The Middle Ages

Middle Ages1,000 year period from fall of Rome to beginning of modern times (500 – 1500)Early (Dark) MA – 5th – 10th C. – disorder & declineHigh (Later) MA – 11th – 15th C – advancing toward a higher civilization

Decline – Germanic invasionsDecline of trade & industry

Merchants stopped shipping (fear of bandits)Roads deterioratedLacking markets, industry shut downCities declined in populationUnemployed workmen moved to rural areas

Decline cont.Decline of Learning & Culture

Roman schools, libraries, museums destroyedArts and sciences were neglectedReading and writing were forgotten – more concerned with staying alive

Decline cont.Decline of strong central government

Many weak Germanic kingdoms (Visigoths, Ostragoths, Angles, Saxons, Franks)Failed to maintain order, provide protection, insure justice

Lacked manpowerLacked large armiesLacked roads & bridgesLacked rules of succession

Frankish KingdomOnly strong Germanic governmentClovis (Frank) – removed rivals, converted Franks to Christianity

Monasteries, monks; best educated communitiesGregory I – Church becomes more secular (worldly); greatly expands Church (papal) powerCharles Martel – defeated invading Moors at the Battle of Tours (732) – ended Muslim threat into Christian Europe.Pepin – defeated Lombards in Italy and ceded all lands to the Pope (donation of Pepin) First in Carolingian dynasty

Charlemagne (768 – 814)Conquered Muslims (Spain), Slavs, SaxonsThus increased power of Catholic Church800 AD crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by Pope Leo III Later Otto I (Great) strengthened region (Germany) into Holy Roman Empire (never truly united)Provinces ruled by nobles; missi dominici (messengers) sent to check power of noblesEstablished schools, encouraged copying of Latin manuscripts

Charlemagne cont.After his death, divided into sections, nobles gained power over local territory9th-10th C. invasions

Muslims along southern coastMagyars from HungaryNorsemen (Vikings) based in Scandinavia – expert sailors and fierce fighters; sacked town after town, plundered; ships sailed in deep or shallow watershttp://www.history.com/videos/who-were-the-vikingshttp://www.history.com/videos/life-of-a-viking

FeudalismInvasions & disorder led to new systemTurned to local aristocrats & nobles for protectionFeudalism: Economic, political, social, military system based on services for landVassal – served a lord in exchange for grant of land

Feudalism cont.Knights emerged with armor, lances, better protected horses; became the backbone of European aristocracyLittle trade so wealth based on landLand granted was called a fief

Feudalism cont.Lords were kings, dukes, counts, barons, etc.Held political, economic, social powerKnights sometimes fought each otherChivalry – Ideal, civilized behavior; code of ethics

Defend ChurchHelp the poorDefend their lord, lady, etc.

Feudalism cont.http://www.history.com/videos/heavy-cavalry-of-the-middle-ageshttp://www.history.com/videos/weapons-of-the-middle-agesMost women under control of menMen often at war – women had to manage the estateSo, many responsibilities but subservient to men

Manorial SystemAgricultural estate run by a lord and worked by peasants.Small farmers needed protection; gave up land to lords; used landSerfs – peasants bound to the land Provided labor, paid rent, and subject to lord’s control; couldn’t leave without permissionFeasts & holidays of the church provided rest & contact with Church

Role of the ChurchPowerful institutionReligious and political powerStructure (hierarchy) – Church officials – clergy

Pope, Bishops, PriestsUnifying force during M.A. – security, belonging, hope; center stage in people’s livesSacraments important – baptism, communion, confession, confirmation, marriage vows; lots of religious holidays

Church cont.Church law called canon lawAlso established courts to protect canon lawCould use excommunication (banishment)Interdict – sacraments would not be allowed

Church cont.Holy Roman Empire created – strong state in central Europe; German princes/principalitiesGermany and northern Italy (p.372)Clash over “lay investiture” – practice where kings/nobles appointed church officialsReligious conflict over thisConcordat of Worms (city) – Church could appoint bishop, but emperor could vetoSettles differences between Church and Holy Roman Empire

Church cont.Frederick the Great “Barbarossa” – first emperor to call lands Holy Roman EmpireMostly Germany and Northern ItalyInvaded rich cities of ItalyFinally defeated – Italian foot soldiers used crossbows to defeat feudal knightsAfter death, Germany remains divided into feudal kingdoms (until 1870’s!)

