more wealth
Feudalism in Germany - Frederick's base of power was in Sicily and
Southern Italy and Germany was slipping into Feudalism and there was really
nothing that he could do about it.
Attempts to Conquer Italy - Frederick feels he is strong enough to retake all
of Italy and the matter is still up in the air when suddenly he dies. his sons aren’t
able to enforce his authority and they are hunted down by the papacy.
a Disastrous Interregnum - a couple of decades with no kings that sees
Germany completely down into feudalism
the breakup of the empire - hastened by the struggle b/w Church and State.
the emperors give up their claims over Sicily and Southern Italy and the
Cities of Lombardy become independent city state. it looks like the Church
has won but in their victory they took some hits too. Italy and Germany
breakup and will remain this way for 500 years.
the papacy after Innocent III - people saw the involvement in politics and
wars as a sin and over stepping their own boundaries. the papacy never
became a true monarchy. he couldn’t pass it on to his children. we see an
increasing separation from Church and state.
March 16, 2010
Government in the HIgh Middle Ages (Eng - Fra)
the on going struggle b/w the Pope and emperor is a back drop to the formation
of gov’ts. The clash b/w them weakened them both and allowed for national kings
to gain power. Europe would remain politically divided b/c of the power that
national kings took for themselves.
Feudalism had fragmented France and the feudal lords had just as much power
as the King. the ascendancy of the French Monarchy can be clearly traced to be
a long linear growth in monarchical power.
In England the monarchy was relatively strong. it never degenerated in the face
of Feudalism. EngLand developed the common law system that applied to all
people and were for all people.
The Anglo-Norman Realm 1066 - 1307 - see above
William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest - After his conquest of
England William, Duke of Normandy becomes King of England. This meant that
William very quickly became one of the most powerful men in Europe. the
Anglo-Saxon kingdom was well run and organized.
Henry I (r. 1100-35) - he was concerned with enforcing royal authority. he
worked to strengthen the royal gov’t. His reign creates a strong and powerful
Monarchy. the tie b/w England and Normandy is also solidified and this is a
fateful event. for much of the rest of the MA the kings of England will be the
vassals of the Kings of France.
Judicial reforms: Regular royal judges/justices - Henry would
send out groups of judges and they would hear the important court cases
and making the people understand that it was the King who had the final
say in the land
Financial reforms : Permanent accounting department - he
created a permanent department for the King’s finances - how much he
owes, how much he is owed, who owes him, who he owes. THis is common with
what is happening across europe. Gov’t is starting to become bureaucratic
with the gov’t becoming separated from the crown.
the English Civil War (1135-1154) Henry had only one legitimate son but many many illegitimate sons. The legit
one died and so Henry wants Matilda to be Queen and he has his barons swear
that they will accept her once she dies. the two of them fight and so when Henry
dies they don’t like each other and she is pregnant from the count of Anjou.
One of Henry’s nephews Stephen seizes the throne and this leads to a civil war.
it is more commonly called the Anarchy. No one side can completely conquer the
other. It shows how even the most powerful kingdoms could fall prey to marital
politics. the two sides compromised. Stephen was allowed to stay King until he
died but Matilda’s son would take over from him.
Henry II (r. 1154-89) - he inherits the throne in 1154 and people are sick of
war. During the Anarchy English barons had reverted towards feudalism
and Henry II fights to revert the path of England to Monarchy.
He married Eleanor who was the heiress of the Angevin Empire which is a
large part of France. the Angevin Empire refers to Henry II’s English and French
lands. The Angevin rulers ruled more of France than the King of france did.
restoration and expansion of royal authority:
Scutage: the decline of the feudal system of military organization
- it is a shield tax. it is money that vassals pay rather than serving in the
army of the lord. Henry II didn’t want all of his Dukes and Barons to come
and fight for him, he would rather that they just send money. it undermines
the feudal system and tames the barons b/c the barons no longer need to
maintain an armed force.
Crown prosecutions/Jury system and English common law Henry is called the Father of English Common Law. It was a single system
of law that was the same everywhere in England. He starts to offer a
system of Jury trials in place of ordeals or trial by combat. with the advent
of crown prosecution the crown begins to arrest the people and bring them
to trial. This way when people pay fines they go to the King not to the local
authority.
Relations b/w Church and State - Church and state generally worked together
and there was no where near the struggle b/w them in England as there was in
the Holy Roman Empire.
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury - Thomas and Henry II had
been close friends and so Henry II appoints him thinking that he will help
him out but he doesn’t, he resist what he sees as the crown getting to
much power.
King John (r 1196 - 1216) and the Magna Carta - lives in the shadow of his
powerful brother Richard the Lion Hearted.
John “Softwood” - he was a poor military leader and lost much of the
French Possessions of the English Crown. He gives all of England to the
Pope as a Fief. things get so bad that he is on the verge of losing his
crown. he is deeply worried that the nation is going to collapse.
the Magna Carta - the great charter - it was a recognition of certain rights
and privileges. His barons force it on him or threaten his destruction. it was
written by and for the nobility.
no aids w/o consent of Chief tenants - no taxes w/o the okaying
of the lords of those lands. early form of no taxation w/o representation.
Increasingly the Nobles are seen as the representatives of the people. Leads to
Parliament
Due process - essentially the gov’t can’t round up people, throw them
in jail and leave them to die.
Constitutional Monarchy- the Magna Carta is the first limit to the
power of royal authority in England. It is the first piece of England’s unwritten
constitution.
France 1060-1314 - Unlike England, France was almost completely broken up by
feudalism and it takes many years to put the kingdom together
Louis VI ”the Fat” (1108-37)
Restoration of royal authority in the Ile de France - the area around
Paris
Abbot Suger and the royal administration - Was hired by the king to
organize the gov’t of the very small kingdom of France.
