The Middle Ages

Europe in the 6cEurope in the 6c (500s) (500s)Europe in the 6cEurope in the 6c (500s) (500s)Visigoths- Spain

Ostrogoths, then Lombards- Italy

Burgundians- Border areas of now France and Germany

Angles and Saxons- Britain

Celts- Ireland, Scotland

Franks- North and West France

PeriodizationPeriodizationPeriodizationPeriodization

Early Middle Ages: 500 – 1000

High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250

Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500

Feudalism• People left cities to live on manors (the lord’s estate) in

order to grow food to live• Self-sufficient communities where people produced

everything they needed

-Peasants paid taxes on milling grains, marriages, rents-Serfs: could not leave without permission; treated like slaves; children born into serfdom

The Roman Catholic Church• Based in the Vatican in Rome

• After the fall of Roman Empire, people turned to Christianity for guidance & strength

• The Church provided food, shelter, clothing to poor, orphans

• Organized centers for learning; sent out missionaries to recruit new members

Great Schism 1054: Separate Roman Catholic (west) and Eastern Orthodox churches

Forced people to pay tithes (10% income) to the ChurchBuilt cathedrals, ordered works of art Could excommunicate members- kick them out of the churchSold indulgences (forgive sin, less purgatory), simony (church jobs)

Catholic Church organization• Pope: head of Catholic Church; makes Church

law• Cardinals: chooses new pope • Archbishops: govern areas; enforce church law• Bishops: assist Archbishops; also deliver

sermons, raise money for Church• Priests: preach the word of God to the people;

performed sacraments

The FranksMost successful of Germanic tribes

• Clovis I: established Merovingian dynasty

• Do Nothing Kings: Clovis’ descendent were weak rulers; power passed to Major Domo (Mayor of Palace)

Charles Martel: powerful Major Domo

• 732BCE: defeated Muslims at Battle of Tours

• saved Christian Europe from Muslim conquest

Pepin the Short: Major Domo, son of Charles Martel

• “Gift of Pepin”: Pepin defeated the Lombards & gave conquered lands to the Pope (land became Papal States)

• The Pope crowned Pepin king of the Franks in return

Charlemagne: son of Pepin

• created empire that included France, Northern Italy, Northeast Spain (Spanish March), Germany

• 800: crowned 1st Holy Roman Emperor by Pope

Treaty of VerdunDivided Charlemagne’s empire

between his three grandsons• Charles the Bald: got Frankish

kingdom (France)• Lothair: got Central kingdom

(area between France & Germany; site of many wars)

• Louis the German: got East Frankish kingdom (Germany)

Centralized rule weakened by invasion:

Umayyad (Islam) in Spain

Magyars from Hungary

Vikings from northern Europe

The High Middle AgesLasted from 1100 to 1300 CE; during this period,

Europe developed nation states with populations identifying national unity:

• Nations led by kings, princes as rulers• Made war against others to obtain territory• Trade rose and towns developed• Catholic Church led wars for Christian

domination

Medieval GuildsMedieval GuildsMedieval GuildsMedieval Guilds

Guild Guild HallHall

Guild Guild HallHall

Commercial Monopoly:

Controlled membership apprentice journeyman master craftsman

Controlled quality of the product [masterpiece].

Controlled prices

A guild is an association of craftspeople in a particular trade

Def: exclusive right or ability to provide a service or product

Christian Crusades: East and Christian Crusades: East and WestWestChristian Crusades: East and Christian Crusades: East and WestWest

The CrusadesHoly wars to regain Jerusalem from the Muslims; first

called by Pope Urban II who promised:

• Forgiveness for sins

• Cancellation of debts

• Protection for families and property

• Cancellation of criminal charges

• Land and wealth (from the Turks)

1st crusade: 3 groups marched to Holy LandMost successful; crusaders captured Jerusalem & Antioch; massacred thousands of MuslimsProblems: heat, supplies, disunity

2nd: Turks had retaken Jerusalem; group sent to take the city was defeated at Damascus3rd (King’s Crusade): led by kings; Frederick I fell from horse & drowned; Philip II fell ill and returned to France; led by Saladin, Turks kept lands

4th: crusaders sacked city of Zara for rival Venetians; excommunicated after they conquered Christian Constantinople; never reconquered Holy Land

Results of the Crusades Discovery of new ideas, inventions, weaponsKings gained powerStatus of women increasedRevival of trade between Europe & Middle East

Why go?

The Famine of The Famine of 1315-13171315-1317 By 1300 Europeans were farming By 1300 Europeans were farming

almost all the land they could cultivate.almost all the land they could cultivate. A population crisis developed.A population crisis developed. Climate changesClimate changes in Europe produced in Europe produced

three years of cold, heavy rainthree years of cold, heavy rain Crop failures between 1315-17Crop failures between 1315-17 As many as 15% of the peasants in As many as 15% of the peasants in

some English villages died.some English villages died. One consequence ofOne consequence of

starvation & povertystarvation & povertywas susceptibility towas susceptibility todisease.disease.

Black Death (Late 14th Century)

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Spread-Of-The-Black-Death.gif

• Spread along the Silk roads

The Disease The Disease CycleCycle

Flea drinks rat blood that carries the

bacteria.

Flea drinks rat blood that carries the

bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Human is infected!Human is infected!

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlague

A Doctor’s Robe

“Leeching”

Also, tried containment and quarantine but often too late or not enough places participate

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlague

Flagellanti:Self-inflicted “penance” for our

sins!

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlagueBlame the Jews

“Jew” hat

“Golden Circle” obligatory badge