Heirs to the Roman Empire: Europe, 500 to 800 AD

World History - Libertyville HS

Effect of Disintegration of W Roman Empire

• Germanic tribes settled throughout old Roman Empire– Ostrogoths – Italy– Saxons – England /

NW Germany– Visigoths – Spain– Vandals – North

Africa– Franks - France

Effects of Fall

• Changes in government form– Citizenship less

important (less obligation)

– Now, personal loyalty is most important (requires high obligation to leader)

– German chiefs led bands of warriors personally loyal to him

Effects of Fall of WRE

• Economic Effects– Cities shrank as

law, order broke down

– Trade shrank as l & o broke down

– Travel became unsafe (bandits)

Effects of Fall of WRE• Loss of knowledge,

learning– Incomers were illiterate

(no written language)– As cities shrank, so too did

the “literacy line” decrease• Represents where people

have opportunity to get educated

• Roman times = throughout Empire

• Early MA = around monasteries, a few towns

– People didn’t have time to learn to read (survival!)

Effects of Fall of WRE

• Population shifts– Roman nobility

moved to countryside

– Intermarried with incoming Germanic leaders

– Became future nobility of Europe

Effects of the Fall of WRE

• Political Effects– Almost all (Roman)

political institutions FAIL• Examples of political

institutions?

– Results in a power vacuum

– Power goes to those who control land

Effect of Fall of WRE• Power to those who

control land– Shift of power from

Southern Italy to N. Europe

– Less wealth in N = less to loot = less destruction

– Development of heavy plow

– Larger populations developed more quickly in N than S

– More population = more specialization

Who benefits from Fall of Rome?

• Rise in power of local warlords – whoever had military strength, seized and controlled land

• Rise in power of Church– Only Roman institution to

survive fall of Empire– Provided continuity / link

between WRE, post WRE world

– Something for regular people to hold on to

– Preserved knowledge of Romans, some Greeks

Power of Church

• Remnants of Roman authority used to bolter own authority– The past was very important

for commoners to look to– They were no longer

important, themselves

• Conversion of incomers key– Church came to terms with

invaders (blended old, new ways)

– Conversion key b/c w/ their conversion, more power to church