Philip II Augustus - he goes about putting France back together and
he really Kicks the shit out of John and he retakes Normandy, Anjou
Aquitaine and the double the area under French Crown authority as well as
quadrupling the income to the crown. He takes back enough land that he is
able to re-assert royal authority.
Feudalism is reversed in France by 1314 and the Kings of France have a power
that they haven’t had since the break up of the Carolingian Empire.
Representative Gov’t - in the High MA throughout Europe we can see the idea
and formation of representative gov’t. you can see it in England, France, Spain
and even Iceland
Historical Explanations - Aristotle's political theory was coming back into the
vogue, he said that the gov’t was supposed to be for the people. Germanic
traditions can be looked back to. German tribes used to elect the leaders and has
an assembly. THe church can also be looked to for this idea. be it the 4th Lateran
Council or the Council of Nicea and bringing together representatives from
across their realms.
In england the parliament emerges earlier and is much more powerful than the
French counterpart. That is why france heads towards an absolutist monarchy.
There is no Magna Carta in France, no point in which the King is forced to give
up some of his power.
March 23, 2010.
Women’s Roles and Women’s Power
Power vs. Authority - power is the ability to get what you want. Authority is
public recognition to ones right to power. they are not mutually exclusive.
at no time in the MA were women powerless but they didn’t have authority.
A woman’s authority over a kingdom may never have been recognized but they
were often the power behind the throne.
Women in the Early Church: Subordination and Equivalence
Christ and the New Testament - in general Jesus's message was one of
charity and kindness. he taught women theology and this was unusual as women
didn’t receive that kind education. He praises women, he teaches women, and he
hangs out with women. Women were also important in spreading the new
message of Christ and were influential in the church.
Monogamy - Christianity teaches that monogamy is virtuous for both men
and women. Jesus attacks the double standard that women had to be
monogamous and men didn’t.
Survival of Patriarchal attitudes - Christianity emerged out of a patriarchal
culture. many people thought that women were weaker mentally, physically, and
emotionally. it was thought that women’s position in this world that women be
subservient to men. by the time of the church fathers we see an increasing
exclusion of women from the church organization.
Women and Monasticism - woman maintained a prominent place in the
culture of monasticism. Being a nun offered an alternative to the culturally
accepted career path. Many convents became important place of learning. many
of the great writers of the early MA were women from Convents.
Early Germanic Kingdoms
Status of women in Germanic society - germans didn’t despise the council
of women and they hold a certain sanctity of the female gender. we have
accounts of women leading tribes and even battles (Bodicca led a rebelling
against the Romans in England). There were also two very powerful Merovingian
Queens who waged a giant medieval cat-fight.
polygamy and wife-purchasing - polygamy was common amongst germanic
societies but it was usually only for the powerful and wealthy members of society.
Charlemagne had 22 children from an estimated 10 wives. Wife purchasing
meant that a man would approach a woman’s father and give him money to
marry his daughter. this seems to imply that daughters are assets of germanic
families.
The Carolingian Age
Carolingian reforms of monasticism and gov’t - under Charlemagne we see much
more strict rules governing convents and monasteries. Nuns and monks are
segregated away from monks much more.
A number of laws were passed that strengthened their power w/i the family.
Recognition of women’s place w/i the family
decline of polygamy - there is a stressed placed on having one legitimate
wife so there aren’t disputes over who is the rightful heir.
from bride purchase to bride-gift and morgengabe - the groom stops
giving compensation to the family and starts giving it to his bride. it gives
the bride a bit of economic security. Morgengabe - morning gift. a gift given
to the bride the morning after they are married
Recognition of woman’s inheritance - laws were passed that recognized
women’s rights to inherit property from parents.
Insolubility of marriage -women are economically dependent on men so the
recognition of the insolubility of marriage secures a woman’s place w/i the family
and society in general.
there were accusations that women in positions of power gained it through
illegitimate or underhanded means. “slept her way to the top”
around the year 1000 and the switch from gavelkind to primogeniture, if there
were no sons, women could inherit all of the families land and property. Eleanor
of Aquitaine
The Gregorian Reform
Monasticising the Clergy - by harshly enforcing the celibacy of the clergy women
were shut out of positions of power in the Church.
Hostility and misogyny - some reformers displayed harsh attitudes to women. In
Peter Damian’s attacks on married clergy he called the wives of priests and other
clergy as whores and sluts.
women in the reform
Matilda of Tuscany - she had inherited the duchy of Tuscany and she
was a very powerful figure. She defends the Pope against Gregory VII. She
fights Henry IV to a stalemate and then she drives the imperial forces out of
Italy. in this real and direct way she defends the Gregorian reforms.
The High and Late MA - in some ways the high and late MA marked a step
backwards for women.
Restriction of access to education and political office - only men were
accepted for women the great centers for education and learning were now
off limits to women where in the early MA women had been in the great centers
of learning (convents) women were very prevalent
Rise of Bureaucracies - as gov’t became more complex and larger people
who were educated and trained were needed and b/c women couldn’t get
into universities they didn’t have the training and men took over the
bureaucracies
From bride-gift to dower and dowry - dowry is when the wife’s family gives
a gift to the groom this is the reverse of the bride purchase this means that
women can be seen as a burden on the family as they cost a lot of money
to marry off. a Dower is some property that a groom gives to the bride, but
she is only allowed to take possession of it and use it if the husband dies.
Joan of Arc - an unusual case but she does showcase a woman who has great
military power and leadership. She came to play a pivotal role in the 100 years
war.
