The Middle Ages
World History
Sr. Mara Rose, O.P.
Break Down
Early Middle Ages
1000
500
High Middle Ages
1300
Late Middle Ages
1500
Early Middle Ages
•
•
•
•
Rise of the Germanic kingdoms
New system of government: Manorialism
Revival of the Eastern Empire
Carolingian dynasty
570
Fall of
Rome
525
500
622
787
Seljuk
Turks
732
600
700
800
900
962
1000
High Middle Ages
•
•
•
•
Early
Middle
Ages
Rise in Feudalism
New & better farming techniques
First European universities
Communal enterprises in government
William, duke of
Normandy,
conquers England
1095
1000
1066
1100
Pope Urban II
calls for the
first crusade
Begin
building
Notre Dame
Cathedral
1163
1150
Acre falls
to the
Muslims
Constantinople
falls
1187
1215
1204
Saladin 1200
defeats
Crusaders
1250
1291
Late
Middle
Ages
1300
Late Middle Ages
•
•
•
•
The Black Death/Plague
Rise in Literature and literacy
Threat from the east of the Ottoman Empire
Increase in popular piety and religious ideas
Constantinople
Pop-Up
Quiz
falls for the last
Great Schism
time
begins
1347
1417
What
were
the
reasons
for
the
fall
of Rome?
High
Middle
1378A. Christianity 1453
Ages
1305
1350
1300
1400
1450
1500
Black Death first
B.
A
series
of
events
appears in Italy
C. Constantine
Avignon papacy
begins
Rennaisance
Regional Rule, Local Views, 500-750
CHAPTER 9
Regional Rule, Local Views 500-750
Question of the day:
What impact did the disappearance of
centralized authority have on the economy in
western Europe?
Regional Rule, Local Views 500-750
• Power vacuum: who will fill the void?
– Barbarian leaders
• Small political units
• Independent from former Mediterranean rule
• Violent and unstable
Three Civilizations, 800
What might be the consequences of the diversity among Rome’s successors?
Regional Rule, Local Views 500-750
• Kingship and Rule in
Merovingian Gaul
– A Father’s Estate
• Consequence: Familial
Violence
– Warrior Chieftains Pop-Up Quiz
From your reading: After the Roman emperor Romulus Augustulus
deposed,
the the high
The swordwas
hilts pictured
here reveal
quality of Merovingian
crafts. The
gold Europe was on local rule.
a. Emphasis
in delicate
western
leaf on the handle indicates that the king who
Gothic
tribes
formed
wielded theseb.
weapons
used
them for
display a political alliance.
more than forc.
battle.
Former provinces of the Roman Empire were run by legion
commanders.
d. Church stepped in to rule instead of the imperial senate.
Regional Rule, Local Views 500-750
• The Iberian and Italian
Peninsulas
– Visigothic Rule in Iberia
• Conversion from Arian to
Roman Christianity
• Conquest by the Muslims,
718
– Italy and the Lombards
• Tensions with the Church
and Pope
– Frankish Protection of
the Pope
The conversion of the Visigoths from Arian to Roman
Christianity made them more acceptable as rulers to the
people of the Iberian Peninsula. What does the fortress-like
appearance of this church suggest about the role churches
sometimes played in the sixth century?
Regional Rule, Local Views 500-750
• The Decline of Trade
– Economic Changes
• Decrease in Luxury Goods
• Change from Gold to Silver
• Heightened Self-Sufficiency
– Fewer Markets
• The Decline of Cities
Pop-Up Quiz
– Little Safety in Numbers
One of the major problems contributing to warfare in Merovingian Gaul was that
– Cities in the Italian Peninsula
A. All branches of the family were entitled to form their own dynasty
• The
Roman
Infrastructure
B. All property
wasSurvival
divided of
equally
among
descendants, instigating fights for power
C. They were on the border with the Vandals
D. There was much intermarriage between clans
Regional Rule, Local Views 500-750
• On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
What impact did the disappearance of
centralized authority have on the economy in
western Europe?
