Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Because I don't have enough notes.

  1. Main Idea
    1. Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire
  2. Why it matters
    1. Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of use came from
  3. Setting the Stage
    1. Middle Ages = Medieval period
    2. 500-1500 AD
    3. Medieval Europe is fragmented

  1. Invasions trigger changes in western Europe
    1. Invasions and constant warfare spark new trends
      1. Disruption of trade
        1. Europe 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
    2. Decline of Learning
      1. Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
      2. Only priests and church officials could read and write
      3. Knowledge of Greek (and literature, science, philosophy) is almost lost
    3. Loss of a common language
      1. Dialects develop in different regions
      2. By the 800's, French, Spanish, other Roman-based languages are evolving from Latin
  2. Germanic kingdoms emerge
    1. The concept of government changes
      1. Roman society: loyal to public gov't
      2. Germanic society: loyal to family
        1. Germanic chief led warriors
        2. During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live (the lords hall)
        3. During wartime, warriors fought for the lord
      3. "The king? Who's that? You want to collect taxes from me? Who the heck are you?"
      4. Franks live in the Roman province of Gaul- their leader is Clovis
    2. The franks under Clovis
      1. Another battlefield conversion (Just like Constantine!)
      2. Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
      3. The church in Rome approves of the "alliance"
      4. Clovis and the Church begin to work together
    3. Clovis military expertise + the church's support and money = strategic alliances between two powerful forces!
  3. Germanic people adopt Christianity
    1. (Pope) Gregory I expands papal power
      1. Papacy = pope's office
      2. Secular power = worldly power
      3. So..under Gregory the great….
    2. Papal Power (power of the pope) is political power presented from the Pope's palace
    3. The church can use money to:
      1. Raise armies
      2. Repair roads
      3. Help the poor
    4. Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome, and as head of an earthly kingdom (Christendom)
    5. 511AD - Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
    6. 600AD - Church and Frankish rulers convert many
    7. Fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
    8. Monasteries and convents
      1. 520 AD - Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries
        1. Poverty, chastity, obedience, study
      2. His sister Scholastica did the same for nuns in convents
      3. 731 AD - the Venerable Bede wrote a killer history of England
      4. Monks opened schools, maintains libraries, and copied books (Bibles, Greek texts)
  4. A European Empire Evolves
    1. Franks control largest European kingdom
      1. The roman province formerly known as Gaul
      2. Ruled b Clovis - the Merovinigan Dynasty
    2. Major domo- mayor of the palace - ruled the kingdom
    3. Charles Martel - Charles the Hammer
      1. Extended the Franks reign to the north south and east
      2. Defeated a Muslim army from Spain at the Battle of Yours in 732 - historic battle
    4. Charles the Hammer's son - Pepin the Short
      1. Possibly named for his unusual short haircut
      2. Working for and with the pope, Pepin fought the Lombards
      3. Pope Stephen II named Pepin "king by the grace of God" - beginning the Carolingian Dynasty 751 -987 AD
    5. The pope can name someone "king"
    6. Pepin the Short had two sons: Carolman and Charles
      1. Carolman dies
    7. Charlemagne takes center stage
      1. Charlemagne - aka Charles the Great
      2. Six foot four
      3. Built the greatest empire since Rome
      4. Fought the Muslims in Spain
      5. Fought Germanic tribes
      6. Spread Christianity
      7. Reunited Western Europe
      8. Became the most powerful king in Western Europe
      9. Pope Leo III crowned him emperor in 800 AD after he defended him from an unruly Roman mob
      10. This signaled the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the heritage of the Roman Empire




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