Main idea: many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire
Why it matters now!: Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us came from.
Middle Ages = medieval period
500 - 1500 AD
medieval Europe is fragmented
1. invasions and constant warfare spark trends
a. disruption of trade
i. Europe's cities are no longer economic centers
ii. money is scarce
b. downfall of cities
i. cities are no longer centers of administration
c. population shifts
i. nobles retreat to the rural areas
ii. cities don't have strong leadership
2.invasions trigger changes in western Europe (cont.)
a. decline of learning
i. Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
ii. only priests and church officials could read and write
iii. Knowledge of Greek (and literature, science, philosophy) is almost lost
b. loss of a common language
i. dialects develop...
3. Germanic kingdoms emerge
a. the concept of govt. changes
i. Roman society: loyal to public govt.
ii. Germanic society: loyal to family
1. Germanic chief led warriors
2. during peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live (the lord's hall)
3. During wartime, warriors fought for the lord
iii. "the king? who's that? you want to collect taxes from me? who the hech are you?"
IV. franks live in the Roman province of Gaul - their leader is Clovis
b. the Franks under Clovis
i. another battlefield conversion! (just like Constantine!)
ii. Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
iii. the church in Rome approves of this "alliance"
IV. Clovis and the church begin to work together
4. Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
a. 511 AD - Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
b. 600 AD - church + Frankish rulers convert many
c. fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
4. Monasteries and convents
i. 520 AD - Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries
1. poverty, chastity, obedience, study
ii. his sister Scholastica did the same for nuns...
5. (pope) Gregory 1 expands papal power
a. papacy=pope's office
b. secular power=worldly power
c. so... under Gregory the great...
papal power (power of the pope) is political power.
presented from the pope's palace
d. the church can use church money to:
raise armies
repair roads
help the poor
e. Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome, and as head of an earthly kingdom (Christendom)
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