Transcript High Medieval Europe

High Medieval Europe
(ca. 900-1300)
High Medieval Europe
What is the stereotype of the Middle Ages
in Europe we have inherited?
 How can we now view the Middle Ages as
a time of progress and innovation?
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Economy and Society
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The Social Orders
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Oratores
Bellatores
Laboratores (SERFS)
Economy and Society
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Personal Dependency
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Lords and Vassals
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VASSALS served lords
Lords provided land
Lords and peasants
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Peasants worked, paid
dues
Status was hereditary
Lords provided
necessities
Reeve, and serfs at work
Economy and Society
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Agricultural
Innovations
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Three-field system
Iron plowshare
Horses
Results
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Better standard of living
Population doubled
Economy and Society
Economy and Society
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The Guilds
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Formed by urban merchants and artisans
Nature of guilds
*Economic: standards for products, additional
regulations
 Also social, spiritual
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Guild hierarchy: masters, journeymen,
apprentices
Economy and Society
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Engaging in the Economy
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CREDIT
Loans
Usury
Economy and Society
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Expansion of Trade
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Fairs
More seaborne trade
Contact with Mongol
Empire  more trade!
Medieval Fair
Court of Kubilai Khan
Economy and Society
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Questions?
The Emerging Western States
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England
(9th-10th cents.)
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Small kingdoms
Viking occupation
KING ALFRED THE
GREAT (r. 871-899)
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Raised army (878),
defeated Vikings
First king of all English
King Alfred the Great
The Emerging Western States
Bronze statue of King Alfred the Great
Winchester, United Kingdom
The Emerging Western States
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The Norman Conquest
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The Bayeux Tapestry (ca. 1070-80)
Edward the Confessor
(r. 1042-1066) died
Two heirs: Harold of
Wessex, William of
Normandy
William invaded England,
defeated Harold at
Hastings (1066)
William  “the Conqueror”
(r. 1066-1089)
The Emerging Western States
The Emerging Western States
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Magna Carta (1215)
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Origins: King John’s
conflict with France
The document
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Defined rights,
obligations of nobility
King John forced to sign
Major point: king is not
above law!
The Emerging Western States
The Emerging Western States
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Holy Roman Empire
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Many principalities, under
an emperor
Princes governed
independent states
Emperors
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Claimed highest authority
Had to respect princes’
rights
A decentralized monarchy
The Emerging Western States
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Questions?
The Church and Christianity
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The “Papal Monarchy”
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Supreme authority of
Latin Church
Claimed authority over
secular rulers, Greek
Church
Papal States
The Curia
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Papal Tiara (“Triregnum”)
Papal Court, Rome
COLLEGE OF
CARDINALS
The Church and Christianity
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Pope Innocent III
(r. 1198-1216)
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Lawyer-pope
Most powerful pope ever
Clash with King John
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Over new archbishop of
Canterbury
Innocent excommunicated
John
John submitted to pope
Innocent III
The Church and Christianity
The Church and Christianity
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The Great Schism
(1054)
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Greek and Latin
Churches at odds
Papal supremacy
asserted at
Constantinople (1054)
The Churches
excommunicated each
other
The Church and Christianity
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The Crusades
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Origins: Turkish threat to
Byzantine Empire
Council of Clermont (1095)
called for recapture of Holy
Land
First Crusade (1095-99)
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Siege of Antioch
Force of 50-60,000 
Holy Land
“Pilgrimage”  salvation
as reward!
Victory  Crusader States
established
The Church and Christianity
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Other Crusades
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Christians lost ground
in Holy Land  new
crusades launched
Third Crusade
(1189-92)
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Saladin captured
Jerusalem (1187)
Another crusade 
failure
Crusades over by 1300
Saladin
The Church and Christianity
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The Mendicant Orders
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AKA friars
The Dominicans
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Founder: Dominic Guzman
Purpose: preaching
“apostolic style”
The Franciscans
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Founder: Francis of Assisi
Purpose: live in apostolic
poverty
Francis of Assisi
The Church and Christianity
Robe of Francis of Asissi,
Basilica di S. Francesco, Assisi
The Church and Christianity
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The Sacraments
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Seven
Essential to salvation!
Performed by clergy
alone
The Eucharist
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Corpus Christi Procession
Sacrament of the Mass
TRANSUBSTANTIATION
The Church and Christianity
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Questions?
Culture
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The University
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Organization of master and students
Specialization
Students given clerical status, grouped into “nations”
Culture
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Classroom Setting
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Lectures considered
best method of
teaching
Books very expensive!
Master’s role
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Read excerpt of text
Commentary
Refute objections
Students’ role: commit
it all to memory!
Culture
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Vernacular Literature
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Latin: language of
Church, academia
VERNACULAR
Vernacular literature
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Dante Alighieri
Chanson de Roland
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(12th cent.)
Beowulf (ca. 1000)
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The Divine Comedy
(1313-21)
Culture
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Romanesque
Architecture
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Massive stone
churches
Sculpture on exterior
Round arches
“Leaning Tower,” Pisa (1053-1272)
Culture
St. Sernin de Toulouse (1070-1120), France
Exterior
Culture
St. Sernin de Toulouse,
Interior
Culture
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Gothic Architecture
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Chartres Cathedral (1145-1220), France
Pointed arches
Stained-glass windows
Flying buttresses
Culture
Chartres Cathedral
Interior
Stained-Glass Window,
Chartres Cathedral
Culture
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Questions?
High Medieval Europe

How can we now view the Middle Ages as
a time of progress and innovation?