Chapter 13Section 1

Middle ages Franks Monastery Secular Carolingian Dynasty Charlemagne

5th Century Germanic tribes overrun the Romans

Disruption of trade Merchants face

invasions, business collapses

Downfall of cities Cities abandoned

as centers of administration

Population shifts Nobles retreat to

rural areas City dwellers flee

to countryside Grew their own

food Western Europe

becomes rural

• Germanic invaders could not read or write

• Learning declined as families moved to the country

• Priests and church officials were literate

• Few could read Greek works

• Germans no written language

• Germanic speaking mixed with Romans

• Latin changed• Different dialects

developed with new words and phrases

• 800’s, French, Spanish, and other Roman based languages evolved from Latin

400-600 small Germanic kingdoms emerge

Concept of Government Changes Family ties personal

loyalty replace citizenship in a public state

Lived in small communities

Unwritten rules

Germanic chief led warriors

Peacetime followers lived in Chief’s hall

Gave out food, weapons, treasure

No obligation to obey a king

Not obey officials sent by king to collect taxes

Gaul- Germanic people called the Franks held power

Clovis was their leader

Brought Christianity Prayed for victory Clovis and 3,000

warriors baptized by a bishop

Church in Rome welcomed the conversion

Supported campaigns against Germanic people

511 unites the Franks into one kingdom

Partnership between Franks and the Church

600’s many German people had converted

Missionaries spread Christianity

300-400’s worked with Celts and Germans

Fear of Muslim attack caused many to convert

Monasteries is a religious community

Men called monks devote lives to God

Women called nuns went to convents

520 Benedict Italian monk wrote strict rules

Scholastica (Benedicts sister) headed a convent under the same rules

Monasteries best educated communities

600-700’s Monks made beautiful copies of religious writings

Preserved Rome’s heritage

590 Gregory I Broadened papal

authority More than spiritual Became secular or

worldly power Involved with

politics Pope’s palace

center of Roman government

Used church revenues to raise armies, repair roads, help the poor

Negotiate peace treaty with the Lombards

Italy to England, Spain to Germany his responsibility

Churchly kingdom ruled by a pope (Middle Ages)

England was 7 tiny kingdoms

Some no larger than Connecticut

Franks controlled the largest and strongest of Europe’s kingdoms

511 Clovis dies Rules most of

France

700 major domo or mayor of the palace most powerful person

Charge of royal household and estates

719 Charles Martel 732 defeats

Muslims in the Battle of Tours

Became a Christian hero

Gave power to his son Pepin the Short

Pepin worked with the Pope

Pepin fought Lombard's at church request

Carolingian Dynasty rules Franks 751-987

Ruled kingdom 6’4” tall

Built empire greater than ancient Rome

Fought Muslims in Spain

Reunited western Europe

Spread Christianity

800 Charlemagne’s empire larger than Byzantine Empire

800 traveled to Rome and put down a mob

Pope Leo II confers title of “Roman Emperor”

Joining of Germanic power and the church

Limited power of nobles

Sent out royal agents Made sure powerful

landowners governed justly

Visited parts of the kingdom

Encouragement of learning

Surrounded himself with scholars

Opened a palace school Ordered monasteries to

train monks and future priests

Louis the Pious emperor ineffective ruler

Had three sons Lothair, Charles the

Bald, Louis the German 843 Treaty of Verdun