Christine de Pizan - a female author who wrote a few works defending women
against the misogynistic ideas of the day.
some authors see the sources of women’s power as limited (role in the family
and children, and power through religion)
most of the sources we have are written by men and they are not sympathetic to
women but are in fact hostile to women.
Periodization - women’s history has ups and downs and cannot be looked
at as a long linear transition to today.
There have always been some women in positions of power.
March 30, 2010
The Black Death/Social and Economic Transitions in the Later Middle Ages
I. Introduction: The challenges facing later midieval society
II. Demography and Climate
i.
Overpopulation
ii. Climatic changes
Fragmentation of Italy and Germany. Italy never really had a Late middle ages
Decline of the middle ages (late middle ages) – midieval civilization declining like the
roman society did. The break between midieval and modern society not the same break
as between classical and midieval. Aka no fall of roman empire. No “fall” or Rome, no
sack of roman capital, no barbarian take over. Instead midieval civilization survives into
the modern world. There is no real radical/abrupt collapse.
Challenges facing midieval society:
i. The weather became significantly worse (temperature cooler... degree or 2
celsius) and wetter. Thus some crops were harder to grow and thus some
dislocation. (kind of a mini ice age)
ii. Population curve was starting to flatten out. Around the year 1000 it started to take
off (economic and demographic expansion) probably more than doubled between year
1000 and 1300 in the European population. See effects of innovations in agriculture at
this time). Around year 1300 curve starts to level off. Pop stops increasing and many
people feel it starts to decrease. Evidence? : Population records (splintered – don’t
always survive), **relative costs of land – we can be relatively sure the pop was
decreasing around year 1300 because the land prices start to decrease. Land costs
relative to the amount of people seeking that land.
III.
Natural and Human Disasters
i. The Great Famine, 1315-1317 : land now struggling to sustain pop, we can
see that the pop was high. Also a great rain storm (or season) which ruined
many crops and harvests failed, harvests failed again and people started to
die. Weak from disease and starvation
ii. The Black Death
- Reactions to the Plague
--The Flagellants
People actually started to eat their kids (or rumours say). The Black Death was
caused by a disease that originated in rats. They were immune and it lived in their blood
stream and didn’t bother them. People can contract the disease from the fleas that live
on the rats. When the fleas jump from the rats to the human and bite them then the
disease is transferred from the mouth of the flea into the human. This is the Bubonic
Plague. Several forms of the plague. The plague kept coming back. It killed
approximately 1/4 - 1/3 of the population. However because it kept coming back the
population was having trouble recovering. It would start and stop and then people
would get sick again. The population of Europe would not reach it’s prior levels until
around 1550 or 1560. Many people were abandoned to the plague because there was
no one to take care of them. Other people could die in mere hours. Some people viewed
this as a punishment from God for their sins.
The Flagellants figured out it was because of peoples sins and they decided to correct
this by punishing themselves for their sins. They went about whipping themselves.
They decided that if they punished themselves then God would not punish them
anymore. They wound through many towns and countryside’s. Many people went along
with this in the beginning. However it started to get out of control. They would not whip
just themselves, but also Jews (who they believed contracted the anger of God).
There was also scientific explanations – University of Paris said that the planets were out
of line and there was a poisonous gas seeping up from the Earth
Many other people also blamed the Jews (they really get the shitty end of the deal in
life. They get blame for everything)
Europeans did eventually build up immunity to the black death (each generation
becomes more and more resistant to it)
Demographic effect – reduces pop. In a way solves the potential problem of
Overpopulation, as Europe was on the verge of that prior to the Black Death. It would
seem the plague accelerated many of the changes that were already underway; the
decline of the church, the decline of feudalism, the decline of midieval society.
Land now is not as expensive, labour is more expensive instead because there are less
people to farm the land.
IV.
Political: Crises of Authority
i.
Internal and International Wars
ii. The Decline of the Feudal System – some scholars argue this was never in place,
however there was still the system of knights and lords and vassals. This system
is now breaking down. Increasingly armies are being driven y contracts and
money instead of the old personal bonds (oaths to each other) of land and
service. Lords are becoming more like landlords instead of lords.
iii. Decline of the Papacy and Empire
Essentially it is a decline of authority. The powers of the pope and emperor are not as
good as they once were, and this leads to instability and fragmentation.
iv. “peasant” revolts:
- The French Jacqerie, 1358
- The English Peasants’ Revolt, 1381
--Wat Tyler
--Radical social agenda
v.
The Hussite Rebellion
Urban Revolts
France: (French peasant revolt = the Jacqerie )Peasants feel that while they are performing
their role as the workers (producing food and services) the knights and military are not
performing their role. They are losing. Tensions increase to boiling point and one night
peasants attack a group of knights and squires. They then go on a rampage against feudal
authority. The movement starts to snowball. They start to kill more people and the movement
spreads to other villages. Interestingly the King is not a target for this anger. Instead it is
directed as the person who affects them the most, the one they pay their taxes too. By the
summer of 1358 the area North of France is actually in rebellion, attacking lords and their
families.
Another, urban revolt, broke out in Paris, let by an upper middle class mayor (or Paris). This
was a less violent revolt breaking out from the bourgeoisie and they aligned with the
peasant’s revolt to form a sort of alliance. Bourgeoisie had sympathy for the peasants and
opened their doors for them. They wanted their voices heard. So the peasant’s revolters surge
into the city of Meaux (I think..). Peasants not looking for a war, they had no experience of
training for it. So when push came to shove the peasants revolt was destroyed. Later knights
and squires were riding out into the country punishing the peasants to ensure they knew who
was in charge and how things were going to be. A lot of violence for little change. Unplanned
and uncoordinated outburst of rage by the peasants under the circumstances.
English: breaks out in 1381. English peasants revolting for the same reasons, in a sense,
however different circumstances. Black Death swept out a large portion of the population.