The Age of FaithProblems in the Church:Illiterate priests, questionable morals, cared about role as feudal lords, married with families (against Church), sold positions within Church (simony), lay investiture (King appoints Bishops)Secular (worldly, non-religious) interests

Age of Faith cont.Reform by Popes (Leo IX and Gregory VII)Enforced laws, created canon law, group of advisers called the papal (Pope) curia, collected tithesNew religious orders – Dominicans, Benedictines, FranciscansFriars (who traveled spreading ideas of Church)

Faith cont.Cathedrals – originally built in the Romanesque style (round arches, heavy roofs, walls, pillarsChange to Gothic – Reached upward towards heaven – more and more lightSpires, arches, stained glass windows (p. 381)Notre Dame (Paris)

Church ArchitectureRomanesque Gothic

Flying Buttresses

Chapter 14 - Age of Faith Inspires Crusades

Religious purpose – retake Holy Land from Muslims; reunite Christendom which had been divided in 1054 (East and West)Political – threatened Byzantine capital, Constantinople; get rid of quarrelsome knights & nobles who fought each otherEconomic – land, opportunity for trade, riches

Crusades cont.

Christian military expeditions (holy wars)Holy wars against the infidel (non-believer)Directed against Muslims; liberate the holy land (Palestine) from the infidels; JewsPope Urban II challenged Christians to take up the cause; shall have forgiveness for sinsReligious reasons, but also sense of adventure, gain territory, wealth, title

Crusades cont.1st – Ill prepared – no plan, no knowledge of geography, climate, etc.http://www.history.com/videos/duke-godfrey-leads-the-first-crusadeReached Jerusalem in 1099; took the cityLater retaken by Muslims2nd – attempt to recapture Jerusalem; failedSaladin (Muslim leader) wonhttp://www.history.com/videos/king-louis-vii-leads-the-second-crusade

Crusades cont.3rd – 3 powerful leaders: Philip II of France, Frederick I (Barbarossa) of Germany, Richard the Lion-Hearted of Englandhttp://www.history.com/videos/richard-the-lionheartOnly one remained (Richard) and made a truce w/Saladin – unarmed Christians could visit Jerusalem; city remains under Muslim controlhttp://www.history.com/videos/saladin4th Crusade – Failed; crusading spirit dwindlesSearch for personal gain

Crusades cont.Children’s crusade 1212Unarmed; thousands died of starvation, diseaseSeveral of these crusades; all failedSpanish Reconquista – attempt to regain land controlled by Moors (Spanish Muslims)1492 – Granada falls to Ferdinand and IsabellaInquisition – Court tries heretics (many Muslims and Jews converted; or burned at the stake

Results of the CrusadesIncrease in trade to Middle East, AsiaNew products, foods, spices, silksExposure to new ideasFailure lessened power of the PopeWeakened feudal nobility & increased power of kings*Legacy of intolerance between Christians, Muslim, Jewshttp://www.history.com/videos/roots-of-the-crusadeshttp://www.history.com/videos/the-crusades

Crusades: Successful Failures?

Failures:Failed to retake the holy land – they lost!Many people died

Successes:Trade with the eastNew products (spices, silks, etc.)Towns and cities grewMilitary technology improvesAccess to new ideas & cultures

Crusades: Winners & LosersWinners

Kings gained power as Church grows weakerMerchants got rich

Losers

Church loses powerNobles lost power (died)People lost faithLegacy of intolerance in Middle East

Changes in Medieval SocietyLabor becomes valuable after plague – services become worth moreHuge population increase due to decrease in wars, invasions; dramatic expansion in food productionExpansion of arable land (cut trees, drained swamps)Technology – Iron used for scythes, axes, plows (carruca); new harness for horses to replace slow oxen; horseshoes

Changes cont.Rise of towns as people came together to share plows, horses, etc.; people are leaving manorsSwitch from 2 field (one fallow) to 3 field system (spring,fall); crop rotationCoins come into play gradually creating a money economy rather than barterBanks, investments emergeCommercial Revolution (capitalism) – invest in trade for profit

Trade & Cities cont.Growth of trade leads to revival of citiesMerchants needed places to live and store products; fairs, tradeMerchant or middle (bourgeoisie) class developsCities developed own local govt.

