The Early Middle Ages
World History, Fall 2016
Driving Questions/Themes:
• How do the seeds of modern nations arise in
the chaos of post-Roman Europe?
– Feudalism
– Rise of Nations
– Growth of Cities
• How does the church become a political, not
just religious power?
• How does the idea of Rome continue to have
influence long after Rome loses power?
What do you already know? What
comes to mind about the Middle
Ages?
Definition
• The Middle Ages – between the fall of Rome and
the Renaissance (rebirth) of Western Civilization
• Roughly the 500s to the 1400 or even 1500s
• “Dark Ages” – term not used as widely anymore
– Not literally dark, just lack of information, seen as an
unfortunate time in general
– Don’t believe everything on the internet
• Adjective – Medieval. (Note the spelling!)
– NOT “mid-evil.” Evil has nothing to do with it.
After the fall of Rome…
• Remember – Rome falls in 476 CE.
• Eastern Empire (Byzantine) continues but has
little influence in the bulk of Europe –
concentrated in Eastern Med.
• Germanic barbarians setting up independent
kingdoms
• The focus of European History shifts north,
from the Mediterranean to northern and
western Europe
Europe in the 6th Century
After the fall of Rome…
• The idea of Rome and its Empire
remains strong and inspiring.
• No centralized power any more in
Europe.
• The Germanic kingdoms were small,
weak, not lasting
• What arises to fill the vacuum?
–The Catholic Church
The Power of the Medieval Church
• Filled the power vacuum left from the collapse of
Rome
• Controlled about 1/3 of the land in Western Europe.
• Curb heresies  crusades; Inquisition
•Heresies – deviations from approved teachings of
the church
• Tithe  1/10 tax on your assets given to the church.
The Medieval Catholic Church
 Monasticism:
 (St.) Benedict – creates the Benedictine Rule for
monks
 poverty, chastity, and obedience.
 provided schools for the children of the upper class.
 inns, hospitals, refuge in times of war.
 libraries & scriptoria to copy books
 monks  missionaries to the barbarians
Teach them Christianity, but also brought ideas of
civilization
Scriptorium – Illuminated
Manuscript
The Kingdom of the Franks
• The one Germanic kingdom to get
its act together.
• Clovis – 500 AD – first Germanic
king to convert to Christianity
• Clovis’s family had been allies of
the Romans – had titles, offices
given by Roman Emperors
• Gained support of the Church –
happy to have an ally
• By 510 – ruled all of modern
France, western Germany
Conflict with Islam
• Islam – 622 CE
• Muslim Empire
• Attempted to expand
into Europe
• Succeeded in Spain
• Charles Martel
– defeats Islamic Army
– Battle of Tours, 723
– Not seen as an important
battle at the time, but
stopped Islam from taking
over all of Europe
768 – A New Frankish King
• Charles the Great –
Charlemagne.
• Lived 742-814
• Fierce warrior, pious Christian,
strong statesman
• Considered the “Father of
Europe.” (Even literally…)
• Became a valued ally of the
church
• Expanded Frankish kingdom 
most of old Roman Europe
Carolingian Empire
Helping the Pope
•800 AD
•Pope Leo III
•Rebellious nobles
near Rome
•Tried to take out
Pope’s eyes and
tongue
•Frankish armies under
Charlemagne crushed
the rebellion.
Reward: Pope Crowned Charlemagne
Roman Emperor: 25 DEC 800
A Christian pope had crowned a German king
successor to the Roman empire
•Idea: Reunite the
Roman Empire as an
Imperium Christianum
•Unite through faith
the way they used to
be united by RE
citizenship
•Unite C’s lands with
Byzantine lands – get
the band back
together!
•C as emp of the whole
thing
But wait – will the Byzantines go for it?
•Still called itself the Roman Empire
•Had an Empress at the time – Irene
•Pope disregarded – women can’t be
rulers
•Charlemagne offered to marry her to
consolidate the Empire
•Saw C’s coronation as an insult
•Deepened a growing split between east
and west, as well as eastern and western
Christianity.
Fall of the Carolingian Empire
• Charlemagne dies 814
– Heirs fought amongst themselves for 30
years
– Invasions, especially by Vikings
– Eventually forced to give the Vikings land
in Northern France – Normandy
The Vikings
•Expert sailors from
Scandinavia
•Starting in 900s, looted
and burned towns
along the coasts and
rivers of Europe.
•Final destruction of Charlemagne’s empire
The Vikings
•Not just destructive
raiders.
•Also traders and
explorers
•Sailed around the
Mediterranean and
across the Atlantic
•Trade routes linked
northern Europe to
Mediterranean lands
Why were they important?
• Connecting the world through trade and violence
• Spreading wealth, technology, etc.
• Forced Charlemagne’s descendants to give them
land in N. France (Normandy)
• Conquered England in 1066
Viking Videos
• http://www.history.co
m/topics/exploration/vi
kingshistory/videos/bet-youdidnt-knowvikings?m=528e394da9
3ae&s=undefined&f=1
&free=false
• http://www.history.co
m/topics/exploration/vi
kingshistory/videos/whowere-thevikings?m=528e394da9
3ae&s=undefined&f=1
&free=false