Transcript medieval europe

MEDIEVAL EUROPE
World History
LEARNING TARGETS

To describe the characteristics of the
MEDIEVAL PERIOD in world history

To explain the RISE of the CHURCH as
a dominant institution during the
medieval times
Definitions: Medieval Times

The period between the Fall of Rome in 476
AD and the age of exploration in the 15th
Century

Also known as the Middle Ages & Dark Ages

Comes from Latin word medius (middle) and
aevum (age or period)
Western Cvilization: Rome and Greece
UPDATING OUR TIMELINE
Age of
Exploration
Ancient
Period
476
ADAD
Dark Ages
15th
Century
WHY WAS IT CALLED THE
DARK AGES?
What are the characteristics of the dark ages?
Characteristics:

A period of DISORDER and CHAOS

A period of BARBARIC INVASIONS
burning and plundering towns and cities
Who were these barbaric groups?

Germanic/Teutonic Tribes (ancestors of the Germans,
Dutch, Swedes, Norwegians, French, English, etc.)
1. Goths (Visigoths/Ostrogoths)
2. Vandals, Burgundians, Lombards
3. Franks
4. Angles and Saxons
5. Vikings
6. Magyars
7. Huns
Why were they called Barbaric?

Most of these tribes were rough and ignorant - uncivilized
as compared to the citizens of the Roman empire

Laws were based on superstitious and tribal customs

They were fierce and warlike; still worship gods such us
Odin (chief Scandinavian god) and Thor (god of Thunder)

Most couldn’t read and write
e
Western Civilization Begins
continuation of characteristics…

Agricultural activities practically ceased

Roads and bridges were ruined

Travel became very difficult with
robbers infesting the highways

Trade and commerce were seriously affected
by the chaotic conditions

Schools and libraries and temples were
destroyed.

There was cultural stagnation and social
upheaval everywhere

The series of Germanic invasions led to the
weakening and decline of the Roman Empire

The people of Europe needed an institution
which will serve as a means of SOCIAL
CONTROL and PROTECTION
Thus the Rise of the Church!

Emperor Constantine made Christianity the
official religion of the empire

The Roman empire’s seat of government was
then transferred to Constantinople (present day
Turkey) named as THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
headed by Emperor Constantine
The Western Roman Empire collapses.
The rest of the Roman Empire carries on.
Eventually, we will call it the Byzantine Empire
(but they always called themselves Romans).
Brief overview

Christianity was introduced throughout the
empire by the disciples of Christ specifically
St. Peter (the chief Apostle of Christ), even
before the fall of Rome.

The spread of the belief became widespread
because the Roman gods could no longer
provide security, hope and comfort during the
dark ages
THE RISE OF THE CHURCH
(The Roman Catholic Church)
Why did it become the dominant
institution during the medieval period?
Dominance of the Church: 4 factors

It taught that salvation depended on its
sacraments

It had the only strong authority in the empire

It controlled education

It controlled land ownership

Medieval people, jaded in the chaos and
disorder of their societies found little joy in
their physical world – and so they became
spiritual.

The bishops and priests provided moral
guidance and practical leadership in the
population

The church fed the poor and took care of
the sick, the widows and the orphans

The people looked up to the church for
order, authority and help – only the
church could provide at that time
The Organization of the Church
Popes were
more
powerful
than Kings
The church
was very
Hierarchical
POPE - office of the Papacy
CARDINALS
ARCHBISHOP
BISHOP
PARISH PRIEST
The church as an organization

like that of an empire – own system of laws, courts
and taxes - it collects 10% of all farm produce

Its clergy is exempt from paying taxes to the kings
and emperors

It gives direction on how men should behave

The ultimate power of the church was to
EXCOMMUNICATE – to cut a man off from
God and condemn his soul to eternal torment
(recall the movie, Season of the Witch)
What were the scenes depicting the authority of
the Church?

The medieval churches acquired much land in
Europe – most of these have been donated by
rich landowners.

Many gave land to the church in hopes of
increasing their chances of being spiritually
saved.
THE MONASTERY

A self-supporting organization in support of
the church’s missionary activities.

