After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Western Europe enters a steady decline: politically socially economically waves of invaders almost no trade learning declined superstition rises ** Isolated from advanced culture of the East Greco-Roman, Germanic and Christian traditions blend Goths, Vandals, Saxons and Franks – invaded territory of former Roman Empire › Farmers, herders, small communities, no codified law 400 700 C.E. Western Europe turned into small kingdoms Franks – King Clovis – 486 conquers Gaul › Coverts to Christianity › Blends Roman and Frankish customs › Created a bond with the Christian church of Rome Gaul Islam appears in Arabia Peninsula 622 › Muslim armies begin to seek expansion as far as Spain When Muslim armies cross into France… • Charles Martel organizes Frankish warriors • Battle of Tours 732, Christian warriors win Muslims retreat except for control of Spain Charlemagne – grandson of Martel › Unifies Western Europe (“Charles the Great”) 46 year reign › Fought Muslims in Spain, Saxons in the North, Avars and Slavs in the East, Lombards in Italy Pope Leo III, 799, asks Charlemagne for help with rebellious nobles in Rome › Charlemagne sends a delegation & arrests the rebels › 800 on Christmas Day Pope crowns Charlemagne Emperor of the Romans › Unites European Christian world Christendom Outrages eastern emperor & sets the stage for power struggles between future popes and Germanic peoples Charlemagne a great leader Tries to spread Christianity Appoints ruling nobles Missi dominici – officials to check on local areas Grievances, justice decisions … ORDER! Promotes education Creates schools Officials keep proper records Aachen – scholars worked at Palace school Charlemagne dies 814 • Louis I takes throne (son) • 843 – grandsons splits empire into three regions Treaty of Verdun New waves of invasion › Muslims gain control of Sicily › Magyars overtook Hungary › plunder France, Germany & Italy 50 years later, pushed back into Hungary › Vikings – from Scandinavia Independent farmers with land owning chieftains Excellent sailors VIKINGS!! VIKINGS 700s invade Europe loot & burn villages Trade across the Mediterranean 1000 set up a colony in North America Mixed with European populations Created major trade routes between Europe & Mediterranean lands Due to disorder and chaos caused by invading Vikings, Muslims and Magyars, Monarchs (Kings & Emperors) were too weak to maintain law & order › They needed help! FEUDALISM was developed A political system where powerful local lords divided their property to lessor lords or vassals The vassals pledged loyalty to their lord Feudal Hierarchy Serf Knight Vassal Peasant Pope/Church Monarch Nobles Farmers Craftsmen Merchant Feudalism an exchange of land for loyalty Lords granted a fief to the vassal via a feudal contract › A fief could be a few acres to hundreds of square miles › Peasants worked the land as well as any building or towns on it The lord promised to protect the vassal The vassal devoted 40 days per year to military service as well as payments and advice All aristocrats had a place in this hierarchy They had vassals and those vassals had vassals Could become complicated when vassals held fiefs from more than one lord Medieval nobles – warfare was a way of life › Rivalries were common › Nobles begin training in boyhood › At 7-years-old, sent away to Lord’s castle › Learned to ride, fight, maintain armor & weapons › When finished training became a knight › Mock battles called tournaments practice for actual warfare By 1100s, nobles had built huge castles with high walls, drawbridges and moats › Mighty fortress where the knights lived too Peasants would retreat behind the walls in time of conflict Noblewomen › Took over the manor during times of war › Supervised vassals, managed household, › No inheritance rights, although they may receive it as part of a dowry › Widow’s retained their land › Sometimes went to war › Prepared for marriage by friends and family Eleanor of Aquitaine one of the few politically active women (we know of!) Born in 1121 (d. 1204) Inherited Aquitaine (wealthy area of France) Queen of France (1137-1152) Queen of England (1152-1204) Brilliant intellectual, shrewd politician & stunningly beautiful Chivalry code of conduct adopted by Knights Only applied to nobility not peasantry Bravery, Loyalty, Honor, Fair in Combat Strict rules of etiquette and codes of conduct towards women Epic Poem Song of Roland (1100 C.E.) recites the Knight’s Code of Chivalry: To fear God and maintain His Church To serve the liege lord in valour and faith To protect the weak and defenceless To give succour to widows and orphans To refrain from the wanton giving of offence To live by honour and for glory To despise pecuniary reward To fight for the welfare of all To obey those placed in authority To guard the honour of fellow knights To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit To keep faith At all times to speak the truth To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun To respect the honour of women Never to refuse a challenge from an equal Never to turn the back upon a foe The Manor The heart of medieval economy Lord’s estate and attached community › Usually included one or more villages › Commoners worked on the manor › Most were serfs – bound to the land – not slaves, but had to ask the Lord permission to leave Map of Manor http://dgh.wikispaces.com/file/view/wh06msc09hcu011ap.jp g/76599259/wh06msc09hcu011ap.jpg Peasants worked part time for the Lord and was granted a small piece of land › In the fields, building infrastructure › Must ask permission to marry & pay fees to the Lord › In return, the Lord provided protection, housing, food and land THE MANOR a self-sufficient world peasants produced all that was needed: › Life was harsh – sun up to sun down › Children and women worked the fields › Hunger was common › Simple diet of vegetables and bread › Harsh punishment for bad behavior › Celebrations revolved around marriage and religion THE CHURCH Early Middle Ages (500-1100) converting people to Christianity was the goal • 597 – Pope Gregory sends St. Augustine to covert the Anglo-Saxons in England • missionaries from Britain converted the Germanic tribes • By late middle ages, anyone not Christian was viewed as suspicious › Rituals & faith part of everyday life › Priests celebrated mass & administered the sacraments Participation in sacraments leads to salvation & ever-lasting life › They preached the Bible and teachings of the Church only truth › Guided people on moral issues & assisted the sick and needy › Some priests ran schools Church