The Middle Ages Intro
In response to the disorder that ensued after the fall of the Roman Empire, how would the middle ages best be defined?. The Middle Ages Intro . The Middle Ages. Period from 500 to 1450 CE Came between the fall of Rome and start of modern era
The Middle Ages Intro
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Presentation Transcript
In response to the disorder that ensued after the fall of the Roman Empire, how would the middle ages best be defined? The Middle Ages Intro
The Middle Ages • Period from 500 to 1450 CE • Came between the fall of Rome and start of modern era • Later called medieval civilization from Latin “middle age”
The Scene • Europe relatively backward region • Germanic peoples shifted focus to the North, away from Rome • Region was frontier land • Sparsely populated • Underdeveloped
The Scene • Resources • Dense forests • Rich soil for raising crops • Mineral resources underground • Access to water • Fish for food • Transportation • Trade • Energy (water wheels)
The People • Germanic Tribes • Farmers and herders • No cities-lived in small communities • No written laws-lived by unwritten customs • Elected kings who led them to war
The People • Franks • Most powerful kingdom • 486: Clovis (King of Franks) conquered former Roman Province, Gaul • Ruled with Frankish customs while preserving Roman legacy • Clovis converted to Christianity • Won support of the people • Gained an ally in the Church of Rome
The People • New power across the Mediterranean- religion of Islam in 622 CE • Built a huge empire and created a new civilization • Muslim armies quickly conquered Palestine to North Africa to Spain • Christianity had anxieties about Muslims, but also learned a lot from them
Charlemagne or Charles the Great • 800:Europe united-Empire built across France, Germany, and part of Italy • Very tall and imposing man, loved battle • Reigned for 46 years • Battled Muslims in Spain and Saxons in the North, Slavs in the east, Lombard's in Italy
Charlemagne • 800 CE: Pope Leo III asked Charlemagne for help against rebellious nobles of Rome • Charlemagne crushed the rebellion • Christmas Day-Pope crowned him Emperor of the Romans (Holy Roman Emperor) • Christian Pope had crowned a German King- very important • Created a great deal of conflict
Charlemagne • Goals: Control many lands, create a united Christian Europe • Spread Christianity to conquered peoples through Missionaries • Appointed powerful nobles to rule local regions • Gave them land for support and soldiers
Charlemagne • Set to revive Latin learning to create a “Second Rome” • Education had declined severely • Founded a School at Aachen-curriculm was based in Latin • Included: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy • Hired scholars to copy ancient manuscripts • Educational model for medieval Europe
After Charlemagne • Died 814 • Heirs battled for power-split in 3 after Treaty of Verdun • Legacy • Extended Christianity • Strong, efficient government