Chapter 8: The Making of Medieval Europe

Charlemagne's Character

"Charles was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall." His height came from his mother who was called "Big-Foot" Bertha. He possessed many virtues, but he was not without his vices. He is reported to have beheaded several thousand prisoners in cold blood. His personal life was marred by sin. He had little regard for the sanctity of marriage; he married, divorced, and remarried many times.

The Seven Sacraments

1) Baptism 2) Confirmation 3) Penance 4) The Holy Eucharist- a sacrament and sacrifice, mass, transubstantiation. 5) Matrimony 6) Holy Orders 7) Extreme Unction

Lombards

A Germanic people who had moved into northern Italy. Invaded Italy and threatened Rome. Pepin defeated the Lombards and gave their land to the pope. This is know as the "Donation of Pepin." These lands eventually became the Papal States.

Feudalsim

A governmental system in which local rulers offered the people protection in return for their service. This form of government was prevalent in western Europe from the ninth to thirteenth centuries. It provided relative order and security until more centralized governments emerged.

Three-Field System

A rotational system for agriculture in which one field grows grain, one grows legumes, and one lies fallow. It gradually replaced two-field system in medieval Europe.

Disintegration of Charlemagne's Empire

Although the effects of this renewed interest in learning lasted for centuries, Charlemagne's impressive empire deteriorated quickly. Within a century after his death, The Carolingian Empire had collapsed, torn by civil war and pillaged by foreign invaders.

Pepin II

Became the mayor of one of the stronger Frankish states. Defeated rival mayors and reunited almost all Frankish territories under one rule.

Gregory I

Called "the Great". Expanded the authority and power of his office (pope) by defending is supremacy.

Merovingian House

Clovis died in 511, after having established a strong, unified kingdom. The kingdom was divided among his four sons. Their descendants continued to reign over the Franks well into the eighth century. The name comes from an early ancestor of Clovis named Merovech.

Problems from Without

During the ninth and tenth centuries, the Carolingian Empire offered little resistance to the foreign invaders that beset it on every side. From North Africa came Muslim raiders who devastated the Mediterranean coast of Europe and seized many prisoners to be sold into slavery. They captured Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily, and pillaged southern Italy with similar tragic results. From the East came the Magyars, a group of Asiatic nomads who later became known as the Hungarians. They swept into the Danube region of southeastern Europe, where they ravaged the eastern borders of the empire. However, the most feared invaders were the Vikings, or Norsemen. These Germanic tribes swooped down from the north out of lands known today as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They were fearless warriors, skilled seamen, and daring adventurers.

Clovis

Head of a Frankish tribe in northern Gaul in 481. "King of the Franks." Gained support of the Roman Catholic Church because of his promotion of Christianity.

Homage, Investiture

Homage was the ceremony by which a man became a vassal and thus eligible for a fief. Investiture was the symbolic act by which the lord gave the vassal the right of use of a fief. A vassal agreed to supply financial payments on special occasions.

Two-Field System

In this agricultural system the fields were divided into two parts, one was planted with barley or wheat, while the other part was allowed to lie fallow to regenerate. It was not very effective since only half of the land was used.

Demesne

Land reserved for the king.

Carolingian Minuscule

Monasteries became the primary centers for studying, copying, and preserving ancient manuscripts. Monks undertook making handwritten copies of earlier works. During this period, they developed a new and beautiful style of handwriting known as the Carolingian Minuscule. This clean and simple writing style became the model for much of our lowercase writing today.

Subinfeudation

Parceling out portions of a fief to gain the services of lesser nobles.

"Do-nothing Kings"

Seventh century Frankish kings who had lost most of their prestige through drunkenness, immoral living, and family strife. Reigned but did not rule.

Pepin the Short

Son of Charles Martel. Possessed all of the powers of king but wanted the title. Appealed to the pope asking him to decide if he or the "do-nothing king" should be in power. Pepin deposed the king and seized the throne in 752. The pope anointed Pepin "by the grace of God king of the Franks". The Carolingian House now officially ruled the Franks.

Charles Martel

Son of Pepin II. Won fame by stopping the advance of the Muslims into Europe at the Battle of Tours. Nicknamed "the Hammer".

Charlemagne's Conquests

The Frankish kingdom reached its peak under Charlemagne's rule (768-814). Charlemagne rescued Rome and took for himself the title "King of the Lombards".Near the Danube River in central Europe, he defeated the Avars, a nomadic Muslim people similar to the Huns. He laid the foundation for the modern European nations of France, Italy, and Germany. Charlemagne divided his empire into hundreds of administrative districts, or counties. He created the office of missi dominici, or king's envoys (messengers) to ensure the enforcement of his policies on the local level.

