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The Middle Ages

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The Dark Ages. About 400 years of chaos. Germanic tribes only seeking loot taking from the weak. ... The Dark Ages. There were 'spots' where civilization hung on. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Middle Ages


1
The Middle Ages
  • 476 1500
  • Version 3

2
Before the Middle Ages
  • THE ROMAN EMPIRE
  • 27 BCE 476 CE
  • Largest Empire of history to that date

3
REMEMBER
  • Rome was not built in a day
  • AND it did not fall in a day.
  • Romes peak was about 200 CE.
  • It took 276 years to collapse.

4
Benefits of the Roman Empire
  • More people had education.
  • Better roads and bridges
  • Sanitation in the cities and clean water.
  • CULTURE
  • LAWS

5
So What Happened to Rome?
  • Despotic and crazy emperors.
  • Caligula was only one example.

6
So What Happened to Rome?
  • Not enough soldiers.
  • The Germanic Tribes figured out how to fight the
    Romans and WIN.

7
So What Happened to Rome?
  • Not enough tax money to support the military or
    public structures.
  • The Church (Catholic) was unsure about fighting
    and giving up tax money in the 300s 476.

8
So what happened to Rome?
  • Not enough slaves to support the Roman way of
    life.
  • Problem began in the 300s.

9
So what happened to Rome?
  • The lead water pipes???
  • Creates infertility?
  • Creates slower brain abilities?

10
So what happened to Rome?
  • 476 A tribe called the Vandals invaded and
    sacked Rome.
  • End of the Empire.
  • THAT is where we get the term vandalism!

11
What happened after Rome fell?
12
The Dark Ages
  • About 400 years of chaos.
  • Germanic tribes only seeking loot taking from the
    weak.
  • The Norsemen (Vikings) raiding from the sea.

13
The Dark Ages 400 - 800
  • Not much is known from this period.
  • Few people could write.
  • Few people had time to write.
  • No real art comes from this time in Europe.

14
The Dark Ages
  • There were spots where civilization hung on.
  • Christian monasteries in remote locations.
  • Tended to be looked at by people as another type
    of magic.
  • AND .

15
The Age of Arthur?
  • Was there a King Arthur?

16
Somewhere between 500 600 - ARTHUR
  • The Mabniogion
  • Arthur wasnt really a king like we think of
    it.
  • He was probably a Roman Celt cavalry commander
    left after Rome deserted Britain.

17
Arthurian Legend in Britain
  • What we can guess at being true about Arthur
  • He kept the invading Angle and Saxon tribes from
    taking complete control.
  • He had a huge victory that kept the Angles/Saxons
    away for a generation..
  • He had the time to try to care about justice.

18
Later in the Middle Ages the Arthur story was
made appropriate
  • Le Morte DArthur in 1485.
  • Arthur was made a king.
  • Christianized story.
  • Women were subservient / unfaithful.
  • Round Table and Knights searching for the Holy
    Grail.

19
There were probably other Arthurs in the Dark
Ages ..
  • Stories and legends.
  • The Arthurs tended to lose in the end.
  • And History is written by the victors.

20
Now for some of the real history
  • Things we know for sure!

21
By the 500s
  • Germanic invasions had all but destroyed the
    Roman world.
  • Law and order disappeared.
  • Infrastructures like roads, bridges, buildings
    fell apart.

22
Frankish Rulers
  • Franks (France)
  • Merovingian kings
  • Charlemagne and the Frankish Empire

23
The Merovingians
  • 400s the Franks Germanic Tribe conquered and
    settled in France / Germany.
  • 481 Clovis became king of the Franks.

24
King Clovis
  • Brutal king
  • BUT became a Christian.
  • Saw that Christianity had some educated people
    that he needed to help rule his domain.

25
Problems for the Merovingians
  • Frankish custom to divide your land among all
    your sons.
  • Heirs began to kill each other for their
    inheritances.
  • So busy fighting the governing was left to the
    MAYORS OF THE PALACE.