Served as school, hospital and place of
worship- run by monks

Center of scholarship – most of the educated
men at that time were the church men
MONASTICISM: the way of life of the monks and
nuns: seclusion from the worldly life
famous: St. Benedict and the Benedictine order


We owe our knowledge of the past to the monks
because they developed a system of writing
manuscripts and documented the medieval way of
life
RECAP
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
DOMINANCE OF THE CHURCH AS
AN INSTITUTION
THE DARK AGES
Part 2: MEDIEVAL LIFE
Feudalism, Manorialism, The
Castle &Knighthood
Learning Targets

To discuss the feudal set up during the
medieval times

To describe the manorial lifestyle

To explain knighthood and chivalry
Definitions: FEUDALISM
A political, economic, and social system
based on loyalty and military service
through a system of land ownership
A land-based economy – the political, economic
and social security of the people is based on
land
Feudalism
Life in Medieval Europe
Feudal pyramid
“Fiefs and
peasants”:
What
are
fiefs
?
Class lines between the upper and lower levels were clear and sharp
THE FEUDAL PYRAMID OF POWER
KING
LOYALTY AND
SERVICE
LAND
POWERFUL
NOBLES
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN
33
Definitions: The manorial system

MANOR: The territorial unit in a feudal society

System of landlord-tenant relationship

Medieval life was centered on a manor
Obligations of the tenants to the lords:




Gives the large proportion of his harvest to his
lord
Labors 3x a week in the fields
Required to build bridges and repair roads for
the lord
Gives farm products to the lord: cheese, pork,
eggs and wood
Life in Medieval Europe
The Manor: a self-sufficient economic unit
Western Civilization Begins
III. Life in Medieval Europe
e
The Manor
: a self-sufficient economic unit
IMAGINE
FARMVILLE
What
does
fallo
w mean?
III. Life in Medieval Europe
A well-off peasant’s hut: after the invention of the fireplace
Western Civilization Begins
PieterIII.
Brueghel.
Life in Medieval Europe
The Wheat Harvest
e
New York, Metropolitan Museum
Growth of Towns
THE CASTLE

For fortification and protection purposes

Usually overlooks the owner’s farmlands and
the villages where the serfs live

Usually where the lords and nobles live

The interior of the castle had heavy walls and
small windows, making them cold, damp and
dark.

It is equipped with water and emergency food
supplies to sustain the lord and his family, the
villagers and the knights and soldiers through
sieges that often lasted for weeks.
Western Civilization Begins
e
III. Life in Medieval Europe
Towns need an
economic basis.
What is the basis
for this town
?
Parts of a Medieval Castle
Carcassonne: A Medieval Castle
Definitions: Knighthood

Knighthood was grounded in the feudal ideal
of loyalty. A famous medieval profession

Composed of high born fighting men or
soldiers during the middle ages

Usually the sons of the nobility and the
landlords
The Road to Knighthood
At age 20, reaches the final phase of his training,
He has to be knighted, takes a bath of purification
And is dressed in a special attire, prays in the chapel,
Kneels before his lord who hits him with a sword on his
shoulder
KNIGHT
At age 14, he learns how to fight on horseback,
Serves his knight for some years, accompanying
Him in battle
At age 7, he learns horsemanship, care of arms
and armor and trains to be courteous and humble
SQUIRE
PAGE
A knight in shining
armor!

Typical attire of a knight

St. Ignatius was once an
aspiring knight before
he was hit by a canon ball
and founded the Jesuits

Pads worn under the
armor to help ease the
weight. They were
called gambesons.

A helmet of the type
worn by knights during
the crusades. One can
see the holes cut in the
front. This made it
easier for the knight to
breathe.

These are two
examples of medieval
shields made of either
wood or metal.
Normally these would
have the knight's
emblem or family seal
on them.

An example of a more
ornate piece of armor,
used more for show.
Medieval weaponry
sword
dagger
mace
Definitions: Chivalry

Chivalry was a system of ideals and social
codes governing the behaviors of knights
and gentlewomen.