Daily LifeCities surrounded by stone wallsNarrow streets, crowdedFire a constant dangerPollution – waste, smoke, cheap coal, water (butchers dumped blood, animals into water); tanneries dumped acids alsoGuilds – associations of people in same tradeApprentice – Journeyman – Master craftsman

Revival of LearningWorks by Greeks and Latins preserved by Muslims were now brought back to Europe and translatedWritten in vernacular – local, every day languageDante – The Divine Comedy; Chaucer – The Canterbury TalesCrusaders brought back new technology tooUniversities emerge; scholasticismThomas Aquinas uses logic to prove ideas

England and France DevelopEngland battered by invasions from Vikings, Danes, Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons)Struggle for powerENGLAND – William of Normandy – (“the Conqueror”) of France landed in England 1066 and defeated Anglo-Saxons; Battle of HastingsBecame new king of England

England cont.French and Anglo-Saxon merged into EnglishCreated strong centralized monarchy2 roles – King of England; still vassal to King of France (but more powerful!)Henry II expands power of monarchy

Expands power of royal courtsCommon law begins to develop from court decisions, jury trialsClaims right to try church officials

England cont.Son John becomes king; nobles resented King John’s growing power1215 at Runnymede, John is forced to sign the Magna Carta (Great Charter) of feudal libertiesMonarch had limited power, not absoluteProtects basic rights of all

England cont.Edward I – English Parliament emergedImportant development in representative governmentEventually, nobles and church lords formed House of Lords; knights and townspeople formed the House of Commons.Basis of our Congress (House/Senate)

Other KingdomsFrance – Hugh Capet (Capetians) rule for 300 yearsPhillip II greatly expanded French territory, enlarged power; others used $ and marriage to expand France; first French parliament (legislature) – Estates General (3 estates: clergy, nobles, townspeople)Italy and Germany do not unite like Britain and France (not until 19th C.)

War and PlagueBlack Death – mid 14th C.Most devastating event in European historyBubonic plague most common; pneumonic alsoRats were hosts for fleas that spread diseaseProbably spread by merchants from Middle East into southern ItalyItaly’s cities particularly hard hitMany felt it was sent by God as punishment for sinsHorrible attacks on Jews – anti-semitismKilled over 1/3 of the population of Europe!

Ring around the rosyRing around the rosy (rosary beads)Pocketful of posies (to stop odor of decay)Ashes, ashes (Church burned the bodies)We all fall down (dead)http://www.history.com/shows/life-after-people/videos/life-after-people-plaguehttp://www.history.com/videos/coroners-report-plague

The Triumph of Death (Pieter Brueghel)

Dance of Death – Nuremberg Chronicles

Burning of the Jews - Strasbourg

Funeral for a plague victim

Plague Physician

Troubles cont.Decline in power of Church – Great Schism (2 popes – Avignon and Rome)John Wycliffe preached that Jesus was head of ChurchOffended by worldliness and wealth the Church displayedBible alone is final authority, not the PopeJan Hus – same theories; tried as heretic, burned at the stakeFirst Church “reformers”

Troubles, cont.Hundred Years’ War (Eng. And Fr) - series of wars over land and claims to the French throneWarfare changes with the longbow – could penetrate armor thus ending power of knightsJoan of Arc, saves Orleans, burned at the stake; France winsResult – feeling of nationalism (to country)End of 100 Yrs. War – end of Middle Ages – decline of nobles (Crusades), Church (Great Schism), plague