26
Charles Martel Mayor of the Palace
  • 714 Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer) more or
    less took over in all but name.
  • Led the Franks to defeat the Muslim invasion in
    732.

27
Charles the Hammers son Pepin the Short
  • 752 Pepin finished off the Merovingians and
    bought off the Church and nobles.
  • Became King of the Franks.
  • Convinced the Pope that he could be his
    protection.

28
Pepins Son CHARLEMAGNE
  • 771 Charlemagne became king.
  • Doubled the size of his kingdom to include
    Germany, France, northern Spain and most of
    Italy.
  • Created the Frankish Empire

29
Charlemagne needed help with his empire
  • Needed communications
  • Needed educated men to help
  • Charlemagne needed ..

30
THE CHURCH
  • The Church started to create schools and
    monasteries to teach reading and writing.
  • Made illuminated copies of the Bible and Roman
    manuscripts.
  • Spread the knowledge around the empire.
  • First time in 300 years.

31
A Christian Realm under Charlemagne
  • Defending the Pope against the Lombards (another
    Germanic tribe) in 800 Charlemagne had an
    interesting problem come up.

32
Charlemagne an EMPEROR?
  • Pope Leo III thought it was a great idea if HE
    crowned Charlemagne emperor.
  • Charlemagne liked the idea of the power of being
    an emperor too - BUT

33
Charlemagne as Emperor?
  • BUT what does it mean if the Pope crowned him?
  • The pope had more power than the emperor.
  • Charlemagne did not like that idea.

34
Emperor Charlemagne
  • Pope tricked Charlemagne into being emperor.

35
Charlemagnes Empire
  • Divided land among COUNTS.
  • Solve local problems
  • Stop feuds
  • Protect the weak
  • Raise taxes and armies.

36
Charlemagnes Empire
  • Sent royal messengers on inspections to tell him
    how counts were doing.
  • Charlemagne was constantly traveling to see for
    himself his kingdom.

37
814 Charlemagne died.
  • Son Louis the Pious was more concerned about the
    purity of his soul than ruling.
  • Charlemagnes grandsons went to war for his
    kingdom.

38
The end of the Franks
  • Charles the Bald took over what is today France.
  • Louis got what is today Germany.
  • Lothair took a strip between the North Sea to
    Italy.

39
800 1000 New Invaders
  • VIKINGS!

40
The VIKINGS
  • Came from Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
    Holland)
  • Called themselves Northmen or NORSEMEN.

41
Viking Invasions
  • TRIVIA Viking comes from A-VIKING (fight as a
    warrior).
  • Had GREAT boats
  • Sturdy in oceans
  • Shallow enough to go up rivers.
  • Could be carried past fortified bridges.

42
Viking Invasions
  • Brutal. No mercy in battle.
  • What couldnt be stolen theyd burn.

43
Viking Trade
  • They also explored and settled in other
    countries.
  • Dublin (capitol of Ireland) was a Viking
    settlement.

44
Viking Trade
  • Since no one else but Vikings were using the
    waterways trade happened through them.
  • Sometimes trade was more profitable than war.

45
Viking Culture
  • Worshipped many gods.
  • Told EPICS about gods and men.
  • Storytellers had special status.
  • So did the CRONES.

46
Vikings accepted Christianity
  • BUT not until the 1100s.

47
The Effects of the Germanic / Viking Invasions
  • People became very isolated.
  • Not much centralized control.
  • Nobles and local people had to defend themselves.
  • Trade declined.

48
Medieval Life
  • Feudalism
  • Life of the Nobility
  • Manorial System (castles)

49
Feudalism 900s - 1500
  • With weak central government feudalism
    developed.
  • Alliances of mutual protection between monarchs
    and nobles of varying degrees of power.

50
Feudal Relationship
  • Military service land ownership.
  • Fiefs land with peasants.
  • Warriors got a way to make money in exchange for
    being a warrior for a king or greater noble.
  • This is where the knight began.