The Code of Chivalry dictated that a Knight
should be brave and fearless in battle but would
also exhibit cultured Knightly qualities showing
themselves to be devout, loyal, courteous and
generous.
IN CONCLUSION
The feudal society was constructed for one
reason: security – economic and social
The nobles wanted the security of maintaining
control over their far-reaching kingdoms, so they
were forced to delegate power to local control.
The peasants wanted security from marauders and
barbarians from neighboring lands. They also
wanted security from invading armies.
THE DARK AGES
AFTER THE FALL
OF ROME
DOMINANCE OF
THE CHURCH
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
FEUDALISM
KNIGHTHOOD
MANORIALISM
Part 3: The Crusades, Bubonic Plague,
and Contributions of the Middle Ages
I. CRUSADES

SERIES OF HOLY WARS BY WESTERN
EUROPEAN CHRISTIANS TO
RECAPTURE THE HOLY LAND FROM
THE MUSLIMS (aka Saracens, Turks).

FIRST UNDERTAKEN IN 1096 AND
ENDED IN THE LATE 13TH CENTURY
What was the cause of the Crusades?

The City of Jerusalem
held a Holy
significance to the
Christian and Muslim
religion.

Bethlehem, Calvary
Hill, etc.

In 1065 Jerusalem was
taken by the Turks and
3000 Christians were
massacred starting a
chain of events which
contributed to the cause
of the crusades.

Supported by Pope
Clairmont, Pope Urban
and Pope Innocent
How many crusades were there?

A total of 9 including
the Children’s
crusade

For a period of 200
years, Europe and
Asia were engaged in
almost constant
warfare
What were the effects of the crusades?

Increased the wealth and power of the Catholic
church

Cultural exchange among the Europeans and the
Asians. Asia was introduced to Europe

Feudalism weakened

Trade and commerce was strengthened

The crusaders enjoyed the advantages
which come from travel in strange lands
and among unfamiliar peoples. They went
out from their castles or villages to see
great cities, marble palaces, superb dresses,
and elegant manners; they returned with
finer tastes, broader ideas, and wider
sympathies.

The East at the time of the
Middle Ages surpassed the
West in civilization.
The elegance of the Orient,
with its silks, tapestries,
precious stones, perfumes,
spices, pearls, and ivory,
was so enchanting that an
enthusiastic crusader called
it "the vestibule of
Paradise."
http://www.middleages.org.uk/the-crusades.htm
TAKE NOTE:
Issues:

Christians, not just Muslims were also
terrorists. Agree? History has it. 

Can the US-led war on terror a modern-day
crusade? Or

Islamic terrorist attacks be likened to the
medieval crusade?
II. BUBONIC PLAGUE





1347 A.D (Lasted 3-4 years)
Started in China spread to European Countries such
as England and Italy through trade routes.
25 million killed – Roughly 1/3 of Europe's
Population.
Caused by unsanitary increase in population (Rats,
Mice, Fleas etc.)
Very fast spreading, cruel and inhumane terms of
treatment (not much they could do but ostracize the
person ex. Italy, Poveglia).

The term Bubonic Plague is derived from
Greek word “Bubo”: “swollen gland”  a
sign and side effect of the sickness.

Used in Biological Warfare: 1940 Japan

Caused by Yesirnia pestis
 Three main forms:
bubonic plagues
pneumonic, and
septicemic,
 Discovered in
1894 by
Alexandre
Yersin
epidemic in
Hong Kong.
 Facultative
anaerobic –
(Grow best
when oxygen
is present but
can grow
without. )
 Family: Enterobacteriaceae- other members
include: pathogens, such as Salmonella
and Escherichia coli
The Culprits
The Symptoms
Bulbous
Septicemic Form:
almost 100%
mortality rate.
Attempts to Stop the Plague
A Doctor’s
Robe
“Leeching”
What were the
political,
economic,
and social effects
of the Black Death?
3. CONTRIBUTIONS OF
THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
1. ARCHITECTURE