Land less expensive, labour more expensive (because more demand from less people).
Government largely sympathetic to the nobles, and try to set wages. Basically tell the
peasants that they cannot charge more money for their services. They see they could charge
more, but the government was keeping them down (labour laws). Statue of Labour – peasants
to use the set wages from before the Black Death. Merchants, Artisans, etc. (aka middle class
type people) were more attracted to the peasants rebellion. Statutes of Labours very
unpopular. Then in 1380 a new tax was to be levied to support the 100 years war, and it was
to be a poll tax. 12 pennies to be paid by everyone over the age of 15 – no matter what the
income or situation. To a noble this was nothing, to a peasant this could be several days
wages. Rebellion began in southeast of England in May of 1381. Revolters first seized churches
to destroy the documents that said who had paid their taxes and how much. Archbishop of
Canterburry – a large landowner –
Wat Tyler emerges as a leader (rumoured to have been a soldier in the 100 years war). By June
the rebel armies were marching on the capital of the country, London. The king seemed to be
losing control of the situation. The King at the time was quite young, in his teens, met with the
rebels outside the walls of London and negotiated with them. He said he would abolish serfdom
and no longer impose it on anyone in England. Went against the way the economy had been
going. At this point some of the rebels go home – they have made their point. Some remain
however, and become more and more radical. They start to push for more demands. The
property of the church to be confiscated and divided amongst the land. They argued that there
should be no lords at all, and there would be an end to the classes in England and thus only the
king would have any status. These were rather unrealistic. A scuffle broke out during
negotiations. Apparently Wat insulted the King (threatened, or crude language, etc) and since
some people felt he had insulted/threatened the king, one of the knights pulled out a sword and
slices Wat who is now mortally wounded. He rides back to his rebels and tells them what
happened and then dies. Of course the King has had a few days to prepare, and has called in all
the knights he could. He agrees to give them all pardons if they just disperse. Which they do. He
then repeals the pardons once they were a safe distance away.
The goals for which the English peasants had fought were good, re-imposing serfdom was too
costly, it would recreate more rebellions. So it did die out. Instead of having to give a certain
amount of their harvests each season the people living on the land would have to pay a certain
amount of money like rent.
Etienne Marcel – led an urban revolt during the peasants revolt. More about him during the
100 years war. He was essentially assassinated/killed in 1358.
Other revolts/rebellions at the time as well – Urban revolts, the Hussite revolt was less focused
on economic side of excessive taxation, ruled largely by Germans. Just as much as National
revolt. Hussites rebelled against Holy Roman Empire and the church.
V. Intellectual climate of the later middle ages - in the 13th C we see a new intellectual
climate that questions the traditional concepts of knowledge. Scholars are willing to
let faith and reason go their own separate ways.
Nominalism and Skepticism - a questioning of the ability for humans to know
anything. Increasing doubt of humans ability to know. in particular in the 14th
C increasing skepticism about humans ability to know anything about god and
to use science to prove god.
Nominalism is the belief that the idea of a human being has no real idea of
existence. they argued that Human is just a name we give to a group of similar
objects. We gives names to objects to try and understand them. Nominalism
enhanced skepticism
-
William of Ockham (c. 1285 – 1349) - He felt that Catholic theology
transcended reason and that you can’t really use logic or evidence to reach
truths about God. He didn’t think that our minds were the correct organ to use
to understand God. he thought that Faith and Reason were two totally
separate ideas and cannot be used to explain or justify each other.
Black Death
Population/Overpopulation
Banks
Climate Change
At no point did civilization completely collapse. No breakdown of networks of trade. Some
areas do worse than others. Much more mixed picture in 14th and 15th century society. No
reversion to a non-monetary economy. Age of Crisis – however it was survived and
ultimately passed. European society, in some ways, even emerged more successful after.
Modern world really more of a continuation of Medieval world.
April 1, 2010
Late Medieval Political Institutions
in the 14th and 15th Centuries the two great powers of Europe are declined (church and
Holy roman empire) and are being replaced by national gov’t.
Western Gov’t could take many different paths in the 14th and 15th C. In England we
see the emergence of Parliament and in France we see the strengthening of the Kings
powers and the court to the point of Monarchal absolutism.
England and the Late Plantagenets
Edward 1 1272-1307 - a powerful monarch and excellent military leader. Edward
sees Wales as a territory that England rules but has never conquer so he decides to go
out and conquer wales
Wales - Edward subdues Wales by building many massive castles and
sending huge armies into Wales. The castles were the nails that held down English
authority in Wales. they also put the English crown deeply in Debt.
Scotland - After Edward conquers Wales he turns to Scotland to do the same
thing. At this time there is a threat of Civil War in Scotland so the Scottish Nobles turn
to Edward to be mediator. They see this as just asking for help, Edward sees this as
recognition of his feudal lordship over the Scots. Robert the Bruce leads a successful
rebellion against the English. Robert was able to succeed partly because Edward is
dies early in the revolt and his son sucks at being a military leader. Scotland is also
much larger than Wales so Robert can go and hide in the Highlands until he is ready to
defeat Edward II.
Parliamentary System - Edward is important in the rise of the Parliament.
He summons the parliament more often and invites more than just the upper class of
nobles. he even invited some wealthy merchants and bankers.
Reaction against Edward - he wasn’t that well liked, even by some of his Barons.
He was running up a huge debt, and was verging on absolutism. So during his son,
Edward II, rule the Barons begin to limit the power of the king. They cite the Magna
Carta and add a line into the Kings Oath when he takes his office. they make him
promise to get the consent of the parliament when he is going to pass any major laws.
