The Middle Ages
Unit Zero
Timeline of Western Civilization:
500 BCE
10 CE
• 1476 CE
500 CE
1500 CE
2000 CE
Classical/ Antiquity
Medieval/ Middle Ages
Modern
The Middle Ages
After the Fall: Timeline and Themes of the Middle Ages
• Early Middle Ages (500 – 1000 C.E.) "dark ages"
◦ There are no formal states
◦ Live in vert small communities
◦ Feudalism starts to arise
◦ People are looking for protection- start of lords and serfs
◦ Economy non- existent, no economic structure
◦ No learning or advancement
◦ No cultural output, little education
◦ Catholic Church starts to rise in power- allows for spiritual comfort
◦ No separation of church and state
• High Middle Ages (1000 – 1300 C.E.)
◦ Began to see signs of recovery form dark ages, civilization comes back (long distance trade, growth of more
formal political and economic structure)
◦ Kingdoms develop (monarch develops)
◦ More urban centers grow and more trade occurs
◦ More complex social classes
◦ More cultural output
◦ More court life (king, castle, etc)
◦ More/ new literature
◦ Early universities establishes
◦ Gothic architecture
• Late Middle Ages (1300 – 1450 C.E.)
◦ Series of disasters across Europe (Black plague - wipes out 1/3 of population)
◦ War that lasts 100 years between France and England
◦ 3 different popes
◦ Famine and starvation that leads to a lot of social upheaval
• Key Themes
◦ Extremely devout Christianity; Church power
‣ People are very devout and there is no separation between church and state
‣ Church has more power than kings
◦ Cultural fusion
‣ Classical roman with germanic - creates new european identity
‣ Cultural fusion -> Foundations of modern Europe
◦ Change in relationships between West and other regions
‣ Crusades
‣ Luxury goods
‣ Europe changes there interactions with other societies
Manorialism and Feudalism
• Manorialism: System of economic organization between landlords and peasant laborers (serfs) who live on
estates (manors)
◦ Reciprocal obligations
‣ Both serfs and manors have obligations to each other
‣ All serfs are peasants but not all serfs are peasants
‣ Serfs work in fields that are owned by manors
‣ The lord (manors) can have major power over serfs life
‣ Lord has to protect the serfs needs and protect them in times of danger
◦ Low levels of production & technology
‣ most people illiterate
‣ Manors where self sustaining
‣ Very vulnerable because of how small the towns where
◦ System of local politics
‣ Lords= Nobility= aristocracy = upper class
‣ Nobility is hereditary
‣ They have a lot of local power
• Peasant vs. Serf
◦ Peasant- live-in rural area and rely on subsistence agriculture, not obligated to anyone
◦ Serf- peasant that gives up certain freedoms to have the relationship with the lords
• Feudalism: Military and political system between kings, nobles, and knights based on loyalty
◦ Viking Invasions in 9th C -> Need for greater protection ->Growth of Feudal Monarchies
‣ feudalism is above manorialism
‣ Feudalism helps the rise of kingdoms and kings
◦ Social classes
‣ Kings
‣ vassals to king
‣ Vassals to lords
‣ Peasants (serfs)
◦ Reciprocal obligations
◦ Many benefits
◦ Growth of strong feudal (regional) monarchies in Europe
◦ 1200
‣ More definitive kingdoms in Europe
◦ Feudalism is good for nobility
◦ frequent warfare
◦ Creation of Medieval social system: Three Estates (Church, Nobles, Commoners)
‣ Church- has most power
‣ Nobles= land+title
• Attempts at limiting feudal governments by nobility
◦ 1215: Magna Carta
‣ King is not above the law and grants basic rights to nobility
‣ 33 min
◦ 1265: Creation of English Parliament
‣ Parliament is to serve as a check on royal power
‣ King has to ask parliament to permit new taxes etc
‣ No absolute power
◦ Despite all this, monarchs continued to increase in power
‣ Consistent theme though all of course
The Carolingian Empire, Charlemagne, and the Holy Roman Empire
• During Early MA, Franks emerged as strongest Germanic barbarian tribe – Led by Clovis (r. 481 – 511)
◦ Clovsih converts to Christianity
◦ kings needed to seek churches approval before doing anything
◦ King is made official by church
• Carolingian Empire and Charles Martel
◦ Descendants of Clovis
◦ Create western European identity
◦ Southern Europe and Northern Europe is more distinctive more power in north
◦ charles martel(the hammer)
◦ "Saves Europe form muslims"
◦ Battle of tours 732 CE
◦ Islam began in 600 and spread into Europe and France
◦ Charles martels son- Carolingian
• Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance
◦ Most powerful king during renaissance
◦ First emperor of Europe
◦ Stronger political structure
◦ Allows for the return of culture and learning
◦ Carolingian very close with the church
◦ Conquered new lands to the east and south
◦ Expands to become bigger than byzantine empire
• The Holy Roman Emperor
◦ Carolingian crowed this name by the church
◦ Air to the roman throne
◦ Symbolizes church being in more control of state
◦ Carolingians death causes a split into 3 sections
• The Holy Roman Empire (962 – 1806)
◦ otto the 1st is crowd holy roman emperor
◦ Decentralized
