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Lecture 6: Historical Developments 604-900

Ann T. Orlando

22 February 2011

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Introduction

Review of historical situation in 7th C Rise of Islam Charlemagne Europe after Charlemagne Eastern (Byzantine) Efforts to oppose Islam Review Readings

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Historical Situation in Early 7th Cin West City of Rome is a desolate ruin with poor sanitation and filled with

very poor people; under direct authority of Pope Pope St. Gregory the Great rebuilds sanitation and water supply Feeds the hungry

Bishops are often the only real source of learning, administration and civil justice

Irish and Roman missionaries have some success in converting pagan and Arian tribes

Visigoths rule Spain; Vandals rule North Africa; Lombards rule northern Italy; Byzantine control of Southern Italy and Sicily, Franks rule Western France; Anglo-Saxons in England; Alamani in Germany

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Historical Situation in Early 7th Cin East Unified politically under control of Byzantine

Emperor from Egypt to Danube But monophysites in Egypt and Nestorians in Syria

undermine religious unity Primary contact between East and West is through

the Pope Ecclesial authorities are subordinate to civil Eastern Empire will see itself as the continuation of

ancient Roman Empire until the fall of Constantinople in 1453

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Late Sixth Century Eastern Mediterraneanocw.nd.edu/arabic-and-middle-east-studies/islamic-societies-of-the-middle-east-and-north/lectures/Lecture%201.html

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Rise of Islam

Muhammad (570-632) The flight from Mecca to Medina (622) is beginning of

Muslim calendar (prior to this time, referred to a Age of Ignorance)

Qur’an is revelation given to Muhammad; its language, Arabic, is part of that revelation

Founded a religious and political movement aimed at uniting all Arab tribes.

By 716 all of North Africa, Sicily and the Iberian peninsula was under Muslim control

By 730 France and Constantinople were threatened

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Early Islamic Political Leadership First four caliphs:

Rashidun, rightly guided Umayyads Abbasids Fatimids

Like Hellenistic kingdoms after Alexander and then the Romans, Arab Muslims found territory too large to rule consistently by one power

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Early Islamic Culture

New Capital Cities Damascus, old city but new capital Baghdad Cairo Cordoba

Arabic becomes the common language Replaces Greek in Southern Mediterranean,

Persia Replaces Latin in North Africa, Spain as common

language

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Rise of Islam 7th Cocw.nd.edu/arabic-and-middle-east-studies/islamic-societies-of-the-middle-east-and-north/lectures/lecture-3

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Merovingian Dynasty (496-741) Recall Conversion of Chlodwech (Clovis) 496 in Rheims

as a Catholic Christian Clovis is beginning of Merovingian dynasty in France When Clovis dies in 511, control is divided among his sons

Real power was with wealthy land owners, especially Mayor of Palace, Attached to king by oaths of loyalty and promise to provide

troops Bishops take an increasingly secular role; judicial and

military because they were also large land owners Custom develops that the king appoints bishops Merovingian kings become weak and ineffective rulers Transition from Roman system to early feudalism

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Rise of Carolingians Largest land owners, and Mayor of Palace, in early 8th

C was family of Charles Martel Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer) stopped the

Muslim army at Tours in 732 Charles’ son, Pepin (Pippin) the Short (714-758), asks

Pope Zachary if incompetent rulers should rule, Zachary says no

Pepin overthrows last Merovingian ruler, Childric the Stupid; Pope Stephen II goes to France to anoint Pepin king (note: St. Boniface may have anointed him first)

Pepin invades Italy and rescues the Papacy from Lombards and threats from Muslims in Sicily

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Papal Control of Western Europe Pepin gave central Italy to the Pope in 754;

beginning of Papal States (lasted until 19th C) Problem: Constantinople had a claim to Italy Papacy justifies its land holdings with one of most

famous forgeries of all time: Donation of Constantine This document claimed that Constantine gave control of

Western Empire to Pope Accepted as genuine until 15th C Basis for Papal claims to political power in Europe

King nominates bishops, but appointed by Pope

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Charlemagne (747-814)

Pepin and his wife, Bertha the Big Foot, have son, Karl, later known as Charlemagne

Reclaimed parts of northeastern Spain from Muslims (Song of Roland)

Defeated Saxons and forced their conversion to Catholicism

United Western Europe; established capital at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle)

Crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome Christmas Day 800

Note a problem: there was already a Holy Roman Emperor in Constantinople

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Charlemagne’s Empire

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Impact of Charlemagne’s Rule Enforced Latin, Roman liturgy Established centers of learning for clergy and

monks (although he could not read) Setup European-wide system of

administration Establish precedent of Western Holy Roman

Empire Cemented special relationship between Pope

and France

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After Charlemagne

Kingdom divided among his three sons at Treaty of Verdun

Sons are weakened rulers, creating a power vacuum

Viking invasions begin during Charlemagne’s lifetime, and increase throughout Europe in 8th C

Lingering problem: who’s in charge politically, Pope or King

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Extent of Viking Conquestsdarkwing.uoregon.edu/%7Eatlas/europe/static/map16.html

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Western Relations with Byzantium Major political issues from Byzantium’s perspective

Donation of Constantine Coronation of Charlemagne by Pope

Contributing to weakened position of Byzantium Muslim invasions Iconoclast controversy in East Empress Irene

Efforts made to arrange a marriage between Byzantine Empress Irene and Charlemagne, but not effective

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Mediterranean 9th C

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Readings

Vidmar, 88 -117. Note he and I disagree about the break from ‘dark’ to medieval; Vidmar takes ‘dark’ to 1000; I stop ‘dark’ at 900 (foundation of Cluny, taming of Vikings

part of medieval for me) McManners, Ch 3 (Mayr-Harting)

Boniface NOT an embryonic English Protestant Only skim this chapter; pictures and captions better than

text McManners, Ch 5 (Johns)

Read 163-170 carefully CCC 232-242

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Readings (cont.)

Donation of Constantine Read all carefully What land, rights, powers, symbols of office does

Constantine give? From what you know already of history of church and

history of doctrine, why might you be suspicious of this document?

Einhard, Life of Charlemagne Read all Pay special attention to relations with Eastern (Byzantine)

Empire, Islamic Empire, Pope

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Reading (Optional)

Jonas of Orleans (780 – 843) Bishop during reign of Pepin Short and

Charlemagne Wrote The Institution of the King Builds on Gelasius’ Letter