Edward II has a difficult reign. There is a sever backlash against his fathers authority
and the crown has a heavy debt load so he was always trying to raise taxes to pay it
off. he also keeps bad company (Hugh the Despenser) and the people hated him. In
the end the people hate him so much that there is a revolution, his wife the queen and
her lover rise up and depose him in favor of his son Edward III. In the end Edward II is
executed with a heated poker sharpened at both ends.
Edward III 1327-1377 - he was well liked by the Barons and loved big parties and
feasts. He loved to invade France and allow his knights to loot any and everyone.
Development of Parliament - Parliament starts to become a powerful part of the
gov’t.
House of Lords and Commons - the membership in the two different
houses is established. Membership in the house of Lords becomes hereditary. the
house of commons becomes the wealthy merchant and banker classes. the houses
start meeting before the King calls them and start to realize their own power. The
house of commons takes over all aspects of finance in the nation, after all they have
most of the money in the country as it is.
The Later Plantagenets - the later stages of the Dynasty becomes weaker
the problems of the dynasty really emerge in the reign of Richard II who is not liked
and tries to go around the parliament and the Barons. starts to behave like an
absolutist. In the end he is deposed, the end of the dynasty culminates in the War of
the Roses.
War of the Roses - 1455-87 2 decades of bloody warfare that ends then the last of the
Plantagenets dies and the Tudors take control of the nation. the war exhausted the
Nobility of it’s desire for war and it’s wealth.
there were many similarities b/w England and France, both had large bureacracy and
their own financial departments.
the kings of France had become some of the most powerful in Europe in the 14th C.
There was a flirtation of a parliamentary system. but it didn’t work out.
Philip IV - he summons the Estates general more often b/c he needs to raise new taxes.
It seemed like france under his rule was going to go the way of England, but it doesn’t.
The Estates general - like the english parliament but it doesn’t include the
commoners.
Clash b/w Church and State
France under the Valois
John the Good
Battle of Poitiers 1356 - a disaster for the French, their army is destroyed
and the King is captured which leaves a vacuum of power.
Urban Revolt of Etienne Marcel 1337 - were pushing for a greater
recognition of the commoners in the gov’t. they wanted the king to summon the
estates general and they wanted to be part of it. They give the heir to the throne an
ultimatum called the Grand Ordonnance, they want the Kings ministers to be
appointed by the Estates General, that the Estates were to meet frequently even if the
King didn’t call them, all new taxes had to be approved by the estates, and the estates
had to approve of all major international actions.
Failure of Representative Gov’t - failed b/c the France is being invaded and
losing and on the verge of civil war and the people wanted someone who could
impose order and not responsible gov’t. They are willing to give up some freedoms in
place of order. Also fails b/c Etienne allies with the Jacqueries (french peasants) and
this means the French Nobles will never support him. his failure represents the failure
of responsible gov’t in France and leads France towards absolutist monarchy.
Charles VI 1380-1422 - Under his reign the threat of civil war becomes a problem in
France. He became a king as a minor and when he came of age a dispute starts over
who should succeed him.
Rise of Burgundy - the Kingdom is created when Charles gives the lands in
Burgundy to his uncle Philip the Bold and he tries to revive an ancient Kingdom of
burgundy. He sets himself up as the King of the Burgundians.
Burgundians v Armagnacs - the two competing sides of the French Civil War. the
Armagnacs were those that supported Charles VI younger brother to succeed him.
As the Power of the Pope and Emperor starts to erode and this is combined with new
political theories (execution of kings) we start to see a fundamental change in the
politics of Europe. the Tone of politics gets a lot nastier.
Feudal Monarchs were not absolute rulers, they usually had to negotiate with their
nobles and had to be seen as doing what is right for the realm.
even in the High MA there are super powers in Europe (Church and Holy Roman Empire)
as these two powers decline national powers take their place.
New Forms of political forms start to arise and replace the feudal system - the Common
system used in Pisa, Genoa and other Italian city States.
April 6, 2010
Decline of the Papacy
With the arrival of the Renaissance we see more and more acceptance of the sciences
and more of a secular ethic.
the Pope in the 14th and 15th C (some of them) are becoming increasingly corrupt or at
least people think that they are becoming corrupt (anti-clericalism). Their ability to call
crusades has also diminished.
the Papacy has also suffered from the Black Death and the social and economic
consequences of the plague.
Clashes with Secular Powers - it looked like the Papacy was going to become the most
powerful organization in Europe around 1250 after the Holy Roman Empire and the
Hohestaufen dynasty was broken up.
War of the Sicilian Vespers, 1282-1302 - the Papacy tries to find a new King for
the Kingdom of Sicily. the problem was that the Local powers (the heirs of Frederick)
were very powerful. Charles of Anjou takes up the offer and takes control over the
region. The Sicilians themselves rose up against the Charles. They start to massacre
Charles’s french troops. A spanish King becomes involved and a civil war breaks out.
they fight to a stalemate with the Island of Sicily going to Peter of Aragon and the south
of Italy stays with Charles. This shows a decline in the power of the Papcy because the
locals rose up and rejected the Popes chosen successor as king. the people are
beginning to believe that the Church was using its spiritual authority to further its
political goals. In the Popes minds disagreeing with the Papacy is heresy.
Boniface VIII and Philip the Fair - this clash showed the rising power of the
national monarchs of europe. The national monarchs had gained a lot of Power while
the Papcy was fighting with the Holy Roman Empire. in this fight the Pope for the first
time loses which shows the power of these new European powers.
Taxation of the Clergy - Philip and Boniface VIII struggled over who got to
tax the Clergy. Philip needs money so he hatches a plot to tax the church be/c the
church holds vast amounts of land in France. the Pope says that he can’t do that as he
doesn’t have the authority to tax the church. Boniface VIII issues a Papal bull which
forbids the clergy paying taxes to a prince or king without the consent of the Pope.