was Religious & Social Center › Daily life revolved around Christian calendar › Important events (marriage, baptism, funerals) all held within the church › Members paid a tithe equal to 1/10 (or 10%) of their income › Some of this money was sent to Rome › Many churches had relics which people made pilgrimages to see Church Hierarchy Elect the Pope Supervise Priests Regular folk Bishops (who managed village priests) had larger churches called cathedrals Over time, cathedrals continued to get larger and more ornate Gothic cathedrals of the Late/High Middle (1200s to 1600s) mark the height of grandeur Church doctrine taught men and women were equal before God › HOWEVER … on earth women were viewed as weak & needed the guidance of men Church’s ideal woman Mary, the mother of Jesus. Punished women more harshly than men for sins Monastic Life followed the Benedictine Rule Saint Benedict created these rules in 530. › Monks and nuns took three vows: Obedience to abbot or abbess who headed the monastery or convent Poverty Chastity (purity, i.e. no sex) Required to work in the fields developed better agriculture techniques & crops Helped economy advance Monks and Nuns looked after sick and needy some of the earliest hospitals › Set up schools for children › Became missionaries › Helped Christians on pilgrimage › Monasteries and Convents had libraries and facilitated learning among the monks Women escaped constraints of life by entering the convents 12th Century: Abbess Hildegard wrote religious music and books became a Saint in 2012 As time went on rights were withdrawn & women could no longer preach the Gospel “Too much learning” & expected women to accept church authority controls not only spiritual, but secular worlds Papal supremacy claimed authority over all secular rulers Pope headed an army of churchmen who supervised church activities by geographical area Church and secular officials worked closely together Canon Law (religious teachings) governed many aspect of life: › Wills & marriages Church even had their own courts One could be excommunicated for severe sins condemned to hell for eternity Nobles who opposed the Church could face an interdict ban entire kingdom from receiving the sacraments Main goal of the church was to end the warfare among rival nobles It declared periods of peace = Truce of God demanded fighting stop between Friday and Sunday and religious holidays ›As the church grew in wealth and power, discipline weakened ›Pious Christians left wealth to monasteries and convents ›Monks and nuns begin to ignore vow of poverty ›Clergy lived in luxury ›Married priests spent more time on family matters than religious duties › Early 900’s, Abbot Berno set out to reform his monastery in Cluny (France) › Revive the Benedictine Rule Refused interference of nobles or bishops Placed himself under direct protection of the Pope Many other monasteries and convents followed his lead 1073 Gregory VII, former monk, became Pope › Limits secular interference › Outlawed marriage for priests › Prohibited simony – selling of church offices Friars monks who did not live in monasteries Begin preaching to the poor Saint Francis of Assisi – gave up comfortable life, devotes his life to teaching the Gospels and leading by example Saint Dominic – Spanish priest founded the Dominican order Women become involved and join the friars Jews in the Early Middle Ages Jewish communities existed in all areas of Europe › In Spain they flourished … Muslims were tolerant of both Jewish and Christian religions › After 1000,Christianity became dominant and prejudice against Jews increased Christians blamed famine and illness on the Jews The Church began forbidding Jews to own land or practice most occupations Popes still relied upon Jews in medicine and finance In response to the heightened persecution, Jews migrated to Eastern Europe and thrived due to their acceptance. Economic Recovery Sparks Change By 1000, new agriculture techniques had been adopted An agricultural revolution transforms Europe › Iron plows were being used by 800 › Horses were used over oxen due to a newly developed harness › Crop rotation By 1100: feudal warfare had declined foreign invasions had declined People felt safer to travel *** Trade began to increase! Merchant caravans were formed Regular trade routes were followed & business relationships were established In Constantinople Asian silks, spices & gold were bought and sent to Venice Europeans traded furs, honey, cloth, tin › 1200, Germans formed the Hanseatic League which dominated trade in Northern Europe for 150 years Built lighthouses, took action against robbers and pirates Along trade routes cities from 10,000 to 100,000 began to emerge › Charters document stating the rights and privileges of the citizens of the town. › Merchants paid fees to the King › Runaway Serfs could become free after living in the town for one year and one day Commercial Revolution › As trade revived, the use of money increased Banking houses began to offer credit which was then used as capital Groups of merchants joined together to form partnerships › This increased capital and reduced risk Insurance for business was developed for lost or destroyed shipments They adopt Muslim business practices › Letters of credit or bills of exchange The use of money undermined serfdom › Many peasants began selling farm goods They then paid rent to Lord, rather than in Labor Now considered tenant farmers Jews become money lenders because: › the Christian church forbade charging interest › Jews were not permitted to own land › Jews were not permitted to practice occupations Guilds are formed with the middle class › Organized by occupation Become involved in passing laws and levying taxes Guilds set quality standards, labor hours, set prices, provided social services Operated schools and hospitals Women had guilds as well Artisans had their own standards and many times were at odds with the merchants Becoming a guild member › Age 7 or 8 become an apprentice › Usually seven years learning a trade › No pay, but room and board › Become journeymen salaried worker › Few became guild masters Some accused the master of keeping their wages low so as not to be able to compete Towns and Cities › High protective walls › As cities grew they moved outside the walls › Houses added second and third stories › Streets were narrow & tall buildings blocked light Fire was always a threat During the day the marketplace would be full with people trying to sell their produce and wheat At night, the streets were dead No sanitation People threw their waste into the streets. Perfect breeding ground for disease!