History Chapter 13

Who: Europeans
What: Also known as the medieval period, this is a time where a new era of European history occurred, including invasions, the emerging of Germanic kingdoms, the adoption of Christianity, and evolving of empires.
When: 500 - 1500
Where: previous Roman Empire region
Why: gradual decline of the Roman Empire.
So What: A new society emerged during this time. Its roots were from 1) the classical heritage of Rome, 2) the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, and 3) the customs of various Germanic tribes.

Who: Germanic invaders
What: They overran the western half of the Roman Empire with repeated invasions and constant warfare.
When: Fifth Century
Where: West Roman Empire
Why: To create their own kingdoms and empires
So What: A series of changes was caused that altered the economy, government, and culture. Trade was disrupted, because as merchants were invaded from the land and sea, their businesses collapsed. This breakdown of trade caused cities in Europe as economic centers to be destroyed, and money became scarce. Also, with the fall of the Roman Empire, cities were abandoned as centers of administration. And as these Roman centers of trade and government collapsed, there wasn’t strong leadership because the nobles fled to the rural areas and other city dwellers fled to the countryside (causing the West to be mostly rural).

Who: Germans on the border of the Roman Empire region
What: invaded the Western Roman Empire. They couldn’t read or write, but had a rich oral tradition of songs and legends. They also had no written language. Family ties and personal royalty, rather than citizenship in a public state, held Germanic society together. They lived in small communities governed by unwritten rules and traditions. Germanic chiefs led warriors that pledged their loyalty to him. During non war times, they lived in their lord’s hall, and during war times, they fought on their lord’s side to the death. They didn’t feel obliged to obey a king they didn’t know and didn’t pay taxes because they never met the emperor.
When: 400-600
Where: Western Roman Provinces
Why: To create their own kingdoms and empires.
So What: Many Germanic kingdoms succeeded the Roman Empire. The borders of the Roman provinces changed constantly with the fortunes of war. The Germanic stress on personal ties made it impossible to establish orderly government for large territories.

Who: A Germanic people
What: Held power. They were led by Clovis, who brought Christianity to the region when he had the Franks convert. He united the Franks into one kingdom.
When: 496 (war that Clovis fought before conversion), 511 (united Franks into one kingdom)
Where: Roman province of Gaul (mainly what is now France and Switzerland)
Why: Clovis had the Franks convert because his wife Clothilde urged him to convert to her fate, and he did so fearing defeat against another Germanic army.
So What: The Franks ended up winning that war and got the bishop to baptize Clovis and 3 thousand of his warriors. The Church in Rome welcomed the conversion and supported his military campaigns against other Germanic peoples. The strategic alliance between Clovis’s Frankish kingdom and the Church marked the start of a partnership between two powerful forces.

Who: Leader of the Franks
What: Brought Christianity to the region. He united the Franks into one kingdom.
When: 496 (war that Clovis fought before conversion), 511 (united Franks into one kingdom, also died then)
Where: Roman province of Gaul (mainly what is now France and Switzerland)
Why: Clovis had the Franks convert because his wife Clothilde urged him to convert to her fate, and he did so fearing defeat against another Germanic army.
So What: The Franks ended up winning that war and got the bishop to baptize
Clovis and 3 thousand of his warriors. The Church in Rome welcomed the conversion and supported his military campaigns against other Germanic peoples. The strategic alliance between Clovis’s Frankish kingdom and the Church marked the start of a partnership between two powerful forces.

Who: wife of Clovis (leader of the Franks)
What: Urged her husband to convert to Christianity (her faith).
When: 496 (battle against other Germanic army)
Where: Roman province of Gaul (mainly what is now France and Switzerland)
Why: She felt that the gods that Clovis worshiped wouldn’t help him or his people.
So What: Fearing defeat, Clovis prayed to the Christian god. The battle turned around and the Franks won. He and 3 thousand of his men were baptized by the bishop. The Church in Rome welcomed the conversion and supported his military campaigns against other Germanic peoples. The strategic alliance between Clovis’s Frankish kingdom and the Church marked the start of a partnership between two powerful forces.

Who: religious travelers
What: Traveled to bring their religious beliefs to other lands, risking their lives.
When: in 300s and 400s: worked among Germanic and Celtic groups. By 600, many Germanic peoples were converted by the Church and with help from Frankish rulers.
Where: borders of Roman Empire (Germanic and Celtic groups)
Why: To spread Chirstianity. Many people converted in the 600s because in southern Europe there was the fear of coastal attacks by Muslims
So What: Christianity spread, and once Charlemagne took over, he spread it through Northern Europe, where it had a permanent impact.