Things now get heated and for several years they argue about it.
Boniface VIII was in a sticky situation b/c he was elected Pope when
the pope before him abdicated and was not yet dead. Local noble families were
constantly fighting to see who would become the next Pope. Boniface VIII calls a
crusade against the Colonna family to settle old family feuds and so Philip Allies with
the Colonna and will push to have Boniface VIII recognized as never having been Pope.
Boniface VIII is forced to back down
By the early 1300s Philip again wants to tax the Church and Boniface
VIII publishes another Bull which states that outside the church there is no salvation. it
makes extreme arguments over the Popes authority over the Europe and the world.
Says that the Pope holds both the Sword and the Shield of God. what’s different this
time is that Philip the fair doesn’t back down and Boniface VIII isn’t able to enforce
this.
Anagni, 1303 - Boniface is kidnapped here by Philip the fair’s minister and
some members of the Colonna family. it is the reverse of what happened to Henry IV at
Conosa. Boniface VIII is humbled by a national King.
The Avignon Papacy or the “Babylonian Captivity”
for 70 years the Papacy moved from Rome to Avignon b/c it is simply to dangerous to
live in Rome. the Powerful Roman families and the danger of living in Rome are to
grave to remain in Rome
Papal and Secular Sovereignty
Theories of Papal Sovereignty
Giles of Rome 1316 - argues that the Pope is the leader of the world. as the
actual power of the Pope is decreasing their theories of how much power they have
keep getting grander and grander. They believe that God’s power comes first through
the Pope and then to the rest of the world
the secularization of society - doesn’t mean an absence of God it means that Gods
authority goes to the King as well as the Pope not through the Pope.
William of Ockham - argues that power of the king comes from the God but it
comes directly to the king and not through the Pope or any other intermediary.
Argues that the King is King by the grace of God not by the Grace of the Pope.
Popular consent -power flows from the people up (this is not a democracy though)
Conciliarism - the idea that the council has authority over the Pope. It is a
challenge to the Popes authority. it takes several decades but finally the Popes defeat
the idea of Conciliarism.
- Late Medieval Mysticism - Catherine of Siena - She asks the pope to come back to
Rome as people are criticizing the Papacy’s move to Avignon. the pope returns to Rome
in 1377 but dies the year after.
The Great Schism/Western Schism (1378-1417) - yet another example of the decline of
the authority of the Papacy. An Italian is elected Pope because the people in Rome are
rioting in the streets demanding a Roman pope. a little while later the French
Cardinals thinking that they have been intimidated into that Pope Elect another Pope
and this leads to the great Schism.
the Schism lasts for 40 years and Europe is almost perfectly divided. A council meets
and depose the two popes and elects a 3rd. none of them give up their claim to the
Papacy so now there are three.
the council of Constance 1414-1418 called together and claims that the Roman
line of Popes is the real one. eventually the other two lines accept this.
April 13, 2010
Exam is 35% of total grade - 2 sections
sec one out of 15% - short answer and multiple choice all from terms.
sec two out of 20% - choose 2 out of 6 essays. big picture items, compare and
contrast ideas from multiple classes.
directly answer the question asked as early as possible in the essay’s
be specific try and use the primary sources
Architecture - the Cathedral was usually the largest building in a town or city and was
the focal point of the artistic and religious worlds. It was also often the hub of the
political community. They were a source of the cities pride.
The Romanesque Period (10th to the 12th C) - Roman Art and architecture
dominates Europe long after the Western Roman Empire fell. Many of the designs and
layouts of Medieval buildings were based on Roman designs or had Roman elements.
the Roman Basilica: Naves, Apse, Aisle - Basilica's were large columned
building. they were combined with Jewish Synagogs (the designs) to become the
Medieval Cathedral. The Nave is the Central isle through the middle of the Cathedral.
Isles run parallel to the Nave but along the edge. The Apse was at the end of the
Cathedral and it was were the Alter was located and also the place of any relics.
Romanesque barrel and Groin Vaults - Roman Arches - put four arches
together in the shape of a square so you get a vault and that becomes one of the
building blocks of the Romanesque style
Solidity of Romanesque architecture - the general appearance of
Romanesque cathedrals were that they were heavy, squat buildings that appear very
thick. Inside the Cathedrals are large but fairly dark. The walls are think and there aren’t
too many windows. when you stand inside a Romanesque cathedral you see a lot of
stone.
The Apse and walls of Cathedrals were often painted and decorated in the Byzantine
style.
The Gothic Period (mid 12 to 16th C) thought to be not as good as the classical period.
the name was given to the Architecture after the period and was used as a bad word.
Architectural innovations - new technological innovations were invented that
allowed for a radically different style of architecture.
ribbed vaults and pointed arches - Romans had rounded arches but in the
Gothic style it was pointed at the top. Ribbing was placed in the vaults which added
depth to the vault and could also hold more weight which meant that the roof could
also be made out of stone.
flying buttresses - it is an external arch support that helps hold the weight of
the roof. they are outside of the building that are load bering and they help distribute
the weight more and can lead to even heavier roofs.
Stained glass windows and rose window - flying Buttresses mean that
buildings could be built higher and with more windows. Stained and Rose glass windows
are medieval innovations. they were often vast windows that let in huge amounts of
lights. Rose windows were circular windows in the Front of the building letting light
stream down the nave.
Gothic ornamentation - high towers were built on the fronts of Gothic
Cathedrals. Gothic Cathedrals often had less columns and much more open floor plans.
Gothic Sculpture - many cathedrals have elaborate sculptures around the
outside. Often these figures are thin, tall, graceful, and elegant. in that way they mirror
the cathedrals themselves.