◦ And Otto is not very powerful more of a figure head
◦ German lords and nobles have a lot of power
The Roman Catholic Church
• The legacy of the Roman Empire?
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• Structure of the church (clergy)
◦ Pope/ papacy
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◦ Cardinals
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◦ Archbishops
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◦ Bishop/Diocese
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◦ Priest/Parish
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• Catholic Church becomes most powerful and wealthy institution in the West
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Characteristics of the Roman Catholic Church
• Canon Law and Ecclesiastical Courts
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• Monasticism (also members of the clergy)
◦ St. Benedict of Nursia
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• Emphasis on Salvation
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• Importance of Purgatory
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• Seven Sacraments
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• Cult of Saints
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Challenges of the Roman Catholic Church
• The Great Schism (1054)
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• Decline in respect for church/papacy in late Middle Ages
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• Jan Huss & John Wycliff – Heretics!
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The Byzantine Empire
• Eastern Roman Empire/Orthodox Christianity
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• Reign of Justinian (527-565)
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• Byzantine Politics & Economy
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• Muslim Challenge & Eventual Decline
The High Middle Ages
• The Crusades (1095 – 1270)
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• Consequences of the Crusades
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• Increased urbanization and declining manorialism
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• Increased economic activity; Growth of trade and banking
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• Development of Guilds
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• Art and literature
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• Growth of Universities
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• The Role of Women
The Crises of the Late Middle Ages
The Black Death (1347 – 1350)
• Bad weather/Famine
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• From Asia -> Europe
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• Black Death in Europe
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• Reactions to the plague
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• Changing Economy & Peasant Revolts
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The 100 Years War
• Conflict between England & France (1337 – 1453)
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• Changing Nature of Warfare
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• Alternating Victories; Intermittent Truces
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• Joan of Arc Saves the Day -> French win the war!
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• Significance of the war
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The Great Western Schism
• Who has supreme power – the Pope or a King?
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• Pope Boniface VIII vs. King Philip IV ->Unam Sanctum
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• Philip Excommunicated, Boniface Pope-napped
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• French Pope Clement -> Avignon
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• Avignon Papacy/Babylonian Captivity
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• Antipapal Sentiment
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Attempts at Reconciliation
• Catherine of Siena -> Pope Come Home!
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• French Cardinals in Rome -> Italian Pope
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• French Cardinals in France -> French Pope
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• Divided Europe, Damaged Church
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• Conciliarism
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• Council of Pisa (1409)
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• HRE Sigismund Steps In -> Council at Constance (1414 – 1481)
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Transition from Medieval to Modern Era
• Decline of Feudalism
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• Financial Instability -> Growth of Parliaments
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• Consolidation of Monarchies
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• Powerful Church; Declining Respect
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