Freemen

The more privileged peasants who served as manorial officials or skilled laborers.

Franks

The most powerful of the Germanic people in the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Mayor of the Palace

The principal palace official that became the real power behind the throne. Had authority over financial, military, and administrative functions of government.

Serfs

The status of a serf was midway between the ancient slave and the medieval freeman.

Petrine Theory

The theory that Christ made Peter the first pope and gave him supreme authority over the church on earth.

Work Week

Two to three days a week that serfs set aside to work for their lord.

Charlemagne's Crowning

Western Europe looked up to Charlemagne as another Constantine, ruling and protecting both church and state. As a result, while Charlemagne was attending a church service in Rome on Christmas Day, 800, Leo III placed a crown on his head and proclaimed him Roman emperor.

Problems From Within

When Charlemagne died in 814, his empire passed to his living son, Louis the Pious. During Louis's reign, a bitter rivalry broke out among his sons over which portion of the empire each would inherit. Even before Louis's death, this rivalry led to war. After years of fighting, the brothers met at the city of Verdun to settle their differences. At the Treaty of Verdun (843), they agreed to split the empire into three separate kingdoms: Charles the Bald received West Frankland, Louis the German, East Frankland; and Lothair, the eldest brother, retained the title of emperor and ruled the land between his brother's kingdoms. When Lothair died, Charles and Louis wasted little time in seizing portions of his kingdom. Political fragmentation characterized the last days of the empire. The successors to Charlemagne's grandsons were weak and incompetent , as is demonstrated by the disrespectful surnames they were given: Louis the Stammerer, Charles the Fat, Louis the Child, and Charles the Simple.

The Empire of Charlemagne

When Pepin died in 768, his sons Carloman and Charles succeeded him as corulers. After only a few years, Carloman died, and Charles became the sole ruler of the Frankish kingdom. Charles was not only the greatest Carolingian king but also one of the outstanding figures of the Middle Ages. His accomplishments won him the title of Charlemagne, or "Charles the Great."

Life of the Nobility

~Castle: The center of life. Built primarily for defensive purposes. ~Knight: Important to the protection of life and property. Page- Started at age 7. Squire- Started at age 14. When he was about 21, a squire became eligible for knighthood. The squire spent the night before the ceremony praying before his armor, which lay on the altar. ~Chivalry- A strict code of behavior that knights followed ~The Roman Church gradually influenced the knightly code. ~Peace of God- The church forbade the pillaging of church property and extended protection to all noncombatants in society. ~Truce of God- Sought to limit fighting to specified weekdays. ~Jousting and Melee- Two types of contests that knights participated in.

A Revival of Learning

~Charlemagne's love of learning prompted him to promote education throughout the empire. ~Charlemagne's educational reforms renewed interest in the Bible and the works of classical writers. ~Many ancient manuscripts were lost or damaged. One of the most important contributions of Charlemagne's reign was the rediscovery and preservation of those ancient works.

Lords, Fiefs, Vassal

~Land was the basis of wealth and power during the Feudal Age. ~Governing power formerly exercised by a central government gradually passed into the hands of landholding nobles, called lords. ~Fiefs were land grants from the king. ~A fief could be very large or small. The recipient of such an estate became the king's servant, or vassal. A vassal did not own the land, or fief, but held it as payment for service rendered to the king.

The Medieval Church

~Rome had fallen; the order and stability of the empire that were once provided were gone. Monuments of Rome's grandeur- aqueducts, amphitheaters, public baths, and roads- were in disrepair. ~There remained one stable institution: The Roman Catholic Church. It represented order and authority and preserved elements of classical culture. It served as the heart of medieval society, influencing almost every aspect of life. The Church cared for the poor, sick, and aged and took the leading role in education. It amassed great power, prestige, and wealth. The church assumed leadership in political as well as religious matters. ~Church- A local assembly of believers of "body of Christ." ~Catholic- "Universal" or "Encompassing." ~A bishop oversaw a collection of local assemblies and answered to an archbishop. The universal body of Christ came to be understood as an outward, visible institution that became known as the Roman Catholic Church.

The Manor

~The manor was home for the majority of people living in western Europe during the Middle Ages. ~The laborers on each manor produced their own food, built their own homes, and made their own clothing. The only items that a manor could not produce were salt, iron, and tar, all of which had to be imported. ~The center of a typical manor was the village. ~The peasants enjoyed few comforts or possessions and had meager furnishings. ~Two buildings dominated the manor: The lord's residence and the village church. ~The church steeple towered above the manor, directing the villager's gaze heavenward. The church was not only the place of worship, but also the place for village meetings, court sessions, and social gatherings. ~Activities were not confined to the village.