Gothic architecture really catches on in England, France, Germany but never really gets
used in Italy
the central problem of Cathedral construction was money. it took many many years to
construct because cities and lords would keep running out of money.
Liturgy and Music
Liturgy: Public Religious rituals - liturgy is the ceremonies performed in the
Medieval church. Baptism, Mass, Easter and Christmas are all examples of liturgy. there
was tremendous variety of liturgy in the early middle ages.
Triumphs of the Roman rite - gradually over the course of the MA the Roman
style of liturgy (Roman Catholic Church based out of Rome) because of the growing
power of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
Varieties of liturgy
Music
Gregorian Chanting - tied to Gregory the Great which is a style of chanting
which is monophonic chanting. i.e. all the monks are chanting/singing the same note. it
was often not accompanied by music. it was a very simple type of music and was often
used as meditative or relax-ative music.
Painting, International Gothic - it’s greatest hallmark is the rich blue used in the
paintings. the figures are stylized as being tall and graceful.
The Tres Riches Heures - was a devotional book and is thought to be one of the
best surviving examples of international gothic painting.
Jan van Eyck (1395-before 1411) - he directed art in the north of Europe away
from international gothic towards the renaissance styles. in the south renaissance was
the dominant form and there never really was a gothic art in the south.
Hieronymus Bosch - he gave us fantastic and surreal depictions of heaven and hell.
Popular Religion and Religious
Persecution
1. Introduction
 The papacy is becoming more and more aware of heretics as they are multiplying
more and more – a sign of resistance to the papacy’s growing power
 Some suggest that the resistance is a result of the papacy outlining what a
Christian is, in a way the papacy is manufacturing decent; others say that popular
decent is being created by average ppl who accepting ideas of Christianity but
interpreting in their own way
2. Lay or Popular Piety
 Those who are ordinary people – religious devotion – a widespread growth of
this – ppl becoming more aware of church doctrine
 With increasing piety comes to increased intolerance; it isn’t the pope to
blame, but the average ppl for attacking Jews and heretics
 Display of lay piety is going on a crusade
 Could give money to the church, could go on a pilgrimage
 St. Francis was only a humble lay person
 from the perspective of the church, this lay piety could get out of control as ppl
start to reject plans of the bishops
3. The Cathars or Albigensians
 Dualism
o Their ideology rested on the idea of dualism – the church pissed at this
o There are 2 principles in the world, one absolutely good, and one
absolutely evil – they are opposing principles that the entire universe is
in this duel
o This is not catholic as God is omnipotent – and the devil is not
o They identify the good with the spiritual world, and the evil was
everything intrinsically bad – not catholic
o The Cathars saw themselves as Christians – this is why they are heretics
o The Cathars reject marriage, baptism, the Eucharist, and the
reincarnation of souls
 Perfecti
o The idea of being perfected where women can be priests – this goes
against Catholicism
o Tend to live humble and simple lives like monks, lived in poverty; to some
they were living more like Christ
 Credentes
 The Albigensians Crusade, 1209-1229
o This is the first crusade within the boundaries itself – result of Cathars
killing a legate – a crusade is preached
o By 1209, a massive army is gathering to go against the Cathars
o Indulgences are included here – and it’s only for 40 days
o It is apparent that a crusade in Europe when they just as brutal as the
ones to the east
o Massacre at Beziers
♣As the crusaders are pushing into the city, someone said to the
papal legate their might be actual Christians in the city, but he
said kill everyone in the city and let god sort them out
 It took about 20 years till it ended
 The lands come under control of the king
4. Waldersians (poor men of Lyon)
 Valdez, aka Peter Waldo (d. Before 1218)
 Similar to St. Francis
 His wife contacts the archbishop, as says he’s losing his shit, and he starts to
wonder if he’s a heretic
 What is he doing questionable? What danger does he pose?
 He is not a biblical scholar, so the bishop is afraid he may spread heretical ideas
 Now he wasn’t allowed to preach without the consent of his bishop, but he does
anyways
 He is now a heretic

5. The Inquisition
 Gregory IX and Mendicant Inquisitors
 In the 1230’s
 The crusade wasn’t the best for rooting out heresy, it was good for taking out
armies, but it was hard to find individual heretics
 The inquisition is sending inquisitors to do an inquest to root out heretics
 You could send a legate (Mendicants) i they were use to traveling and
preaching
 Torture is allowed to get confessions
 Why can the church kill? (the pope could command crusades but not shed blood)
6. The Jews in Medieval Europe
 The high middle ages – decrease in relations with Jews
 The official church policy with the Jews
 Jews were good bankers – but led to problems
o No one likes the banker as there is interest
 Start to see rumours of Jews
 Under Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain – Jews are forcibly expelled from the
country
April 8, 2010 – The Hundred Year’s
War and Late Medieval Warfare
A hundred year battle b/w France and England
War had consequences: further decline of feudalism, rise of nationalism, major changes in
military technology (gunpowder)
In studying this, need to study the warfare itself – war should not be divorced from its
cultural context – war helps us understand the societies (for example, WWII, the Germans
treated British prisoners different from the Russians – different view of the other people)
Mein Kampf – talked about this
Understanding the society that wages it helps us understand them
1. Medieval Warfare: Terms and Overview
 Logistics, Strategy and Tactics
o Strategy: how is it different from tactics? Where as tactics are designed
to win a battle, strategy is your overall plan for winning the war –
expands beyond the battlefield
o Tactics: you means of winning the battle, or your methods, how you
move your troops , etc...