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire in the East, 500-650
CHAPTER 8
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
Question of the Day:
In what ways did Emperor Justinian seek to
codify Christian belief?
Remember: Three Civilizations, 800
Think Back/Look Back
In Chapter 7 on page 209 it discusses the beginning of the Byzantine Empire.
Take a minute to look over the text.
Then with your neighbor, take 2 minutes to discuss the differences with the West.
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
• The Ambitions of Justinian I (r. 527-565)
– Reconquest
• The Campaigns of Belisarius (505-565)
– Success in North Africa and the Italian Peninsula
• Eastern Threats: Persia and the Slavs
• The Costs of Empire
– Ceremony
• Imperial Dignity
• Empress Theodora (497-548)
– The Nika Riot, 532
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
What does this map
reveal about the
challenges that
confronted
Byzantium in its
attempts to maintain
Justinian’s ambitious
reconquest and his
plans to restore
imperial glory?
Justinian’s Empire
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
• The Search for Christian
Unity
– Authority
• The Mystery of the Mass
• The Limitations of Laity
– Belief
Pop-Up Quiz
Pop-Up Quiz
• The Debate over the
Nature of Christ
– The Condemnation of
In Justinian's attempts to strengthen the church, in which he considered his power co-equal,
Monophysites
Which was the most costly of Justinian’s economicthe
expenses?
he persecuted all of the following except the
A. Building fortifications to fend off the Slavs
A. Monophysites
The asymmetrical eyesB.ofMaintaining
this life-sizearmies against Persia
B. Nicenes
C. Building
icon of Jesus Christ are
intendedthe
to Hagia Sophia cathedral
C. Jews
D.
Retaking
Italy
signal Christ’s dual nature.
D. Neoplatonics
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
• The Codification of Roman Law
– The Body of Civil Law
– Family Law
• The Governance of the Patria Potestas
– Commerce
• The Regulating Power of Contracts
Justinian and the Revival
of the Empire in the East,
500-650
• Constantinople: The New
Rome
– The Grandeur of the Hagia
Sophia
– The Epicenter of Commerce
• Bazaars
– The Ravages of Bubonic
Plague
The immense dome of Constantinople’s Hagia
Sophia was meant to instill a sense of awe.
The Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s Hagia Sophia dominated the urban
landscape of sixth-century Constantinople and still
stands out in the skyline of modern Istanbul.
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
• The Empire after Justinian
– New Pressures
• Lombards in the West
• Avars in the East
– Heraclius (r. 610-641)
• Reforms and Stabilization
• Victory against the Persians
Justinian and the Revival of the Empire
in the East, 500-650
• On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
In what ways did Emperor Justinian seek to
codify Christian belief?
The Western Church, 500-800
CHAPTER 9
Question of the Day:
How did bishops and monasteries help to
preserve social order and literacy after the end
of the empire in the West?
The Western Church, 500-800
• The Christianization of
Northern Europe
– Mission to Britain
• Pope Gregory I (r. 590604) and Augustine of
Canterbury (d. 604)
– Aethelbert (r. ca. 593631) and Bertha of Kent
– Synod of Whitby, 664
– Irish Monks
Pope Gregory I sent missionaries to convert the peoples of
northern Europe and the British Isles. He also wrote
theological works that led to his inclusion among the Church
Fathers.
• Columba (521-597)
• Columbanus (543-615)
• Boniface (ca. 672-754)
The Western Church, 500-800
• The Bishops
– Regional Consultation
• Administration: Bishopric/Diocese, Parish, Cathedral
• Masses, Tithes, and Dogma
• Secular Cooperation
• The Bishop of Rome
– A Prestigious Office: the Papacy and Papal States
– Far-Reaching Claims
• The Donation of Constantine
The Western Church, 500-800
• Monasticism and
Learning
– A Way of Life and Prayer
• Benedict of Nursia (ca.
480-543)
– Rules, the Divine
Office, and Cloister
– Intellectual Work
• Scribes and Illumination
• Bede (ca. 673-735)
– Religious Women
Monks spent part of their day walking in
silent contemplation around the cloister
with their prayer books. In all honesty
they did more than that!
