Transcript The Early Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages
Germanic Kingdoms
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Note: NOT Germans
Different kind of civilization:
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No written laws.
No cities.
Governed by custom.
Elected kings.
Nobility swore allegiance to kings.
Kings protected all in times of war.
War occurred often.
Battle of Tours, 732 AD
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Franks vs. the Muslims
Charles Martel
Christian victory – God
on their side
Muslims keep most of
Spain
Charlemagne
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Charles the Great (742?-814)
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King of Franks (768-814)
Holy Roman Emperor (800-814)
Shared Frankish kingdom with brother until he died
Conquered and Christianized neighboring kingdoms
Northern Italy, part of Spain, all of France, Germany, Low
Countries
Restored Pope Leo III and was named “Holy Roman
Emperor” on Christma in 800
Capital at Aachen
Advances in scholarship, literature, law
Called “Carolingian Dynasty”
Christian Emperor
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After the fall of the Roman Empire,
power was split in two
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In the east, a Byzantine emperor ruled in
Constantinople
In the west, Rome was frequently invaded by
“barbarians”
Christian Emperor
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In 800, Charlemagne is named Holy Roman Emperor
(HRE)
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Emperor in Constantinople considers this as wrong
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Revival of “Roman” Empire in west
Established a feudal system
Issued legal decrees like Romans
Great diplomat with foreign rulers
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Charlemagne tries to marry his daughter
Except with Muslims in Spain
Protected Christian shrines in Palestine (Jerusalem)
Stabilized the currency (denier)
Trade & commerce vigorous
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Used & protected Jewish merchants
Refused to trade iron broadswords with Vikings
Christian Emperor
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Palace school
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Literacy necessary to be a good Christian
Texts were all corrupt
Learning will lead to better grasp of the truth - Bible
Sacramentary was required
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Unified book of prayers & rites for sacraments of church
Tried to make a united Christian Empire
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Constantinople upset – thought they were the
“true Roman emperor”
Spread Christianity
Nobles to rule locally
“second Rome” at Aachen
Curriculum: Formal course of study
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Grammar, Rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry,
music and astronomy
Europe after Charlemagne
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Died in 814
Empire fell apart
Many invasions – Muslims, Magyars, Vikings,
others….
Treaty of Verdun
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Charlemagne’s grandson’s divide empire into 3
Invaders
Legacy of Charlemagne
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Extended Christianity to northern Europe.
Blended German, Roman, and Christian
traditions.
Good strong system of government.
Set a good example for other European
rulers.
Strong connection to the Roman Catholic
Church.
Social Aspects of the
Medieval World
Middle Ages: General Timeline
10951291C.E.
Crusades
1066 C.E.
Norman
invasion of
Britain
450 C.E.
AngloSaxons
invade
England
476 C.E.
Fall of
Rome
306 C.E.
Constantine
comes to
power in
Eastern Roman
Empire;
beginning of
Byzantine
Empire
1455 C.E.
Printing
Press
1306-1321
Dante’s Divine
Comedy
1386 C.E.
Chaucer
begins
writing
Canterbury
Tales
Beowulf
Composed
sometime
between
850 C.E.
1347
Bubonic
Plague
900 C.E.
1453
Fall of
Byzantine
Empire with
invasion of
Ottoman Turks
Feudalism: A Hierarchy
Feudalism
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Obligations
Governmental system
Hierarchy
Lord
Vassel earned a fief
Peasants
Why would people agree to this?
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PROTECTION FROM INVADERS!
Knights
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Mounted warrior
Age 7
Training
Dubbing Ceremony
Tournaments
Code of Chivalry
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Brave
Valiant
Loyal
True to word
Had to fight fairly
Women were to be
revered
Time for a little simulation
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You will be given “money” and a role.
DO NOT EAT YOUR MONEY!!!
Women in Medieval
Society
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Played active roles in society.
Women took over when men left.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was Queen of France
and England.
Still, women were daughters of Eve
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Weak and easily led to sin
Needed help & guidance of men
The Manor
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The Lord’s estate
Village + surrounding lands
Peasants (serfs) – responsible to the lord,
paid the lord for various services.
In exchange, the lords gave the peasants
their own land to farm and protection.
Why stand for being a serf ?
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Protection
Land
Guaranteed food, shelter, land, housing,
some safety.
The manor included…
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Cobbler
Tools
Church
Peasant homes (mud huts)
Mill
Church
Manor House
Blacksmith
Medieval Peasants
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Harsh life
No education
Tireless work
Little food
One-room huts
Disease common
Short life-span (35!)
Never-ending work
Foods of Middle Ages
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Castle cooks prepared large amounts of food
for people
Meat had to be salted or smoked or just kept
alive before it was needed
Sometimes meat was pounded to a paste
and served as custard.
Table settings
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Food served out of trenchers
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Plate made out of bread
People often had to bring their own utensils
(mostly ate with hands)
Shared cups and sometimes trenchers
Clothing
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Peasants probably had one change of
clothing – maybe two
A lot of wool clothing
Outer clothing not washed but under
clothing washed often
Many peasants died from exposure in
winter
Childhood
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Many women and children died in
childbirth
Everyone was needed in fields so
babies often left alone or with older
children while parents worked.
Began working and doing chores
around age 7
Boys educated as apprentices
Marriage
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Men usually older than women
Girls sometimes married at age 12
Usually arranged marriages
Men had total control over women
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“Rule of thumb?”
Men could divorce women for many reasons
Medicine
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People believed diseases were spread by
bad odors
Diseases were caused by sins of the soul
Medical remedies often caused more harm
Blood letting
Games
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Chess
Dice
Bowling
Checkers
Backgammon