New Sources of Political Order

The Beginnings of the HRE

• East Francia– Prominence of dukes

• Drang nach Osten– New lands, source of

wealth

• Silver mines: Otto I– Use of mercenaries

• Church officials as a source of royal support

• Otto I crowned by John XII in 962: Official beginning of Holy Roman Empire

• Kings/Emperors:– Conrad I (911-919)– Henry the Fowler (919-936)– Otto I (936-973)– Otto II (973-983)

• Marriage to Theophano, Byzantine princess

– Otto III (982-1000)– Henry II (1002-1024)

• Expansion of ecclesiastical fiefs

– Conrad II (1024-1039)• ministeriales

– Henry III (1039-1056)• “Imperium” takes on new

meaning

German Empire: from the study guide

Terms:• Henry the Fowler • Ottonian kings, especially

Otto I "the Great" • translatio imperii • Ottonian Renaissance

– Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim

• Salian dynasty • Ministeriales

Questions: • What exactly is meant by

the term "Germany" at the beginning of this period?

• What was the nature of the relationship that German monarchs developed with the church (and with church officials), and why and how did this develop?

• What was the guiding myth for the Germanic empire? How and when did the term "empire" come to develop a new meaning, and what is the significance of the change?

• What were some of the Ottonians’ accomplishments in enhancing the German empire’s intellectual life? How in particular did artworks of this time reinforce the monarchy's image of itself?

German Empire: Maps

The Accession of Henry II

• Henry II, who eventually succeeded to the throne despite rival claimants, was later canonized as a saint. His own father, Henry, had rebelled against Otto III. How does Thietmar establish the legitimacy of Henry's election in his text?

Capetian France

• Initial weakness• Control over royal

domain• Principle of

hereditary rather than elective monarchy

• Strategic marriages– Eleanor of

Aquitaine to Louis VII

Kings:• Hugh Capet (987-

996)• Robert II (996-

1031)• Henry I (1031-

1060)• Philip I (1060-

1108)• Louis VI “the Fat”

(1108-1137)• Louis VII (1137-

1180)

Anglo-Normal Realm

• Alfred the Great’s Anglo-Saxon monarchy– Declared king over

English– Law code– Revival of learning– Navy– Conversion of Vikings– Shires and hundreds:

administrative units

• Alfred (871-899)• Edgar (959-975)• Canute (1016-1035)

– Emperor of the Northern Seas

• Edward the Confessor (1042-1066)

Question:• What were some of Alfred

the Great's accomplishments in enhancing England's intellectual life?

The Norman Conquest: from the study guide

Questions:• What course of action did

William I pursue when he took over the English crown, and why did he choose as he did?

• How did William's handling of the land affect the future of England?

Terms:• Canute • Battle of Hastings; William of

Normandy; Harold Godwinson• Exchequer

Questions on Sources:• For plate 5.5, how do the

respective positions and body language of the two men communicate their relationship, according to the sponsor of the tapestry?

• For source 5.13, this is hardly compelling reading, yet as a source for the period it is pure gold. What does this excerpt tell you about the kinds of individuals that held property, and the kinds of property they held? What does it tell you about financial obligations among these individuals?

William the Conqueror

• Method of infeudation– Scattered fiefs– Virtually no

subinfeudation– Significant royal

demesne

• Relationship with church– “Agreement” with pope– Control over clerical

appointments– Donations of land

• Treatment of conquered Anglo-Saxons– Norman French replaced

Old English– Elites completely

displaced– Domesday Book: form of

control

• Succession: – William II (1087-1100)– Henry I (1100-1135)– Stephen (1135-1154):

period of anarchy, civil war

Medieval Spain

Questions:• What was the status of

Christians and Jews in Spain prior to the Reconquista?

• For source 5.10, how does the bishop justify violent actions to the assembled army? Be precise in discerning the language and the biblical support that he uses to characterize the struggle ahead.

Terms:• al-Andalus • dhimmis • Reconquista • convicencia

– Contrast: Song of Roland, Song of the Cid

• Averroes

Medieval Italy

Questions:• What factors contributed

to growth in the Italian communes? – Proto-capitalist rural

economy

• What were the consequences of the Norman conquest of Sicily?

• What was the corpus iuris civilis and why was it important?– Rediscovery in late 11th

century

• Relationship of northern Italian cities to Holy Roman Emperors

• Contrast between northern, southern Italy

• Significance of Papal States– Pope’s appointment of

Robert Guiscard as papal vassal

• Rulers of Sicily: – Roger “the Great Count”– Roger II