Class

Today in class we took a really hard test and I am really mad. Barely any of the stuff that we went over yesterday were on the test. I already know that I did bad and I have not even got my test back. I got so many wrong and I am really sad. I thought that I was going to do well but I guess not. You also threw an eraser at Hanna's head which was very scary and life threatening. I am terrified for her safety and was about to run out of the room screaming. I thought that you were going to throw more erasers so I was worried about me too. Hopefully that won't happen again.

Test Review

• medieval period- AD 476- AD 1453
• New society has roots in:
• classical heritage of Rome
• beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
• customs of various Germanic Tribes

5th Century Germanic invaders

• overrun the western half of the Roman Empire
• causing:
• disruption 
• downfall of cities
• population shifts to rural areas 

Effects of Invasion 

• Decline of learning 
• tribes had oral tradition, songs, but couldn't read Greek or Latin 
• Roman languages evolve (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian)
• few besides priests were literate 
• Germanic warriors' loyalty is to the lord of the manor he provides them with food, weapons, treasure
• Result:
• no orderly government for large areas
• small communities rule
• Clovis rules the Germanic people of Gaul, known as the Franks (which is where "France" comes from)
• in 496 he has a battlefield conversion- he and 3000 of his warriors become Christians 
• In 520, Benedict writes rules for Monks:
• vows of poverty (live simply in monasteries)
• chastity (no marital relations)
• obedience (listen to church superiors)
• His sister Scholastica writes similar rules for nuns 
• they operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books 
• church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies
• theocracy- a government run off of one dominate religion 
• Gregory's spiritual kingdom (Christendom) extends from Italy to England, from Spain to Germany 
• Clovis' descendants include Charles Martel, known as Charles the Hammer
• Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain at the Battle of Tours 732 
• Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short 
• son #2 is Charles, known as Charlemagne, meaning Charles the Great 
• became the most powerful king of all time
• his son- Louis the Pious- was ineffective
• Louis' three sons- could figure out who to be king- split up kingdom at the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD

Notes

Setting the Stage!

• Middle ages= medieval period
• 476-1453 AD

This is a new society

• This new society has roots in:
• Classiucal heritage of Rome
• Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
• Customs of various Germanic tribes.

5th Century Germanic invaders

• Overrun the western half of the Roman Empire
• Causing
• Disruption of trade
• Downfall of cities
• Population shifts to rural areas

Effects of Invasion

• Decline of learning
• Tribes had oral tradition, songs, but couldn’t read Greek or Latin
• Romance languages evolve (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian)
• Few besides priests were literate

Germanic kingdoms

• Germanic Kingdoms emerge: AD 400-600
• Germanic warriors' loyalty is to the lord of the manor he provides them with food, weapons, treasure
• Result:
• No orderly government for large areas
• Small communities rule

Even so….Clovis riles the Franks

• Clovis riles the Germanic people of Gaul, known as the Franks (which is where "France comes from)
• In 496 he has a battlefield conversion- he and 3000 of his warriors become Christians
• The Church in Rome likes this
• By 511 the Franks are united into one kingdom, with Clovis and the Church working as partners.

Spread of Christianity

• Church + Frankish rulers= rise in Christianity
• In 520, Benedict write ruled for monks"
• Vows of poverty (live simply in monasteries )
• Chastity (no marital relations)
• Obedience (listen to church superiors)
• His sister Scholastica writes similar rules for nuns
• They operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books

Pope Gregory and Papal Power Play

• Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) goes secular (worldly power)
• Church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies
• This is theocracy
• Gregory's spiritual Kingdom (Christendom) extends from Italy to England, from Spain to Germany

Who's running Europe?

• CLovis riles the Franks in Gaul until his death in 511
• Most of the rest of Europe consists of smaller kingdoms (seven in England alone)
• Clovis' descendants include Charles Martel, known as Charles the Hammer
• Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain at the Battle of tours in 732 (If he hadn't won, western Europe could have become part of the Muslim Empire- that's huge!)

How do you follow the Hammer?

• Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short
• He works with the Church and is named "king by the grace of God by the Pope (Popes can do that?)
• Pepin the Short dies in 768, leaving 2 sons
• Son #1- Charloman- dies in 771
• Son #2 is Charles, known as Charlemagne, meaning Charles the Great
• Six feet four inches and a well-known warrior

Notes

C. Germanic peoples adopt Christianity

1. 511 AD- Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom

2. 600 AD- Church + Frankish rulers convert many

3. fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians

4. Monasteries and convents

a. 520 AD- Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries

i. Poverty, chastity, obedience, study

b. His sister Scholastica did the same for nuns in convents

c. 731 AD- the Venerable Bede wrote a killer history of England

d. Monks opened schools, maintained libraries , and copied books {Bibles, Greek texts}

D. A European Empire Evolves

1. Franks control largest European kingdom

a. The Roman province formerly known as Gaul

b. Ruled by Clovis- the Merovingian Dynasty

2. Major domo- mayor of the palace- ruled the kingdom

3. Charles Martel- Charles the Hammer

a. extended the Franks' reign to the north, south, and east

b. Defeated a Muslim army from Spain at the Battle of Tours in 732- historic battles {why?}

D. A European Empire evolves {cont'd}

4. Charles the Hammer's son

a. Possibly named for his unusual short haircut

b. working for and with the Pope, Pepin fought the Lombards

c. Pope Stephen II named Pepin "king by the grace of God"- beginning the Carolingian Dynasty 751-987 AD

{So, a Pope can do that? Name someone "king"? Yup.}

d. Pepin the Short had two sons: Carolman and Charles

e. Carolman died, leaving….