51
Knights
  • USUALLY cavalry fighters .
  • Cost a lot for upkeep of horse and armor.

52
In exchange for land nobles swore oaths of loyalty
  • To kings or greater nobles.
  • Promised to provide so many mounted warriors for
    the armies.
  • Nobles, if they did their duty, could pass on
    their land to their heirs.

53
Feudalism A Pyramid Scheme
  • King at the top.
  • Middle was the various ranks of lords.
  • Vassals were nobles who served a higher ranked
    lord.
  • Nobles could pledge services to more than one
    lord!
  • One Siboto of Falkenstein was pledged to 20
    different lords!
  • Worked as long as one of his lords didnt declare
    wary on the other!

54
Feudal Obligations
  • Homage The ceremony of making promises.
  • Knight promises service to the king.
  • The king promises fiefs to the knight.

55
Usual Feudal Obligations
  • Promised to bring a certain number of knights to
    fight for the king.
  • 40 60 days a year of service to the king.
  • Serve in the lords court
  • Provide food and lodging if the lord came to
    visit.
  • To pay for educating / dowry of the lords kids.
  • Pay ransom for the lord.

56
Castles for Defense
  • No big surprise warfare happened quite a bit.
  • Every noble built a castle fortified manor
    house for defense.

57
Castles for Defense
  • In the beginning mostly wooden fort-like
    structures with a great hall that everyone lived
    in.

58
Castles for Defense
  • Around 1100s castles began to be made of stone.
  • Built on a hill or mound for defense.
  • Maybe a moat?

59
Inside the Castle Walls
  • Square towers called KEEPS.
  • Strongest part of the castle.
  • Usually had the great hall for meals /
    celebrations.
  • Some housing for the family of the noble.
  • Dungeon?

60
Inside the Castle Walls
  • Surrounding the keep was the BAILEY.
  • Large open area.
  • Had buildings like barracks, storerooms,
    workshops, stables, chapel.

61
Life in the castles
  • Not so glamorous as the movies make out!
  • Castles were for security NOT comfort.
  • Nor sanitation!

62
Life of the Nobility
  • Within his fief, a lord, or nobleman, had almost
    total authority.
  • Collected rents
  • Administered justice
  • Keep away invaders who might try to take his fief.

63
Life of a noblewoman
  • Few if any rights.
  • Could be wed by her twelfth birthday (sometimes
    younger)
  • Husband chosen by father / brother.
  • Have children and take care of the household.
  • Often the doctor.

64
Life of a noblewoman
  • SOMETIMES, their husbands / fathers / brothers
    trusted them to do themens duties when they were
    at war or the kings court.

65
Entertainment for Nobles
  • Tournaments!
  • Hunting!
  • Women and men did falconry and archery.
  • Eating!
  • Entertainment by traveling minstrels.

66
Becoming a Knight
  • Boys training began at 7.
  • Became a page / assistant / in the house of
    another lord.
  • Began to learn the use of weapons and some
    manners.

67
Becoming a Knight
  • At 15, if good enough, they became a SQUIRE.
  • Assisted the knight, practiced using weapons.
  • Had to prove himself in battle before he could
    become a knight.

68
The Code of Chivalry
  • Code for knights to be brave and
  • Fight fair
  • Keep promises
  • Defend the Church
  • Treat women of noble birth courteously.
  • RARELY kept to the code!!!!

69
The Manorial System
  • Usually the manor only produced enough food to
    support the peasants and lords household on the
    fief.
  • Hunger could be a real problem with a bad crop
    year.

70
Peasant Life
  • Poverty and hardship.
  • Rarely lived beyond the age of 40.
  • Famine, diseases, war peasants hardest hit.

71
Peasant Life
  • Lived in one room hovels, dirt floor, no chimney,
    maybe one or two stools and a table.
  • Warmth came from sleeping together.
  • Grain diet very little meat.

72
Strange thing
  • People rarely questioned the social order of
    their society.
  • They accepted that nobles were better than
    serfs / peasants and had more rights.

73
But
  • Acceptance of the social ladder also meant you
    knew your place and might have a bit more
    protection than if you were out on your own.
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