Transcript Europe After Rome - Miami Beach Senior High School

Europe After Rome
Ss.A.2.4.7; SS.A.3.4.4; SS.A.2.4.5;
SS.A.1.4.2; SS.B.2.4.1
Europe After the Fall of Rome:
Germanic Society
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Romans & Germans intermarry, cultures mix
Family=most important institution
German idea of family affects law:
Roman Law: crimes like murder are crimes against
state and society, criminal taken to trial, convicted or
acquitted
 Germanic Law: Crime is personal, crime of one
against another leads to personal/violent revenge
 Wergild: fines paid by offender to family of injured
or killed person
 Ordeal: Belief that divine intervention would not
allow innocent people to be harmed
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Germanic Justice
Role of the Church
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As Rome breaks apart, the church picks up the
pieces; steps in as stabilizing force
Church becomes highly organized around
parishes led by priests
Bishops oversee many parishes in areas called a
bishopric, or diocese
Bishop of Rome becomes leader of entire
Roman Catholic Church, known as pope
Pope Gregory I solidifies power of papacy,
converts many Germanic tribes, strengthens
Christian influence in Europe
Pope Gregory the Great
Monasticism
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Living the life of a monk, a person who
separates himself from the world to live a life of
total dedication to God
St. Benedict establishes basic monastic rules
Monasteries=self contained communities,
centers of learning
Monks= missionaries (esp. Ireland & Britain)
Women monks= nuns
Monastic Life
The Germanic Kingdoms
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AD 500, Germanic kingdoms replace Romans
Many states ruled by Germanic kings pop up
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Ostrogoths (Italy) and Visigoths (Spain) retain
Roman government structure
Romans not allowed to hold government office
Roman culture weak in Britain, replaced by
Anglo-Saxons
Many Germanic states replaced by others
Longest lasting Germanic state= Franks (France)
The Kingdom of the Franks
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Established by Clovis, warrior and first
Germanic king to convert to Christianity
Clovis’ faith in Christianity won him support of
Roman Catholic Church (Western Christianity)
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Church happy to have king as “friend”
Frankish kingdom occupies what is today’s
France and western Germany
Kingdom divided by Clovis’ sons, after death
The Franks
Charlemagne & the Carolingians
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600-700: Frankish kings lose powers to mayors
of the palace, who ran government/castle
Pepin, son of Charles Martel (who defeated
Muslims in Spain) rises to king, dies 768
Pepin’s son Charles the Great (Charlemagne)
becomes king of the Franks (764-814)
establishes Carolingian Empire
Counts acted for king across empire, Missi
dominici (king’s messengers) keep counts in check
Emperor Charlemagne
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Charlemagne= most powerful Christian king
Crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by pope
 Symbolizes joining of Christian, Roman & German
cultures and societies
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Needing educated government and clergy,
education important, esp. in monasteries
Monks work in scriptoria, copying classic works
of literature
Holy Roman Emperor, Charles the
Great
The Man
Administrator
Conqueror
Patron of
Learning
Athletic, wellspoken,
charismatic
Delegator
Aggressive
Warrior
Revived classical
study
Married four times
Retained local
customs
Strong Frankish
army
Preserved Latin
culture
Spoke Latin,
understood Greek,
could not write
Divided kingdom
into districts
Expanded &
consolidated
Frankish rule
Established
monastic & palace
schools
Left empire to this
only son
Used missi
dominici to
inspect and report
on provinces
Class Work:
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On Page 296, write and answer
questions 1, 2, 4, 5, & 6