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The Romans had controlled most of Europe (all of Western
Europe) from about 117 AD to 476 AD
By 476 AD, Rome was not able to keep control over its
empire
-began to lose control on the frontier regions
A new European civilization is created based on:
1. Influence of Germanic tribes
2. Legacy of the Romans
3. Influence of the church
Germanic peoples began moving into Roman territories as
early as 3rd century
Visigoths in Spain
Ostrogoths in Italy (5th century)
Basques in northern Iberia (still looking for a homeland)
After Rome was sacked in 476, many original documents
moved to Constantinople
Visigoths and Ostrogoths maintained Roman style
government, but excluded Romans from holding power
In Britain,
Romans
abandoned
their forts
Angles and
Saxons
settled and
created an
AngloSaxon
culture
Clovis I:
Frankish ruler from 481 to 511
Became first Germanic ruler to
convert to Christianity
(this occurred during a battle with
the Alamanni, Clovis army near
destruction, he called on the
Christian god to help him in battle,
and his army was victorious)
Baptism of Clovis I, from Encarta Online
His wife was Christian, but she
was not able to convince him to
convert until this event
This conversion gave Clovis and the Franks support from the
Catholic church
Clovis and the Franks were also obliged to protect the church
in Rome
By 510, Clovis had united all of the Franks into one kingdom
Upon his death, his kingdom was divided equally among his
sons—following traditional Frankish custom
Throughout Europe, Germans and Romans began to
intermarry which created a new society
Many of the new governments adopted aspects of the Romans
But Germanic social customs began to play a more important
role
In Germanic society, family was the crucial social bond
Focused especially on the extended family
These groups worked their land together
These groups also protected each other
In Roman law, serious crimes were considered crimes against the
state
In Germanic society, crimes were considered personal and often
led to blood feuds or other savage acts of revenge
Wergild: new system developed to avoid violence
Word means: “money for a man”
This was the amount of money paid by a wrongdoer to the
family of the person injured or killed
Varied by crime, but also varied by social status
Ordeals: were used to help determine guilt
-based on the idea of divine intervention
What was the significance of Clovis’s
conversion to Christianity?
This conversion gained him the support of the
Roman Catholic Church
Organization of the Church
Pope
Diocese: led by
archbishop
Bishopric: led by
bishops
Parish: led by priests
Pope: was bishop of
Rome
Became
recognized by
Western
Christians as
leader of church
government
church
Pope Gregory I
(Gregory the Great)
Was pope from 590 to 604
Took spiritual and political control of
Rome and its territory
(Papal States)
Was responsible for the conversion of
many Germanic peoples to
Christianity through the monastic
movement
Monk:
A man who separates himself from
human society in order to totally
dedicate his life to God
Monasticism:
The practice of living the life of a
monk
Abbot Paul Delatte from
http://homepage.mac.com/fahrenheit451/quarr/sole
Saint Benedict:
Founded a community of monks in 6th
century
Wrote rules he thought monks should
live by
(Benedictine Rule)
Important aspects of Benedictine
Rule:
“The Proper Work of God” (prayer)
-monks prayed together as a
community seven times each day
-other times of day required
individual meditation and prayer to
God
Idleness is the “Enemy of the Soul”
-physical work required of all monks
several hours each day
Benedict believed monastic life should be communal
-monks ate, worked, slept, and worshipped together
-no private property
Abbot:
Ruled each monastery
Had complete control
Monasteries owned their own land
-were self-sufficient and isolated
Monasteries came to be seen as the ideal Christian society
-provided a moral example to the surrounding society
Monasteries provided social services to local communities:
-schools for youth
-hospitality for travelers
-hospitals for sick
-improved agriculture techniques and production
-were excellent craftsmen
Missionaries: people sent out to carry a religious message
Christian missionaries spread and converted many Germanic
people
By 1050, most western Europeans were Catholic
Nuns: women who withdrew from the world
-lived in convents
-abbess: led each convent
-also contributed to the spread of Christianity
What was the role of the Catholic Church in
the growth of the new European civilization?
Through its monasteries, it converted the pagans, spread
learning, and provided social services
Monks became the new heroes of Christian civilization
Mayors of the palace:
Chief officers of the Frankish kings households
-began to gain power over the Frankish kings
Pepin the Short: mayor who assumed kingship of the Franks
-Pepin was the son of Charles Martel
-died in 768
-his son Charles became king
Charles Martel’s army defeated an Islamic army at the Battle of
Tours in 732
-stopped the spread of Islam further into western Europe
Charlemagne (Charles the Great):
-Pepin the Short’s son
-ruled from 768 to 814
-determined, decisive, highly intelligent,
curious
-fierce warrior, strong statesman, devout
Christian
-couldn’t read or write, but supported
education
Charlemagne expanded Frankish rule, created the Carolingian
Kingdom (in green above)
Counts:
German nobles who acted as Charlemagne’s representatives in
local areas
Missi dominici:
“messengers of the lord king”
-men from Charlemagne’s staff who traveled to local districts to
check on the counts
-this event
demonstrated
strength in the
idea of an
enduring
Roman Empire
Charlemagne crowned as first Holy Roman Emperor
This coronation marked the ‘coming together’ of Roman,
Christian, and Germanic elements
-it marks the beginning of a new civilization in Europe
4 minutes
Carolingian Renaissance:
Charlemagne’s desire to promote learning led to a revival of
learning and culture
-a renewed interest in Latin culture and classical (Greek and
Roman) works
Scriptoria:
Monastic writing rooms
-became crucial in the preservation of ancient manuscripts (Bible,
Latin scholars, Greek and Roman works…)
-most of these ancient works that survive today were preserved
by monks
What was the importance of missi dominici?
They were the messengers of the king (or lord) who
ensured that the counts were carrying out the king’s orders
They were a way to centralize administration and keep the
counts under the power of the king
Wergild:
“money for a man”
The value of a person in money, depending upon social status,
in Germanic society
A fine paid by a wrongdoer to the family of the person he or
she had injured or killed
Ordeal:
A means of determining guilt in Germanic law
Based on the idea of divine intervention: if the accused person
was unharmed after a physical trial, he or she was presumed
innocent
Bishopric:
A group of Christian communities, or parishes, under the
authority of a bishop
Pope:
The bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church
Monk: A man who separates himself from ordinary human society in
order to dedicate himself to God
Monks live in monasteries headed by abbots
Monasticism:
Practice of living the life of a monk
Missionary: A person sent out to carry a religious message
Nun:
A woman who separates herself from ordinary human society in
order to dedicate herself to God
Nuns live in convents
Abbess: The head of a convent
Summarize the crucial bond among the
Germanic peoples and one area of its
application.
The crucial bond was family
It affected the concept of crime and punishment
List the daily activities of Benedictine monks.
Prayer and manual labor
What significance did Charlemagne’s
coronation as Roman emperor have to the
development of European civilization?
It symbolized union of Roman, Christian, and Germanic
elements
Fill in the chart with significant events in the religious
and political realms for each listed leader.
Ruler
Religious Realm
Political Realm
Clovis
Conversion
Frankish kingdom
Gregory I
Extended papal
authority
Controlled Rome
Charlemagne
Crowned by Pope
Carolingian Empire