Who: the Church
What: These were religious communities that were built. Christian men called monks gave up their private possessions and devoted their lives to serving God. Women following this way of life were called nuns and lived in convents. They devoted their lives to prayer and good works.
When: early to mid hundreds (520 – Benedict writes book describing strict yet practical set of monastery rules)
Where: rural areas of previous Roman Empire
Why: to adapt to rural conditions; spread Christianity
So What: Guidelines written in a book by an Italian monk named Benedict became the model for many other religious communities in Western Europe. Monasteries also became Europe’s best educated communities, opening schools, maintaining libraries, and copying books.

Who: Italian monk
What: He left school and hiked up the Sabine Hills, where he lived as a hermit. He wrote a book describing a strict yet practical set of rules for monasteries, and implemented monasterial schools.
When: Lived from 480?-543, Wrote the book around 520
Where: Sabine Hills, Italy
Why: Wanted to emphasize a balance between work and study. He states that hearts and bodies must be prepared for combat under the holy obedience to the divine commandments; therefore a school will be established in which one may learn the service of the Lord.
So What: These guidelines turned these monasteries into centers of stability and learning. After learning about Benedict’s deep religious conviction, a group of monks persuaded him to be the leader of their monastery.

Who: Italian nun
What: thought to be Benedict’s twin sister, because they were inseparable. She was born into a wealthy Italian family. She is thought to have been the abbess of a convent near the monastery that Benedict founded and is considered the first nun of the Benedictine order. She applied Benedict’s rules for women.
When: Live in Late Roman Empire/ 480? - 543
Where: Sabina Hills, Italy
Why: She wanted to devote her life to the church.
So What: She was a strong influence on Benedict as he developed rules that guide Benedictine monasteries today.

Who: English monk
What: wrote a history of England
When: 731
Where: Northumbrian monastery of St. Peter at Monkwearmouth (in Sunderland, England today)
Why: He wanted to record the history of his own region like others did for theirs
So What: This is an example of how Monasteries became Europe’s best educated communities. It is still considered the best historical work of the early Middle Ages by scholars.

Who: Also called Gregory the Great; pope of the Roman Church
What: He broadened the authority of the papacy (pope’s office) beyond its spiritual role and made papacy a secular (worldly) power involved in politics. He also used church revenues to raise armies, repair roads, and help the poor, and negotiated peace treaties with invaders like the Lombards
When: became pope in 590
Where: According to him, the region from Italy to England and from Spain to Germany fell under his responsibility.
Why: He wanted to strengthen the vision of Christendom (Christian World).
So What: This idea of a churchly kingdom, ruled by a pope, would be a central theme of the middle ages.

Who: an official, “mayor of the palace”
What: this official became the most powerful person in the Frankish kingdom. Officially he had charge of the royal household and estates. Unofficially he led armies and made policy.
When: by 700
Where: Frankish Kingdom
Why: He had more control over things, which gave him more power.
So What: In effect, he ruled the kingdom, having more power than the king.

Who: also known as Charles the Hammer; mayor of the palace
What: He extended the Frank’s reign to the north, south, and east. He also defeated Muslim raiders from Spain at the Battle of Tours.
When: He became the mayor of the palace in 719; defeated Muslim raiders at Battle of Tours in 732
Where: Frankish Kingdom
Why: He wanted to expand his reign.
So What: The Battle of Tours victory for Charles was highly significant for Christian Europeans, because if the Muslims had won, western Europe might have become part of the Muslim Empire. Martel became a Christian hero. When he died, he passed on his power to his son, Pepin the Short, who shrewdly cooperated with the Pope and fought the Lombards, who invaded central Italy and threatened Rome, on behalf of the Church. In exchange he was appointed “king by the grace of God” by the Pope and the Carolingian Dynasty began

Who: Charles Martel and the Franks vs. Muslim raiders from Spain
What: The Muslims tried to invade, but Charles Martel and the Franks were victorious
When: 732
Where: Near Tours in France
Why: The Muslims wanted to spread their empire
So What: If the Muslims had won, Western Europe might have been a part of the Muslim Empire. Martel became a Christian hero. When he died, he passed on his power to his son, Pepin the Short, who shrewdly cooperated with the Pope and fought the Lombards, who invaded central Italy and threatened Rome, on behalf of the Church. In exchange he was appointed “king by the grace of God” by the Pope and the Carolingian Dynasty began.