The Western Church, 500-800
• On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
How did bishops and monasteries help to
preserve social order and literacy after the end
of the empire in the West?
The Rise of Islam, 600-700 & The Expansion of Islam, 700-800
CHAPTER 9
The Rise & Expansion of Islam
Question of the Day:
How did the spread of Islam in the eighth
century change the religious and political
landscape of the Mediterranean?
The Rise of Islam, 600-700
• The Setting: the Arabian
Peninsula
– Trade and the Caravans
– The Coastal Plain and
the Towns
• Mecca and the
Importance of the Kaaba
– The Domination of the
Quraysh Tribe
The Rise of Islam, 600-700
• The Life of Muhammad
(570-632)
– Conversion
• The Recitations (Sura; the
Basis for the Quran)
• The Spread of
Muhammad’s Message
– Hostility in Mecca and
Invitation to Medina
• The Hejira, 622
– Muhammad’s
Leadership and Death
During pre-Islamic times the Kaaba in Mecca
served as an important destination for
religious pilgrims.
The Rise of Islam, 600-700
• Religious Beliefs
– Submission and Obedience to God’s Will
– The Five Pillars of Islam
•
•
•
•
•
One God—Allah
Prayer
Fasting During Ramadan
Charity
The Hajj, Pilgrimage to Mecca
The Rise of Islam, 600-700
• Christians and Jews: People of the Book
– Contrasts in Ideas and Practices of Authority
– Treatment of the Dhimmi
• Muslim Families
– The Practice of Polygamy
– Privacy, Protection, and Restrictions for Women
• The Harem, Seclusion, and Veiling
• Opportunities: Property Management and Moral
Authority
The Expansion of Islam, 700-800
• The First Caliphs and
Territorial Expansion
• The Umayyad Dynasty
– The Schism between
Shi’ites and Sunnis
– The New Capital in
Damascus, 661
Under the leadership of the caliphs,
Islam spread dramatically in the first one
hundred years after the death of
Muhammad.
• Conquest of Persia and
Byzantine Lands
The Expansion of Islam, 700-800
• Conquest in the West
– The Conversion of the Berbers
– Tariq ibn Ziyad (d. 720) and the Conquest of
Gibralter
– Settlement in Africa and Iberia
• Defeat by the Franks at Tours, 732
• The Abbasid Dynasty and the New Capital at
Baghdad
• The Creation of the Caliphate at Cordoba
The Expansion of Islam, 700-800
• Islamic Civilization
– The Influence of Older
Cultures and Traditions
– Art and Literature
• The Poetry of Abu Nuwas
(ca. 747-813)
– Commerce and Urban
Life
• The Promotion of Trade
– Cultural Unification and
the Arabic Language
Islamic art and architecture, as depicted in this
mosque in Cordoba, Spain, retained their
distinctive features throughout the Muslim
world.
The Expansion of Islam, 700-800
• On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
How did the spread of Islam in the eighth
century change the religious and political
landscape of the Mediterranean?
Charlemagne and the Revival of Empire in the West, 700-900
CHAPTER 9
Charlemagne and the Revival of Empire in
the West, 700-900
Question of the Day:
Charlemagne and the Revival of Empire in the
West, 700-900
• From Mayor (Major
Domo) to King
– The Carolingians
• Charles Martel (686-741),
“the Hammer”
– Tours, 732
• Pepin (r. 714-768)
– Acting Like a King
• From King to Emperor
– Charlemagne (r. 768-814)
What might the difference in the size of
Charlemagne and his wife signify besides relative
height?
• Reviving the Title of
Emperor, 800
Europe and the Mediterranean, ca. 800
Does the Frankish kingdom seem integrated into the old
Mediterranean world or isolated from it?
Charlemagne and the Revival of Empire in the
West, 700-900
• Imperial Rule
– Ministerial Kingship
• Counts, Missi Dominici,
and Cartularies
– A New Capital: Aachen
– A Cultural Revival
• Alcuin of York (ca. 732804)
• Liturgy
• Seven Liberal Arts
• The Partition of Empire
– Louis the Pious
– Treaty of Verdun, 843
Charlemagne spent nearly his entire reign on military
campaign. Late in life, he settled in his capital at
Aachen in northern Germany. This bronze statue of
Charlemagne on horseback shows him wearing a
crown and holding an orb.
