PART 3, SECTIONS 1-3

Western European Civilizations in the Middle

Ages

Dates in history

BCE: Before Common Era, replaced “BC”

CE: Common Era, replaced “AD”

Same change at year 0Goal was to take

Christian religion out of modern dating system.

Charlemagne popularized the use of AD

Greek Empire

Greek empire known for classics such as Odyssey by Homer.

Greeks experiment with different types of government, set standard for future governments.

Greeks studied government, art, architecture, math, and the skies.

End of empire marks the beginning of early Middle Ages in 600 CE.

Zeus, king of Greek gods

Roman Empire

Contains part of old Greek empire as well as other areas. Suffers from many civil wars at first.

Octavian (later Augustus) unites people under Roman Empire and begins 200 years of peace.

Christianity is developed during this time, greatly influenced by Romans.

Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years.

Contributions of Roman Empire

Spread key ideas of Greeks and Egyptians into Europe.

Built upon ideas of Greeks and adapted them to own needs, building roads, bridges, and aqueducts to move water.

Legal systems and commitment to law later shape Western governments.

Decline of Roman Empire

Roman empire splits into two parts, each with its own ruler

West suffers from corruption, poverty, unemployment, breaks into separate states

East continues to do well under Constantine, eventually becomes Byzantine empire

Rise of West Europe

Charlemagne unites Europe across France, Germany, and parts of Italy

After his death, empire breaks apart again as it is taken over by Muslims, Magyars, and Vikings.

New system called feudalism created to protect people from raids.

Feudalism

Powerful local lords divide large landholdings among lesser lords, lesser lords receive protection from leaders.

Each lesser lord got estate, peasants (serfs) are forced to work on estate and give portion of earnings to lords.

Lords often competed for territory and could control the lives of the serfs on their estate.

Economies and Change

New farming methods and traders begin to form a middle class and cause an economic revival.

Towns form as they attract traders, merchants, and artists to create goods to sell.

Towns become manufacturing and trade centers, this will later help spread new technology and items brought back by explorers.

Magna Carta

Nobles are unhappy with England’s King John who held unlimited power.

Forced him to sign Magna Carta, or “Great Charter”

Nobles have certain rights, monarchs must obey the law.

Sets up basic principles of government for England.

Christianity’s impact

Christianity splits along with Roman empire into Eastern and Western branches.

Catholic (western) church is headed by pope and becomes most powerful force in people’s lives.

Eventually controls local rulers and kings.

Christianity’s role in Western Europe

Church leaders controlled territory and could remove kings if they didn’t like them.

Taught that everyone is doomed to suffer and life is supposed to be miserable and unhappy.

Only way to be saved is to receive sacraments, which Church controlled.