Chapter 8 Notes The Middle Ages 476-1500
The Middle Ages or Medieval Period occurred between or in the middle of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance..
When the Western Roman Empire collapsed:
law and order declined,
learning declined,
trade declined,
cities declined,
and feudalism
was born.
S o w h a t i s f e u d a l i s m? be able to draw the feudalism triangle on the test
Lords were nobles that had land.
Serfs were peasants that owed the lord money.
Knights practiced chivalry, or showing honor, humility, courage, and courtesy to women and the poor.
Knight armor was expensive and heavy.
Chainmail
prevented punctures from swords.
Today its used by butchers and woodworkers, divers as shark-resistant wetsuits
Cathedrals
The original Notre Dame is in Paris.
This one would cover an entire football field.! (153 meters long)
Why did Cathedrals dominate the skylines of Medieval Europe?
In other words, why were they by far the largest buildings?
Clergy Hierarchy
Pope, Cardinals, bishops, priests, monks
The Pope controlled the people by using:
INTERDICT – sacred rites (ceremonies) forbidden
EXCOMMUNICATION – loss of membership in the church
Know these words:
Secular Monastery –
Sacrament The purpose of a castle was …
The Battle of Tours, 732
Charles Martel united the Franks in Gaul (France) and stopped the further expansion of the Muslims.
Charlemagne “Charles the Great” 742 – 814
United much of Europe
the Pope crowned him emperor in 800
The Vikings
They were farmers, sailors and explorers.
They lived in Scandinavia of northern Europe
Their long, shallow boats could navigate rivers.
They were powered by sails and oars.
They struck quickly, then left with the loot.
The Great East–West Schism of 1054
issues of the source of the Holy Spirit
whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the Eucharist
the Pope's claim to universal jurisdiction
The Great Western Schism 1378-1418
was a period when the Catholic Church had two or more Popes in different countries
The Crusades
Pope Urban II, 1095
"Conquer that land (the Holy Land/Israel) which the wicked have seized. Undertake this journey for the
remission of your sins. When you make an armed attack on the enemy, cry out, God wills it! God wills it!”
The Crusades 1095-1291
The Seljuk Turks did not allow Christians to visit Jerusalem.
So the Pope told Christians to take the Holy Land from the Muslims.
60,000 left for the first crusade, yet only 12,000 made it to Jerusalem. Why?
Jerusalem was captured but held for only ten years. Why?
There were eight major crusades over a span of 200 years.
The Crusades … Killing Muslims and Jews – in the name of God
The Children’s Crusade of 1212, sent thousands of children to their deaths. (see page 346)
The Third Crusade (the Kings' Crusade)
The French king drowned while crossing a river.
The German king got homesick and turned around.
King Richard of England was the only one to complete the journey.
King Richard of England gained the name “Lionheart” for the battles in the Holy Land, yet he never captured
Jerusalem.
Richard the Lionheart
Saladin had agreed to pay a ransom for 2000 Muslim soldiers captured by the crusaders.
Miscommunication led Richard to have the Muslims executed.
On the way to Jerusalem, Richard ‘s own soldiers suffered badly from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Richard asked Saladin to send water.
Incredibly, Saladin sent snow and fresh fruit.
Why would Saladin do this?
Why did Saladin do that?
Saladin was a strict Muslim, and they were to help those in need.
Also, Saladin’s men could spy on Richard.
Saladin found that Richard only had 2,000 fit soldiers and 50 knights. As such, Richard could not hope to take Jerusalem.
However, Saladin and Richard came to a truce.
The Story Continues
On King Richard’s return to Europe, his ship wrecked in a storm.
He traveled overland across Austria, the home of a sworn enemy: Duke Leopold.
Leopold originally wanted to be part of the Third Crusade, but he had been ridiculed by Richard.
Richard called Leopold "the sponge" because he was often drunk.
Leopold now had a chance to avenge himself.
Richard was held captive for two years until a ransom was paid for him!
Legacy of the Crusades
weakened the Pope’s power as the Christians didn’t always win
weakened feudalism as nobles and knights never came back
increased trade in the Middle East with spices, food, silk, perfumes and dyes
increased Muslim distrust of the Christians, even to this day.
The European Population grew because of increased food production.
Food production increased because of (2):
The Three Field System
rotating different crops in three fields
one field laid fallow, but production increased overall
Some crops take nutrients from the soil, and some add nutrients
Horses replaced Oxen because they were (3):
In 1066, at the Battle of Hastings
King William the Conqueror of Normandy sailed across the English Channel and defeated the Anglo-Saxons.
English Law and Language were influenced by the Normandy king.
The Magna Carta
In 1215 the nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta for fair taxes and trial by jury.
Years later, all citizens had the rights
The Magna Carta is the most significant human rights document.
Later, Parliament was formed as a body of representatives.
The Jews in Europe
became money lenders because Christians were forbidden by the church.
The pope thought charging interest on a loan was a sin.
John Wycliffe, 1300s
preached that Jesus was the head of the church, not the Pope.
said the Bible was the authority of God, not the Pope.
He also inspired an English translation of the New Testament. What language had the Bible been written in?
The Hundred Years’ War 1337-1453
an on and off war was fought by the English and French.
The war brought a feeling of nationalism to the countries.
The Reconquista
After 800 years in Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the remaining Muslims in 1492.
Like the crusades, Christians were driven by religion and greed.
Most military actions against the Moors were privately financed.
Investors gained land and other riches
The Muslims influence in Europe:
philosophy, science, math, and number symbols (originally from India)
Much of the Muslims’ knowledge came from the ancient Greeks.
The End