Charlemagne and the Revival of Empire in the
West, 700-900
• On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
Middle Byzantine Period, 600-1071
CHAPTER 8
Middle Byzantine Period, 600-1071
Questions of the Day:
• What concerns did Byzantine emperors have
about the use of icons in religious worship?
• What factors contributed to the growing
divide between the two halves of the old
Roman Empire?
Middle Byzantine Period, 600-1071
• Losses and Reforms
– Territorial Decline in the South and West
• The Loss of Syria, Palestine, and Egypt
– Military and Administrative Policies
• Constans II (630- 668) and the Creation of Themes
• Strengthening Defenses
– The Navy and Greek Fire
– The Cataphracts
• Creating Dissension
Middle Byzantine Period, 600-1071
• The Waning of
Byzantine Society
– Plague and Population
Collapse
– The Decline of Education
and Literacy
• The Controversy over
Icons
Icons, like this depiction of Jacob’s ladder from the
twelfth century, served as a focus for worship in early
Byzantine history, but few survived the period of
iconoclasm.
– Leo III (r. 717-741) and
the Initiation of
Iconoclasm
Middle Byzantine Period, 600-1071
• Irene (ca. 752-803): From Regent to Empress
– Consolidating Power and Ending Iconoclasm
• A Reorientation to the North
– The Threat of the Rus
• Conversion through Missionaries Cyril (ca. 827-869),
Methodius (ca. 825-885), and the Cyrillic Alphabet
– The Growing Muslim Threat in the South
• The Seljuk Turks and Manzikert, 1071
Middle Byzantine Period, 600-1071
• On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
• What concerns did Byzantine emperors have
about the use of icons in religious worship?
• What factors contributed to the growing
divide between the two halves of the old
Roman Empire?
Order and Disorder in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries
CHAPTER 9
Order and Disorder in the Ninth and
Tenth Centuries
Question of the Day:
Which factors played a role in perpetuating the
warfare and violence among the ruling families
of the Frankish kingdoms?
Order and Disorder in the Ninth and
Tenth Centuries
• Lords and Vassals
– Land Grants (Fiefs) and Fealty in Return for
Military Service in Feudal Armies
• Peasants and the Manor
– Working the Demesne
– Serfs: Labor and Limitations
– Bailiffs: Peasant Authority on the Manor
The Carolingian World
Merchants in Europe never ceased to supply slaves to the
Byzantines and Muslims. Captives were sold in the major
slave markets of Constantinople, Cordoba, Rome, and
Alexandria.
In which direction did
most trade run?
Which regions did the
Vikings raid and
which did they settle?
Order and Disorder in the Ninth and
Tenth Centuries
• Saracens in the
Mediterranean
• Vikings in the North
– The Danes and Alfred of
Wessex (r. 871-899)
– The Norsemen in France
– Viking Society: Sagas
Seventy feet long and sixteen feet wide,
a Viking long ship was capable of
navigation over deep-sea water and up
shallow river routes. How efficient would
a vessel like this have been for carrying
crew, provisions, and cargo?
• Beowulf
• Magyars in the East
– Defeat at Lechfeld, 955
Order and Disorder in the Ninth and
Tenth Centuries
• The Empire Under Otto
(r. 936-963)
– Religious Authority
– Conquest
– Provincial
Administration: Dukes
The isolated setting of the monastery at
Conques in southwestern France is
typical of monasteries seeking refuge
from invaders and warlords.
Order and Disorder in the Ninth and
Tenth Centuries
On a piece of paper, using RATS, answer the
question of the day:
Which factors played a role in perpetuating the
warfare and violence among the ruling families
of the Frankish kingdoms?
Work Cited
•
Making Europe: The Story of the West. Kidner, Bucer, Mathisen McKee, and Weeks.
Cengage Learning. (Boston, 2009).