HST 1100 Module 8

Based on Einhard's account, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Charlemagne. Which characteristics help explain Charlemagne's success as a ruler? Does Einhard exaggerate Charlemagne's strengths? What might motivate him to do that?

Charlamagne added a lot of territory to the Frankish kingdom, wars under him were skillfully planned and successfully fought, he gained the good will of several kings and nations, he cherished the Christian religion, he was forward in caring for the poor, sacred buildings were the object of his care throughout his whole kingdom; and whenever he found them falling to ruin from age, he commanded the priests and fathers who had charge of them to repair them, and made sure by commissioners that his instructions were obeyed.... Thus did Charles defend and increase as well as beautify his kingdom.... Einhard likely did exaggerate his claims in order to show appreciation of Charlemagne and glorify him as a ruler. Maybe this helped strengthen solidarity and put good faith into the ruler.

What was the significance of Charlemagne's coronation as emperor? In what ways did the political, intellectual, and daily life in the Carolingian Empire represent a fusion of Gallo-Roman, Germanic, and Christian practices?

Charlemagne's coronation demonstrated the strength of an enduring Roman Empire. A Germanic king being crowned emperor of the Romans symbolized the fusion of Roman, Christian, and Germanic elements. Family and marriage- Arranged marriages, emphasized monogamy and permanence, development of nuclear family Christianity & sexuality- Celibacy, sex was only available through marriage, condemned contraception, condemned homosexuality Children- Value of children (mostly males), infanticide prohibited but not erased Travel & Hospitality- Monasteries were places for travelers and missionaries to stay Diet- The staple was bread. Dairy, honey, and spices were also common. The upper classes' diet varied. Gluttony and drunkenness were common. Health- Medicinal herbs, blood letting. Miraculous healing through God

What were the chief developments in the Byzantine Empire between 750 and 1000?

Emperors thought of the Byzantine Empire as a continuation of the Christian Roman Empire. Reforms were made in education, church life, military & peasant economy, and there was an intellectual renewal. The emperors strengthened the position of free farmers, who were the predominant source of military strength. The Byzantine Empire's cultural influence expanded due to missionaries. Women were viewed as "instruments of the devil", they mostly stayed in their homes and wore veils in public. They had 3 main functions: to marry and bear children, to maintain the household, and to weave clothes for their family. However, some women did work outside the home to help provide for their family.

What was fief-holding, and how was it related to manorialism?

Fief-holding was the practice of granting a land estate to a vassal in exchange for military services to a lord. The basic objective of fief-holding was to provide military support to their lord. Manorialism was an agricultural estate operated by a lord and worked by peasants who performed labor services and paid various rents and fees to the lord in exchange for protection and sustenance.

What were the chief developments in the Islamic world between 750 and 1000?

Greco-Roman culture was absorbed, and the Islamic World assimilated with Byzantine and Persian culture. A considerable amount of literature was translated into Arabic. Muslims created a brilliant urban culture. They saved and spread the scientific and philosophical works of ancient civilizations, contributed to mathematics and the natural sciences, and developed medicine as a field of scientific study. It was a male-dominated society, with women's main roles were to be a good wife and a good mother.

Why can it be said that Islamic civilization was more advanced than the civilization of western Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries?

Islamic civilization had vibrant urban cities when most of the world was comprised of farming villages.

Abbasids

The Abbasid rulers brought much change to the world of Islam. They tried to break down the distinctions between Arab and non-Arab Muslims. All Muslims, regardless of their ethnic background, could now hold both civil and military offices. This helped open Islamic life to the influences of the civilizations the Arabs had conquered. Many Arabs now began to intermarry with the peoples they had conquered.

Magyars

The Magyars were a people from West Asia who moved into eastern and central Europe by the end of the ninth century. They established themselves on the plains of Hungary and from there made raids into western Europe. The Magyars were finally crushed at the Battle of Lechfeld (LEK-feld) in Germany in 955. At the end of the tenth century, they were converted to Christianity and settled down to establish the kingdom of Hungary.

What patterns of development occurred in central and eastern Europe as a result of the Slavic peoples?

The Slavic people were originally a single people, who through mass migrations and nomadic invasions were divided into three territories. Western Slavs- The Germans assumed responsibility for converting them to Christianity. The Poles, Czechs, and Hungarians all accepted Catholic + Western Christianity and became closely tied to the Roman Catholic Church and Latin culture Southern Slavs- The Serbs and Bulgars converted to the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church of the Byzantine Empire, and the Croats converted to the Roman Catholic Church Eastern Slavs- Modern Russians, White Russians, and Ukranians who contended with Viking invaders that eventually settled in this area.

What impact did the Vikings have on the history and culture of medieval Europe?

The Vikings were daring explorers who had a great love of adventure and searched for wealth and sources of new trade. They were warriors and superb shipbuilders and sailors. They attacked villages and towns, destroyed churches, and were able to defeat small local armies. Royal authorities were unable to impede Viking incursions, which made people lose trust in their authorities, placing their trust in aristocrats instead, leading to tension in the government. Viking expansion was eventually inhibited by increasing Christianization.

What were the main features of the physical environment of the early Middle Ages?

The land was a sparsely populated landscape dotted with villages of farmers and warriors. Villages were separated by forests, swamps, and mountain ridges. Farming was difficult, it was not easy to clear forests and prepare the land for farming. The soil, when prepared, produced very low yields. The climate was subject to wetter and colder conditions, bringing about disease, and the region was particularly subject to natural disaster.

What was Ibn Fadlan's impression of the Rus? Why do you think he was so critical of their behavior?

This account was written by Ibn Fadlan, a Muslim diplomat sent from Baghdad in 921 to a settlement on the Volga River. His comments on the filthiness of the Rus reflect the Muslim emphasis on cleanliness.

Varangians

Vikings from Scandinavia who moved into Russia

Cordoba

With a population of possibly 100,000, Córdoba was Europe's largest city after Constantinople. It had seventy public libraries, and the number of manuscripts in the caliph's private library reached 400,000. Schools were also established, and the Great Mosque of Córdoba became a center for scholars from all over the Islamic world. Large numbers of women served as teachers and librarians in Córdoba.

Nuclear family

a family group consisting only of a father, a mother, and one or more children.

Serf

a peasant who is bound to the land and obliged to provide labor services and pay various rents and fees to the lord; considered unfree but not a slave because serfs could not be bought and sold.

Manor

an agricultural estate operated by a lord and worked by peasants who performed labor services and paid various rents and fees to the lord in exchange for protection and sustenance.

Vassal

an individual who served a lord in a military capacity

Treaty of Verdun

divided the Carolingian Empire among them into three major sections: Charles the Bald (843-877) obtained the western Frankish lands, which formed the core of the eventual kingdom of France; Louis the German (843-876) took the eastern lands, which became Germany; and Lothar (840-855) received the title of emperor and a "Middle Kingdom" extending from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, including the Netherlands, the Rhineland, and northern Italy.

Margraves

the counts of a dangerous border zone,had immediate decision making power, had a more dangerous job

Alcuin

while serving at Charlemagne's court as an adviser on ecclesiastical affairs, Alcuin also provided the leadership for the palace school. He concentrated on teaching classical Latin and adopted Cassiodorus's sevenfold division of knowledge known as the liberal arts, which became the basis for all later medieval education.

Scriptoria

writing rooms for the copying of manuscripts in medieval monasteries.