E. Charlemagne takes center stage

1. Charlemagne- aka CHARLES THE GREAT

a. six foot four

b. built the greatest empire since Rome

c. fought the Muslims in Spain

d. Fought Germanic tribes

e. Spread Christianity

f. Reunites Western Europe

g. Became the most powerful king in Western Europe

h. Pope Leo III crowned him emperor in 800 AD after he defended him from an unruly Roman mob

i. This signaled the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the heritage of the Roman Empire

E. Charlemagne takes center stage {cont'd]

2. Charlemagne's government

a. He limited the authority of the nobles

b. He regularly visited every part of his kingdom

c. Kept a close watch on his huge estates

3. Cultural revival

a. Encouraged learning

b. ordered monasteries to open schools

c. opened a palace school

4. But, his heir were weenies (couldn’t leave)…

a. His son- Louis the Pious- was ineffective

b. Louis' three sons- Lothair Charles the Bald, & Louis the German- split up the kingdom at the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD

notes

GERMANIC KINGDOMS UNITE UNDER CHARMLEMAGNE

Main Idea

• Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire

Why is matters now!

• Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us came from.

Setting the stage!

• Middle ages= medieval period
• 500-1500 AD
• Medieval Europe is fragmented

1. Invasions trigger changes in Western Europe

 1. invasions and constant warfare spark new trends

1. Distribution of trade
1. Europe's cities are no longer economic centers
2. Money is scarce
2. Downfall of cities
1. Cities are no longer centers of administration
3. Population shifts
1. Nobles retreat to the rural areas
2. Cities don’t have strong leadership

A. Invasions trigger changes in western Europe {cont'd}

  2. Decline of learning

a. Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition

b. only priests and church officials could read and write

c. knowledge of Greek {and literature, science, philosophy} is almost lost

 3.  loss of a common language

a. dialects develop in different regions

By the 800S, French, Spanish, other Roman-based languages are evolving from Latin.

B. Germanic Kingdoms emerge

1. the concept of government changes

a. Roman society: loyal to public gov't

b. Germanic society: loyal to family

i. Germanic chief led warriors

ii. During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live {the lord's hall}

iii. During wartime, warriors fought for the lord

c. "The king? Who's that? You want to collect taxes from me? Who the heck are you?"

d. Franks live in the Roman province of Gaul- their leader is Clovis

B. Germanic kingdoms emerge

2. The Franks under Clovis

a. another battlefield conversion! {Just like Constantine}

b. Clovis and 30 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop

c. The church in Rome approves of this "alliance"

d. Clovis and the Church begin to work together

A simple mathematical equation

Clovis' military expertise

+

The church's support and money

___________________________

A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN TWO POWERFUL FORCES! WOO-HOO!

C. Germanic peoples adopt Christianity {cont'd}

5. {Pope} Gregory I 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 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}

Class

Today in class, we went over our test. I like that because it is a really good study guide for the final. My grade in this class was an 83% but now it is a 85%. This is better than and 83 but it still is not great.

Notes:

A definition….

• Feudalism: a political, military, and economic system based on land-holding and protective alliances

In other words: the system is based on personal loyalty to people who can help you

• RICH DUDE (LORD): "I own land; I need people to help me work it and defend it"
• TOUGH DUDES (VASSALS): "There are a lot of us, we can help the rich dudes hold on to their land"

The Feudal Pyramid

  King

The most powerful VASSALS

(Nobles and Bishops)

Knights- mounted warrior who

received FIEFS for defending their lord's land

PEASANTS(mostly SERFS)

Landless, powerless, moneyless, rights-less

  Just working the land for "the men" (their lord)

Mind your manors

• Manor: the lord's estate
• The lord's manor house
• A church
• Some workshops
• 15-30 families
• All on a few square miles
• Good news: It's a self-sufficient community
• Bad news: It's harsh is you're a peasant

How harsh is it?

• Peasants are poor AND pay taxes
• Tax on grain
• Tax on marriage
• Church tax (tithe=10% of their income)
• They live in crowded cottages
• Live with animals and insects (ewww…)
• Eat VERY simply
• But don’t worry- the Church says this is your lot in life
• God determines you place in society- so chill

Class

Today in class, we took a test. I got an A on the test, which means I got a ding! I was really happy because that was the first A I got on one of Mr. Schick's tests. The test was pretty easy because we have taken tests on all of the information before. I am happy that we get to keep the tests because it will help with the final exam. For the rest of class, we were aloud to do whatever we want. I don't know what else to say so I guess I am done. I am happy about my grade and I hope that I do well on the final exam!