o Logistics: the science and techniques of maintaining an army in the field
- supplies
 General Characteristics of Medieval Warfare
o Different than modern war
o Small Armies
♣Many of the great battles were b/w a few thousand troops on
either side – b/c it was only a small segment of society fighting
– before conscription – only a few designated ppl were
obligated to fight
♣Changes among the barbarians tribes early every male was
expected to fight, but with the feudal revolution, knights were
the ones who fight – as society was split up – only a small section
of the population was trained for war
♣Much smaller populations
♣Hard to travel and move goods and people – more difficult to
supply
♣Disease is routine in armies
♣Smaller states have fewer resources
♣Political fragmentation contributes
 Being aware of these problems (logistical problems), was to let the army supply
itself
o Living of the Land
o The “Dominance of Cavalry”
♣Difference b/w early warfare and this
♣Cavalry was dominant – soldiers trained to fight on horseback
were the most effecting soldiers – they became the leaders in
medieval warfare
♣Some argue that it wasn’t the complete dominance of cavalry,
because – our sources were written more in the cavalry than
infantry – a bias
a. Socially, the eyes of the reported are on the rich, rather
than
♣The prevalence of sieges are the big thing – the French may win
all the battles, but they lose the wars
♣Now by the 14 th century there are castles everywhere – so sieges
are essential winning wars and battles
 Back then, leaders lead the charge, not like nowadays
2. The Hundred Years’ War, 1337-1453
 It wasn’t a constant war, as there were periods of peace
 Fighting about the right to the French Crown – what happened in the Royal
Dynasty in the 10 th Century – at the beginning of the 14 th century, Philip IV the
Fair’s sons all died, leaving the line only in Isabelle hands
 Isabelle marries Edward II, King of England – Edward III (their son) Claimant to
the throne of France
 Kings of France and England have been fighting for centuries
 In 1337, they already had parts of France from Elanore of Aquitane
 This created tension b/c the King of France is the Lord of all France, but in
practice, he doesn’t work
 The King of England is the Duke of Aquitaine, but is a vassal to the King of France
 This creates a lot of conflict and shit
 Boils over in 1337 when the Capitian bloodline in France dies out , and the king
of England claims France
 The English Army has some knights, but in terms of numbers, the bulk of the
soldiers are non-knights, they are infantry who use the Longbow
 The Longbow
o The British
 The French rely on their knights – much higher population – make heavy cavalry
 French also need skirmishers – so they hired mercenaries
o Crossbowman from Italy
 By 1337 – the English are pressing on their claims
 For the fist 10 years, not much happens, although there is hostility
 In 1446 – Henry III lands on the coast of France with a large army and is
confronted by a French army
o They go to war
 Battle of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356)

 The English kick their ass where the Longbow is kicking the shit out of the French
– already used against Scotland
 Line up their archers on a kill, backed up the archers with knights, the French
were chasing the English, and they thought they could ride them down
 The French sent their crossbowmen out, but the Longbowman could reload a lot
faster
 It was a massacre – the Genoise got their ass kicked
 The French were now pissed off, and the knights charged, and the English
expected just that (they were on a hill)
 As they got closer, the longbowman showered on them
 When the horses were taken out, the French charge was broken down
 Once the first French is done, the following waves are harder to get up to the
English
 “never reinforce failure”
 In the end, the battle is a massive defeat of a smaller English army over a larger
and wealthier force
 It is a medieval battle too
 The King of Bohemia
o (fighting for the French)
o He wanted to prove his manhood, despite he saw everyone getting their
ass kicked
o Problem, John of Bohemia was blind
o The demand of honour – gets killed
 Edward III had a huge victory – pushed forward
 Poitiers (1356)
o A replay of the previous battle
o French knew they had fight different, so they dismounted off their horses
o Problem, the ground was soggy with obstacles, they had to march over a
mile of ploughed fields
o The warriors were exhausted, and they got their ass kicked, and the king
was even captured
 They try to do things diplomatically for a bit
 Battles begin to revise again
 Chevauchée
o These are fast raids into enemy territory
o Like terrorists against the French ppl
o Gradually, during this stage, things start to turn against the English
 Du Gueslcin and “Fabian tactics”
o The French are winning the sieges
o If you’re not going to win battles, don’t fight them
o They focus on winning sieges
o While the army comes, they let them come, so they focus on winning the
sieges, while at the same time laying siege against English castles
 By 1380’s both sides are exhausted
 20 year truce in 1396
 Henry V – lands in France in 1415 with a large army to press his claims to be the
next king of France
 Battle of Agincourt, 1415
o The same thing as the other battles, get their ass kicked again by being
lured to them
 Henry is able to retake parts of France b/w the French don’t want to fight him, as
well as a current civil war b/w competing kings
 The English even controlled Paris, and the Burgundians were also taking huge
chunks of France
 The English and Burgundians were working together
 Crisis in 1429 while France is in big shit
 Joan of Arc (c. 1412-31) and the French Recovery
o losing all the battles, Joan brought a breath of French air to attack, and
she kicked ass too!
o Siege of Orleans, 1428-9
o After the siege of Orleans, she pushed for an attack on Paris, but her
attack was driven back and many were killed
o She also got Charles VII to Rheims – where kings are crowned
 The End of the War
o The tide was turning with Joan
o A military revolution in France was happening too – the cannon
o The cannon was becoming effective in the siege
o The cannon could easily knock down medieval gates and walls –the
higher the wall, the bigger the target, and the thinner it would be
o By 1453, the French have largely driven the English out
3. Importance of the Hundered Years’ War
 Gunpowder and cannon – the change from medieval weapons to the modern
 The Western ‘Military Revolution’
o This is the period where western Europe starts to pull ahead of other
societies in warfare
 The First National Standing Armies
o The French can afford standing armies, unlike England
 Total War
o Saw no napoleons or Hitler’s; didn’t involve everyone, and no
extermination – one of the medieval periods great strengths