The gradual decline of the Roman Empire - jurado.it Unites Germanic Kingdoms.pdf · The gradual...
Transcript of The gradual decline of the Roman Empire - jurado.it Unites Germanic Kingdoms.pdf · The gradual...
The gradual decline of the Roman Empire ushered in an era of European history called the Middle Ages, or the medieval period. It spanned the years from about 500 to 1500. During these centuries, a new society slowly emerged. It had roots in: (1) the classical heritage of Rome, (2) the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, and (3) the customs of various Germanic tribes.
Disruption of Trade!
The breakdown of trade destroyed Europe’s
cities as economic centers. Money became scarce.!
Downfall of Cities!
With the fall of the Roman Empire, cities were abandoned as
centers of administration.
Population Shifts As Roman centers of trade and government
collapsed, the population of western Europe
became mostly rural.
Invasions of Western Europe Repeated invasions and constant warfare
caused a series of changes that altered the economy, government,
and culture.
Few people except priests
and other church officials were
literate.
The Germanic tribes had a rich oral tradition of songs and legends. But they had
no written language.
Among Romans the level of learning sank
sharply as more and more families left for rural areas.
As German-speaking peoples
mixed with the Roman population, Latin
changed.
Different dialects developed as new words and phrases
became part of everyday speech.
The development of
various languages mirrored the continued
breakup of a once-unified empire.
French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian etc.
Invasions of Western Europe
Loyalty to public government and written law had unified Roman
society.
Germanic peoples lived in
small communities that were governed by unwritten rules
and traditions.
The entire concept of
government changed.
The Church as an institution
survived and provided order and security.
Small Germanic
kingdoms replaced Roman
provinces.
Germanic Kingdoms Emerge
The Germanic stress on personal
ties made it impossible to establish orderly
government for large territories.Every Germanic
chief led a band of warriors who had
pledged their loyalty to him.
The Church in welcomed Clovis’s
conversion and supported his military
campaigns against other Germanic peoples.
In the Roman province
of Gaul, a Germanic people called the
Franks held power. Their leader was
Clovis.
The strategic alliance between Clovis’s Frankish
kingdom and the Church marked the start of a!partnership between
two powerful forces.
After winning a battle Clovis and 3,000 of his
warriors asked a bishop to baptize them.
Clovis united the Franks into one kingdom.
Germanic Kingdoms Emerge
Missionaries also spread Christianity.
The fear of coastal attacks by
Muslims also spurred many people to
become Christians.
The Church, with the help of Frankish rulers, converted many
Germanic peoples.
The Church built religious
communities called monasteries.
An Italian monk named Benedict
began writing a book describing a strict yet practical set of rules
for monasteries
Benedict’s sister, Scholastica
headed a convent and adapted the same rules
for women. (Convents)
Germans Adopt Christianity
Monasteries and convents
became Europe’s best-educated communities.
Illuminated manuscripts
preserved at least part of Rome’s
intellectual heritage.
Germans Adopt Christianity
He used church revenues to raise armies, repair
roads, and help the poor. He also negotiated peace treaties with
invaders.
In 590, Gregory I, also
called Gregory the Great, became
pope.
This idea of a churchly kingdom, ruled by a pope,
would be a central theme of the Middle
Ages.
Under Gregory, the papacy also
became a secular, or worldly, power
involved in politics.
According to him, the region
from Italy to England and from Spain to
Germany fell under his responsibility.
Germans Adopt Christianity
The Franks controlled the
largest and strongest of Europe’s kingdoms.
By 700 Charles Martel,
the major domo of the palace, had
become the most powerful person in
the Frankish kingdom.
After the Roman Empire dissolved, small
kingdoms sprang up all over Europe.
He extended the
Frank’s reign and defeated Muslim
raiders from Spain at the Battle of Tours
in 732.
Charles Martel passed on his power to his son, Pepin the
Short, who cooperated with the pope.
If the Muslims had won,
western Europe might have become part of the
Muslim Empire. This victory made him a
Christian hero.
Germans Adopt Christianity
In exchange, the
pope anointed him “king by the grace of God.” Thus began
the Carolingian Dynasty,
Charlemagne becomes Emperor
He built an empire
greater than any known since
ancient Rome.!
Pepin was
succeeded by his 2 sons:
Carloman and Charles
When Carloman died, Charles the
Great or Charlemagne became sole ruler. His
reign lasted 47 years.
He had become the most powerful
king in western Europe.
Pope Leo III crowned
Charlemagne emperor.
A pope had claimed the
political right to confer the title
“Roman Emperor” on a European
king.
This event signaled the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the
heritage of the Roman Empire.
He sent out royal agents that made
sure that the powerful counts, governed
their counties justly.
Charlemagne strengthened his royal power by
limiting the authority of the
nobles.
He crowned his son, Louis the Pious, as emperor. He was a devoutly religious man but an ineffective ruler.!
He had 3 Sons.
They signed the
Treaty of Verdun, dividing the empire
into three kingdoms.
The lack of strong rulers led
to a new system of governing: feudalism.
Charlemagne becomes Emperor
As a result the kings lost
power and central authority broke
down.
To encourage learning. He opened a
palace school and ordered monasteries to open schools to train
future monks and priests.
SU
MM
AR
IZ
IN
G
The gradual decline of the Roman Empire ushered in an era of
European history called the Middle
Ages.
Invasions and warfare caused a series of
changes that altered the economy,
government, and culture.
The concept of government
changed. Written law gave way to
personal ties.
Clovis united the Franks into one
kingdom and germans adopted
christianity.
A strategic partnership between
the political and religious powers
began.
His sons signed the Treaty of Verdum
and lack of a strong leader gave way to
feudalism.
Charles Martel defeated Muslim
raiders from Spain at the
Battle of Tours
Charlemagne built an empire
greater than any known since
ancient Rome.
Among Romans the level of
learning sank sharply.