The Foundations of Christian Society in Western Europe

1. Chapter 10 The Foundations of Christian Society in Western Europe

2. Germanic Successor States • Germanic kingdoms: Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Burgundians, Angles/Saxons • The Franks: center of gravity shifted from Italy to northern lands

4. The Franks and Empire • Clovis • Led the Franks and wiped out the last vestiges of Roman authority in Gaul • Military campaigns against other Germanic peoples • Clovis's conversion • Many other Germanic peoples converted to Arian Christianity • The Franks converted to Roman Christianity • Alliance with the Roman church greatly strengthened the Franks

5. The Carolingians • Carolingians, an aristocratic clan, asserted authority in the early eighth century • Charles Martel's son claimed the throne for himself, 751 • Charlemagne (reigned 768-814 C.E.) • Grandson of Charles Martel, founder of Carolingian empire • Control extended to northeast Spain, Bavaria, north Italy

6. Administration • Capital city at Aachen (in modern Germany) • Relied on aristocratic deputies, known as counts • Used missidominici to oversee local authorities • Charlemagne as emperor • Pope Leo III proclaimed Charlemagne emperor, 800 • The coronation strained relations with Byzantine emperors

8. Decline and Dissolution of the Carolingian Empire • Louis the Pious (reigned 814-840) • Charlemagne's only surviving son; lost control of the counts • His three sons divided the empire into three kingdoms, 843 • Invasions • Muslims raided south, seized Sicily, parts of northern Italy and southern France • Magyars invaded from the east • Vikings invaded from the north

9. Vikings • Norse expansion; Scandinavian homelands were Norway, Denmark, and Sweden • Motives: population pressure, resisting Christian missionaries • Most were merchants and migrants • Some mounted raids in many European regions from Russia to Spain • Outstanding seafarers; even established a colony in Canada about 1000 • Fleets could go to interior regions via rivers, attacking towns and villages

11. Establishment of Regional Authorities • In England small kingdoms merged into a larger realm against Scandinavian raids • King Alfred (reigned 871-899) expanded to the north • Alfred's successors controlled all England about the mid-tenth century • Germany: after Carolingian empire, local lords took matters into their own hands • King Otto I (reigned 936-973) defeated Magyars in 955 • Imposed authority in Germany; led armies to support the papacy in Italy • Otto's coronation by the pope in 962 made him the Holy Roman Emperor • In France counts and other local authorities became local lords

13. Feudalism • After Carolingian empire dissolved, local nobles built decentralized states • Lords and vassals (retainers) • Lord provided vassalwith a grant known as a benefice (usually land, called fief) • Enabled vassalto devote time and energy to serve the lord • Provided resources to maintain horses and military equipment • Vassals owed lord loyalty, obedience, respect, counsel, and military service • Lord/vassal relationships become stronger; vassalstatus became hereditary

14. Potential for instability • Multi-tiered network of lord-retainer relationships • Sometimes conflicting loyalties led to instability • But powerful states were built on foundation of lord-retainer relationships

15. Manorialism • Serfs • Slaves and peasants took agricultural tasks and frequently intermarried • Free peasants often turned themselves and their lands over to a lord for protection • Serfs as an intermediate category emerged about the mid-seventh century • Serfs' obligations • Labor service and rents in kind • Could not move to other lands without permission • Once their obligations were fulfilled, serfs had right to work on land and pass it to heirs

16. Manors were a principal form of agricultural organization • A manor was a large estate, controlled by the lord and his deputies • Manors were largely self-sufficient communities

17. The Economy of Early Medieval Europe • Agriculture production suffered from repeated invasions • Heavy plows • Heavy plows appeared in the sixth century; could turn heavy northern soils • Became common from the eighth century; production increased • Cultivation of new lands; watermills; and rotating crops • Rural society--agricultural surplus not enough to support large cities • Mediterranean trade--Italian and Spanish merchants trade with Muslims

18. Norse merchant mariners in North and Baltic Seas • Followed routes of Vikings • Traded actively with Byzantine and Abbasid empires • Imported Abbasid silver used in European coinage • Population: 36 million in 200; down to 26 million in 600; back up to 36 million in 1000

19. Age of Faith • Every aspect of life was dominated by the Church • All answers to questions were dictated largely by faith • Popes, clergy held enormous power • Social Hierarchy of the Church • Symbols of the Post-Classical Age of Faith • The Cathedral • The Crusades • The Pilgrimage • The Monastery

20. The Politics of Conversion • The politics of conversion • The Franks and the Church • Frankish rulers viewed themselves as protectors of the papacy • Charlemagne also worked to spread Christianity in northern lands • The spread of Christianity • Charlemagne's military campaigns forced the Saxons to accept Christianity • Pagan ways did not disappear immediately • By 1000 C.E., all western Europe had adopted Roman Christianity

21. The Papacy • Pope Gregory I (590-604 C.E.) • Organized defense of Rome against Lombards' menace • Reasserted papal primacy over other bishops • Strongly emphasized the sacrament of penance--confession and atonement • The conversion of England--by 800, England in the Roman church

22. Monasticism • Origin • Devout Christians practiced asceticism in deserts of Egypt, second and third century • Monastic lifestyle became popular when Christianity became legal, fourth century • Monastic rules • St. Benedict (480-547 C.E.) provided a set of regulations • Virtues of Benedictine monks: poverty, chastity, and obedience • St. Scholastica (482-543 C.E.) • St. Benedict's sister, a nun • Adapted the Rule, and provided guidance for religious life of women

23. The roles of monasteries • Became dominant feature in social and cultural life of western Europe • Accumulated large landholdings • Organized much of the rural labor force for agricultural production • Provided variety of social services: inns, shelters, orphanages, hospitals, schools • Libraries and scriptoria became centers of learning