Transcript Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom

Chapter 16
The Two Worlds of Christendom
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Medieval Christendom
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Two halves
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Byzantine empire
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Germanic states
Inherited Christianity from Roman empire
After eighth century, tensions between two halves
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McGraw-Hill
Companies,
Inc.Empire,
All Rights Reserved.
Successor
States
to the
Roman
ca. 600 C.E.
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Early Byzantine Empire
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Capital: Byzantium
On the Bosporus
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Golden Horn
Commercial, strategic value of location
Constantine names capital after himself (Constantinople), moves capital there after 330 C.E.
1453, falls to Turks, renamed Istanbul
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Caesaropapism
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Power centralized in figure of emperor
Christian leader cannot claim divinity, rather divine authority
Political rule
Involved in religious rule as well
Authority absolute
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Byzantine Court
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Etiquette reinforces authority of emperor
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Royal purple
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Prostration
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Mechanical devices designed to inspire awe
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Justinian (527-565 C.E.)
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The “sleepless emperor”
Wife Theodora as advisor
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Background: circus performer
Ambitious construction programs
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The church of Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s code: codification of Roman law
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Byzantine Conquests
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Effort to reconquer much of western Roman empire from Germanic people
Unable to consolidate control of territories
Abandon Rome
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Muslim Conquests
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7th century, Arab Muslim expansion
Besieged Byzantium 674-678, 717-718
Byzantine defense made possible through use of “Greek fire”
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Theme System
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Themes (provinces) under control of generals
Military administration
Control from central imperial government
Soldiers from peasant class, rewarded with land grants
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Germanic Successor States
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In the west, the last Roman emperor deposed by Germanic Odoacer, 476 C.E.
Administrative apparatus still in place, but cities lose population
Germanic successor states:
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Visigoths
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Ostrogoths
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Lombards
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Franks
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Franks
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Heavy influence on European development, 5th to 9th centuries
Conversion to Christianity gains popular support
Firm alliance with western Christian church
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Carolingians
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Charles “the Hammer” Martel begins Carolingian dynasty
Defeats Spanish Muslims at Battle of Tours (732)
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Halts Islamic advance into western Europe
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Charlemagne (r. 768-814)
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Grandson of Charles Martel
Centralized imperial rule
Functional illiterate, but sponsored extensive scholarship
Major military achievements
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Charlemagne’s Administration
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Capital at Aachen, Germany
Yet constant travel throughout empire
Imperial officials: missi dominici (“envoys of the lord ruler”)
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Continued yearly circuit travel
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Charlemagne as Emperor
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Hesitated to challenge Byzantines by taking title “emperor”
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Yet ruled in fact
Pope Leo III crowns him as emperor in 800
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Planned in advance?
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Challenge to Byzantium
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Chapter 16
The Two Worlds of Christendom
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Economy in Medieval Christendom
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Byzantium – economic powerhouse
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Agricultural surplus
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Long-distance trade
Western Christendom
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Repeated invasions contribute to agricultural decline
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10th century, increased political stability leads to economic recovery
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Byzantine Peasantry
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Free peasantry kept Byzantium strong
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Supported by the theme system
Decline after 11th century
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Wealthy accumulated large estates
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Manufacturing and Trade in Byzantium
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Trade routes bring key technologies, e.g. silk industry
Advantage of location causes crafts and industry to expand after 6th century
Bezant becomes standard currency
Tax revenues from silk route
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Byzantium: Urban Society
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Aristocrats: palaces
Artisans: apartments
Working poor: communal living spaces
Hippodrome
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Chariot races, “greens vs. blues”
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Politically inspired rioting
How is life in Europe during this time ?
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Manufacturing and Trade in Western Europe
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Invasions and political turmoil disrupt commercial activities
Agricultural innovations
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Heavy plow; water mills; special horse collar
Small scale exchange; maritime trade in Mediterranean
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Louis the Pious (r. 814-840)
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Son of Charlemagne (The Franks)
Lost control of courts, local authorities
Civil war erupts among three sons
Empire divided in 843
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Invasions
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South: Muslims
East: Magyars
North: Vikings
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Norse expansion driven by population pressure, quest for wealth
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Superior seafaring technology
The Dissolution of the Carolingian
Empire (843 C.E.) and the Invasions of Early Medieval Europe24
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in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries
Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Vikings
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From village of Vik, Norway (hence “Viking”)
Boats with shallow drafts, capable of river travel as well as on open seas
Attacked villages, cities, monasteries from 9th century
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Constantinople sacked three times
Carolingians had no navy, dependent on local defenses
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Norse Merchant Mariners
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Commerce or plunder as convenient
Link with the Islamic world for trade
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Western Europe: Rural Society
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Concept of feudalism
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Lords and vassals
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Increasingly inadequate model for describing complex society
Ad hoc arrangements in absence of strong central authorities
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Organizing in a Decentralized Society
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Local nobles take over administration from weak central government
Nominal allegiances, especially to Carolingian kings
But increasing independence
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Lords and Retainers
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Formation of small private armies
Incentives: land grants, income from mills, cash payments
Development of other functions
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Justice, social welfare
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Peasants’ Rights and Obligations
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Obligation to provide labor, payments in kind to lord
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Unable to move from land
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Fees charged for marrying serfs of another lord
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Population Growth in Christendom
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During 5th and 6th century, population fluctuations
By 8th century, demographic recovery
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Political stability
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Productive agriculture
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Population Growth of Europe, 200-1000 C.E.
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Evolution of Christian Societies
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Christianity main source of religious, moral, and cultural authority
Two halves disagree on doctrine, ritual, and church authority
By mid-eleventh century, two rival communities
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Eastern Orthodox
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Roman Catholic
Council of Florence Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches
meet to work out a union in 1438. Constantinople fell in
1453.
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Pope Gregory I (590-604 C.E.)
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“Gregory the Great”
Asserted papal primacy
Prominent theologian
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Sacrament of penance: required individuals to confess their sins to priests to atone for sins
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
The Byzantine Church
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Church and state closely aligned
Byzantine emperors appoint patriarchs
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Treated as a department of state
Caesaropapism creates dissent in church
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Iconoclasm
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Emperor Leo III (r. 717-741 C.E.)
Destruction of icons after 726 C.E.
Popular protest, rioting
Policy abandoned 843 C.E.
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Asceticism
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Hermit-like existence
Celibacy
Fasting
Prayer
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St. Basil (329-379 C.E.) and St. Benedict (480-547 C.E.)
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Both established consistent rule for monasteries
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Poverty
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Chastity
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Obedience
St. Scholastica (482-543 C.E.)
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Sister of St. Benedict
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Adapts Benedictine Rule for convents
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Monasticism and Society
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Social welfare projects
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Inns, orphanages, hospitals
Agents in spread of Christianity
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Missionaries – Christian cultural zone in western part of Eurasian continent
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England
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Northern Germany; Scandinavia
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Influence on Slavic Cultures
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Saints Cyril and Methodius
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Missions in Bulgaria and Moravia
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Create Cyrillic alphabet
Slavic lands develop orientation to Byzantium
Prince Vladimir of Kiev converts
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Tensions between Eastern and Western Christianity
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Ritual disputes
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Beards on clergy
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Leavened bread for Mass
Theological disputes
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Iconoclasm
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Nature of the Trinity
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Chapter 16: The Two Worlds of Christendom
Schism
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Arguments over hierarchy, jurisdiction
Autonomy of patriarchs, OR primacy of Rome?
1054, patriarch of Constantinople and pope of Rome excommunicate each other
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East: Orthodox church
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West: Roman Catholic
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