European Middle Ages

1. European Middle Ages

2. The decline of the Roman Empire brought about the Middle Ages

3. Germanic invaders overran the western half of the Roman Empire • trade and education collapsed • cities were abandoned and people moved to the countryside

4. The Roman Empire was carved into several small and isolated kingdoms whose borders often changed due to war

5. The Franks became the largest and most powerful kingdom during this time • The Frank kingdom reached it’s peak under Charlemagne Charlemagne

6. Charlemagne, Charles the Great • Around 800 Charlemagne reunited much of the Roman Empire, extending his empire across France, Germany and part of Italy

8. Charlemagne • Wanted a united Christian Europe • Spread Christianity to conquered peoples on the fringes of his empire

9. Government • Charlemagne appointed powerful landowners, called counts, to rule local regions • Missi dominici – Officials in charge of keeping control of counts

10. Learning • Charlemagne attempted to revive learning • Founded a school that taught grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy

11. Invasions • After the death of Charlemagne, invasions from Muslims, the Magyars, and the Vikings tore apart the unity of Europe

12. Unable to maintain order, kings and emperors struck an agreement with nobles • This settlement, which evolved into feudalism, was based on a desperate need for protection

13. The Vikings • The Vikingsare responsible for destroying the last part of the Roman Empire • Vikings were feared invaders, and their attacks helped bring about feudalism because of the need for protection.

14. Vikings at Sea • Vikings were daring masters of the sea. They traveled the seas in longshipsthat were equipped with both sails and oars.

15. The common crew size was 25 to 60 men, but ships could hold up to 100 men and packhorses and provisions if needed. • Viking raids in single ships were frequent, and fleets were usually comprised of 100 ships early on and upwards of 200 ships are recorded later in history.

16. Viking battles at sea were rare, and hand-to-hand combat was used to capture enemy ships.

17. Viking Weapons • The common weapons arsenal of the Vikings included the sword, spear, and battle-axe, but bows and arrows were also used.

18. For defense, Vikings would carry round shields made of wooden boards. • Armor such as helmets chain mail were expensive, and were therefore usually worn by Viking leaders because they could afford them.

19. Other Viking warriors may have worn helmets and armor made of animal hide. • Some special warriors, called berserks, wore only bear skins and were fearsome fighters, believing Odin, their god of war, would protect them.

20. Viking Explorations • Vikings were more than just fearsome warriors; they were also daring explorers who traveled the globe.

21. There is evidence to suggest that the Vikings traveled as far east as the Volga River in Russia, and as far west as Minnesota in the United States. • Leif Erikson was one such Viking explorer who is credited as the first European to set foot on North America, 500 years before Columbus.

22. Feudal System

23. The invasions by the Vikings, Magyars and Muslims caused widespread disorder and suffering. • Most Europeans lived in constant danger and kings could not effectively defend their lands from invasion.

24. As a result, people no longer looked to a central ruler for security. • Instead, many turned to local rulers who had their own armies.

25. As a response to these constant invasions, feudalism emerged in Europe. • Feudalism – a political system in which nobles were granted the use of land from the king. In return, the nobles agreed to give their loyalty and military services to the king.

26. In exchange for protection, the landowner, called a lord, was granted land called a fief • The person receiving a fief was called a vassal.

27. The structure of feudal society was much like a pyramid. • At the top was the monarch, such as the king and queen. • Directly beneath the monarch were the most powerful vassals—wealthy land owners such as nobles and bishops.

28. Beneath the vassals were knights • Knights—mounted horsemen and skilled warriors who pledged to defend their lord’s lands in exchange for fiefs

29. As the lord’s vassal, a knights main obligation was to serve in battle, typically 40 days of combat a year.

30. Knights were expected to display courage in battle and loyalty to their lord • Knights were expected to follow a code of conduct, known as chivalry

31. Devoted to feudal lord, the heavenly lord and his chosen lady • Protect the weak and the poor • Be loyal, brave, and courteous

32. Knights often competed in mock battles, called tournaments, to prepare for war • One of the most popular competitions during these tournaments was the joust

33. At the bottom were landless peasants, mostly serfs • Serfs—people who could not legally leave the place where they were born and their labor belonged to the lord

34. The lord’s estate was called a manor • On a manor the lord provided the serfs with housing, farmland, and protection from bandits. • In return, serfs worked for the lord by farming and taking care of the animals.

35. Peasants lived a short life that consisted mainly of working. • Serfs lived in crowded cottages, close to their neighbors.

36. Peasants warmed their floors by bringing pigs inside. • At night, the family huddled on a pile of straw that often crawled with insects.

37. A manor usually included the lord’s manor house, a church and workshops. • Fields, pastures and woodlands surrounded the village. • A stream generally passed through the village providing water and food.

38. A Knight’s Tale

39. The Church

40. As the Roman Empire collapsed, the power of the Christian Church grew • Christian Church became a unifying factor in Europe

41. Under Pope Gregory I, the power of the pope expanded and the Church became more involved in politics Pope Gregory I “Gregory the Great” Pope from 590 - 604

42. Church revenues were used to… • raise armies • repair roads • establish schools • help the poor The Church also… • negotiated peace treaties

43. As the power of the Church grew so did the power of the Frank kingdom • Between 511 to 843, the Frank’s controlled the largest and strongest kingdom in Europe

44. Tournaments

45. Tournaments were public contests of skill between knights. • The tournaments were a most popular form of entertainment in the Middle Ages. • Some tournaments allowed anyone to compete, if they had armor, a horse, a sword, and a shield. • Other tournaments only allowed nobles to compete. • You could make money at tournaments by winning prizes. 

46. Anyone could attend a tournament, including women and children.  • Wooden stands were built to seat the nobles who came to the event. • Stands were decorated with colorful pennants. • Most peasants were required to stand, but wealthy peasant had tents • Activities included kickboxing and many forms of fighting.

47. Two favorites were consistently the joust and the melees. • Many knights died in competition. • Horses often panicked. Some even ran into the audience and killed onlookers. • The joust was a form of combat between two knights on horseback • Jousts were organized by men called heralds.

48. Jousting was a sport with a set of rules that each competitor must follow. • The men in charge, the marshal and constable, made sure competitors followed the rules. • Knights fought an agreed number of times. • Challenges were sent out to the knights. The champions were ranked. • Large amounts of money were bet on the contests.

49. Jousts were big events. They were often held on special occasions. Many thousands of people watched, not just nobles. Anyone could get in for cheap.

50. Although it could be dangerous, knights did not try to hurt each other. • Knights were separated by a low wooden fence. • The two competing knights started on horseback, holding long sharp lances. • Lance – Long pole with a sharpened end, similar to a spear