5th – 15th Century Europe, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa

Medieval – Dark Ages – Middle Ages

The period in European history from the collapse of the Roman civilization in the 5th century CE to approximately the 15th Century

Also called the Dark Ages in Europe because during the first 300 years not much progress was made Barbarian tribes were taking over

previously Roman ruled lands

History – Germanic Tribes The Western Roman Empire began to fall

in the 4th Century as powerful leaders of Germanic barbarian tribes violently took over regions ruled by Rome

The Germanic tribes had converted from Pagan religions to Christianity

Some of tribes were considered Barbaric in the ways they fought and took control The Huns, Franks, Angles, Saxons,

Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Burgundians, Vandals, Lombards

History – Germanic Tribes The control of the tribes lead to the deterioration of the Roman structure of Western Europe

There was very little political or cultural stability.

The only thing most people had in common was social unity in the Christian religion ruled by the Roman Catholic Church.

http://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/videos#the-fall-of-rome

Geography – Germanic Invasion 300-600 AD/CE

The Lombards and Charlemagne http://www.history.com/topics/crusad

es/videos#dark-ages-barbarians-ii---desiderius-vs-charlemagne

Charlemagne defeated most of the barbarian tribes in Western Europe Brought a more united Europe with close

connections to the Roman Catholic Church

History – Christendom The Holy Roman Empire (Christendom)

– a large church state The empire owned cities and armies Emperors were chosen by the church

leaders Divided into Two parts

Western Empire – included all of Western Europe - Roman Catholic church

Byzantine or Eastern Empire – included Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa - Orthodox Christian Church

History – Western Empire

Near the end of the 9th Century the emperors of Roman Catholic West began to fight with the Pope and church leaders The emperors wanted to choose the

church leaders in order to control the church

The church owned the cities and the armies to control the emperors

Feudalism developed across Europe

History - Feudalism

Kings took ownership of land – nation states began to develop.

See Feudalism video on wikispace

History – Eastern Empire - Byzantium • Ruled by an Emperor or king from 306- 1453AD• Orthodox church predominant religion

History - Sassanian Empire

Sassanians were Persians who fought the Romans in 211AD for control of Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt

They also controlled Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan

They worshipped many gods

Sassanid Empire – 620 AD

History – The Rise of Islam In about 610 in Mecca (present day

Saudi Arabia), the prophet Muhammad claimed to receive messages from God.

He began to preach the religion of Islam and converted many Arabs.

The movement spread to Persia/Sassanid, Syria, Palestine, North Africa, and Spain.

Followers of Islam are called Muslims.

Geography - Spread of Islam: 630-700 AD/CE (Yellow)

History – Rise of Islam

600’s -1100’s Muslims dominated shipping on Mediterranean Sea making contact between western Europe and eastern Europe difficult.

Muslims introduced industries such as papermaking and silk-weaving to western Europe

Muslim scholars translated ancient Greek texts to Arabic

Crusades – Late 1000s – late 1200s Muslims captured Jerusalem and the

Holy Land in 1076 Christian armies from western

Europe traveled to the Middle East to fight Muslims to regain control of the Holy Land and eastern Mediterranean seaports

During the 200 year period 9 bloody crusades were paid for by the Roman Catholic Church

The crusades played a major role in the expansion and development of Europe during the Middle Ages

History – The Silk Road: Global Trade

An ancient 4,000 mile trade route from Europe to China

Used extensively from about 125BC-1490AD

Europeans traveled to India and China to trade gold, silver, and gems for Chinese silk and spices

Many ideas, philosophies, religions were shared along the way

History – Education, 13th Century Scholasticism – a method of teaching that combined theology with ancient philosophy

Teaching was ruled and governed by the Roman Catholic Church

Thomas Aquinas, a Roman Catholic priest and teacher, wrote extensively about Aristotle Aristotle was an ancient Greek educator and

philosopher Ideas on how to educate came from Aquinas’

writings

Literature - Religious

Latin was the written language of the Roman Catholic Church so most literature was written in Latin

Many writings were based on ideas or the lives of Catholic leaders and saints

Local guilds wrote mystery plays that were based on Biblical stories Each village had its own mystery that

would be performed on church feast-days

Literature – Secular

Subjects in secular or non-religious writings were mostly about love

Works that are still famous today: Beowulf – epic Germanic poem written between

8th and 11th century http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/web_design/beowulf/ Canterbury Tales – stories of pilgrimages which

were popular during the Middle Ages “Wife of Bath’s Tale” – paraphrased version:

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/literature/wifeofbathstale.htm

Literature - Allegory

Allegories were used widely during the Middle Ages

They are stories with more than one meaning Usually the meanings are religious or moral

and meant to teach a lesson The element of personification is often used

Roman de la rose - Romance of the Rose Poem from the 13th century

Art - Byzantine

Eastern European Christian art Greece, Turkey, Romania, etc.

Costly materials were often used – gold, silver, and lapis luzuli to create colorful murals

Artwork and books were given similar attention

Art – Byzantine Frescoe – mural made of

plaster

Mozaic – mural made of broken glass, pottery, stone, etc.

Architecture - Medieval Castle

http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar099200 (video)http://hubpages.com/hub/Labeled-Diagram-of-a-Castle

Architecture – Byzantine Churches are about all

that is left of Byzantine architecture

Mostly made of stone, brick and mortar with plain exteriors and elaborate interiors

Early and late period churches are distinguished by a main dome with arched entrances Arched columns for inside

support

Architecture – Byzantine

Art – Romanesque

Romanesque style is called this because it is a little like Roman Architecture.

Romanesque style was influenced by Byzantine art.

A revival of Byzantine ivory carving influenced early medieval art as in this middle ages ivory plaque from 1000-1200 AD/CE.

Art – Romanesque

A Romanesque statue made of limestone - from 1170 AD/CE

Architecture - Romanesque

The walls of Romanesque buildings were made of stone and the roofs made of wood.

The round arches resemble old world Roman arches.

Walls were very thick, with few if any windows

A stole made of red silk, linen, crimson silk tabby, and threads of gold and silver leaf. This stole tells the story of the martyrdom of St. Catherine - a Christian woman who debated with the pagan emporer Maxentius about Christianity. Maxentius eventually tortured and killed Catherine for her beliefs.

Art – Early Middle Ages

• The Lions Court at Alhambra in Granada, Spain, built in 1400’s.• Islamic architecture is influenced by Greek and Roman design because Greeks were living in Arab regions when Islam faith spread in the 700s.

Architecture – Islamic Influence

• For most of the Middle Ages Islamic glass was was exported to Europe and China. • Islamic glass was considered to be the most sophisticated glass of the time.• This piece is from the 1300s.

Art – Islamic Influence

Art - GothicGothic art is concerned with painting, sculpture, architecture, and music in Europe that evolved from Romanesque art. The term "Gothic" came from Italian writers of the Renaissance who called the works ugly and compared it to the barbarian Gothic tribes that had destroyed the Roman Empire in the 5th century.

Architecture - Gothic

Notre Dame of Paris Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, France

http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/writing.htm

http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/literacy/writing.htm

http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/literacy/writing3.htm

Writing

Gardens -

http://www.gallowglass.org/jadwiga/herbs/medievalgardens.htm

Labyrinths and Mazes

http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/gregorian_chants.html

Lesson plan:http://www.lessonopoly.org/node/10263#

Music

Listen to Medieval Music http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2001/may/010503.medieval.html