The
BASILICA
CHURCH
The Roman basilica is the Greek
temple turned inside out.
–Arnold Toynbee
Medieval architecture
1. The basilica church
. . . basilica
ceilings
are wooden
The
Roman
basilica
was a
political,
legal, and
cultural
center.
Medieval architecture
2. Romanesque Church
The
Romanesqu
e church
added a
heavy,
stone
ceiling.
Walls must now be very heavy.
Romanesque ceilings
are stone
Medieval architecture
2. Romanesque Church
Walls were
heavy, but
still required
buttressing.
Medieval architecture
2. Romanesque
Pisa Cathedral
The bell
tower is a
separate
structure in
Italian
churches.
Medieval architecture
2. Romanesque
. . . so is the
baptistry!
It leans
because the
foundation is
uneven.
Pisa Cathedral from the air
Medieval architecture
3. The Gothic revolution
new idea:
old way:
The Romanesque
problem:
not enough light.
new “Gothic”
idea:
ribbed vaults
allow larger
windows.
Ribbed vaults transfer the weight of the roof from the walls to
piers. The stone walls can be replaced with glass.
VI. Medieval architecture
3. The Gothic
revolution
Let there be light!
St. Denis choir,
whose rebuilding by
Abbot Suger started
the Gothic Revolution
3. The Gothic
revolution
Rose windows on the side entrances and front
entrance were common in Gothic churches
3. The Gothic
revolution
In St. Chapelle, Paris,
the walls are no longer stone.
3. The gothic
revolution
Paris
Vienna
Chartres
Ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, lots of glass
3. The gothic
revolution
Gargoyles


An easy way to recognize
a Gothic Church: look
for pointed arches. For
reasons not discussed
here, all gothic arches are
pointed.
Inhabitants of medieval
Europe built hundreds
of churches
Style identifier:
What style is that medieval church?

Flat ceiling:

Round arches, stone barrel vaulted ceiling:

Pointed arches, bigger windows, flying
buttresses:
3. The Gothic
revolution
Style identifier
What style is that medieval church
Flat ceiling:
?
?
Basilica
Round arches, stone barrel vaulted ceiling:
Romanesque
Pointed arches, bigger windows,
flying buttresses:
?
Gothic
?
VI. Medieval architecture
Stone castle
MEDIEVAL LIFE
MOLDBOARD PLOW
Invention of
the Middle
Ages
The moldboard plow turning the soil
upwards and to the right.
Another invention of the Dark Age:
The stirrup
The horseshoe
Eyeglasses



Invented in Pisa 13th century
By 15th century Italy making thousands spectacles
Eyeglasses encouraged invention of fine
instruments




Gauges
Micrometers
Fine wheel cutters
Precision tools
Mechanical Clock

Undermined Church authority



Every town wanted one




Public clocks installed in towers
Conquerors seized as spoils of
war
Allowed individual autonomy
Work now measured by time

Bern, Switzerland
equal hours for day and night a
new concept
Resisted by the church for a
century
increased productivity
Gunpowder



Europeans improved
gunpowder to siege
castles
Europeans focused on
range and weight of
projectiles: siege warfare
With improved metal
casting, made world’s
best cannon
THE DARK AGES
AFTER THE FALL
OF ROME
DOMINANCE OF
THE CHURCH
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
FEUDALISM
CRUSADES
KNIGHTHOOD
MANORIALISM
BUBONIC PLAGUE
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. WHAT SIGNALED THE
BEGINNING OF THE
MEDIEVAL PERIOD?
FALL OF ROME
2. Another term for
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
Middle Ages and Dark Ages
3. Why was it called the
DARK AGES?
Enumerate the characteristics:
PERIOD OF CHAOS, DISORDER and
BARBARIC INVASION
4. WHO WERE THESE
BARBARIC GROUPS and
WHY WERE THEY
CALLED BARBARIC?
Germanic/Teutonic Tribes
WHY DID THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
BECOME A DOMINANT
INSTITUTION?
it provided stability, peace and order, and salvation of the
weary, troubled souls in a society of constant threat, turmoil
and stagnation
What was the dominant
political, economic and social
system during the middle
ages?
FEUDALISM
Explain how feudalism
works
Describe the MANOR
Who are knights?
Why were the crusades
launched?
What caused the bubonic
plague?
Cite some contributions of
the medieval period.