The Formation of Christian Europe

By: Connor Siemer, David Guerrero, James O’Connor, Joshua Espinoza,

and Pierce Butler

SocialFeudalism and Manorialism

• Society consisted of three classes: Nobles, peasants, and the clergy. • Only men could become lords, vassals, knights.• Women shared the lifestyles of their husbands.• All knights lived by a code of chivalry and was loyal to one’s lord.• The lives of peasants were not easy and they were not treated well. • Societies depended on agricultural and military stability because the manor were self-sufficient.

The Revival of Towns and Trade• People organized guilds.

– Practiced a similar occupation to protect their own social interest.

• Growth of population.• Increased in food production.• End of invasions and stabilization of feudal society.

• Center of trade and cultural diffusion and beliefs. • Patriarch Photius

-worked to increase Orthodox influence and contributions to education.

• Pope Nicholas -Attempted to convert pagans.

Political Aspects of Christian EuropeWith the fall of the Roman Empire, the Papacy/the church became

the new political power on the Italian Peninsula that the people followed.

The main form of government used by the civilizations in this chapter is a monarchy, but in some places the monarch wasn’t the

only one being followed. Nobles controlled land and had their own followers underneath them.

Western Europe adopted Feudalism which is a system of rights and duties in which political power was exercised locally by private individuals rather than through the bureaucracy of a

centralized state. The three main elements of feudalism are 1) one nobleman, the vassal, becomes the follower of a stronger

nobleman, lord; 2) The fief/benefice; and 3) The private exercise of government exercises over vassals and fiefs.

Clovis unites the Franks, this begins the Merovingian dynasty.Muslims invade Spain and southern France and are eventually

stopped by Charles Martel at the battle of Tours. By doing this he creates a Frankish state with him in charge. This makes relations

between Christians and Muslims worse.Under Charles’ son Pippin the Carolingian dynasty begins. Under Charlemagne the Frankish state and the Carolingian

dynasty reached the height of its power. The pope crowned and hailed him emperor of the Romans. Charlemagne becomes the protector of the Papacy. This means that if anyone would attack

the papacy or their lands, Charlemagne would respond with force. The church grew in political importance through the assertive and able leadership of the Papacy and the bureaucracy that served the

popes in Rome. Heresy became a great concern in the High Middle Ages and this

was the birth of the Inquisition which resulted in the death of many.

Europe is invaded by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars.

Political Continued • Code of Chivalry which is a code of conduct that was to govern the

behavior of all knights.• The Crusades was a series of campaigns in which Christians from

Europe fought Muslims from the Middle East for control of the Holy Land. The first Crusade was the most successful out of the seven. These crusades made the church, especially the Pope more powerful in Europe.

• In 1204 Christian Crusader sacked the city of Constantinople. With this the Byzantine Empire disappeared for a number of years, making Venice the supreme trading power in the area.

• After the last Carolingian king died, Hugh Capet was elected king. This was the beginning of a dynasty that ruled France for the coming centuries. This dynasty (Capetian) conquered many lands back from England under Philip II Augustus and Philip IV.

• William, Duke of Normandy conquered England at the battle of Hastings.

• Henry II strengthened the English Monarchy, but he also tried to reduce the power of the church witch lead to the death of Thomas a Becket.

• Parliament which means great council, first became influential during the reign of Edward 1.

• Parliament has two parts: 1) The House of Lords and 2) The House of Commons which has more power out of the two.

• The Reconquista occurs in Spain. This was the expulsion of Muslim Moors by Christians

• Battle of Manskirt resulted in a Byzantium defeat and the loss of Anatolia which was the agricultural heartland of the empire. This resulted in the crusades, which became a war between two religions and eventually it split Christianity in half.

• The Great Schism occurred and Christianity split into east and west.

• Otto the Greats’ empire becomes the Holy Roman Empire. This is a memory of the great Roman Empire and shows that Rome is still in the minds of the people

• Kiev becomes a state that was equal to contemporary France.

Interaction in Christian Europe• After Rome fell Christianity is spread to Germanic tribes, Franks, and

Anglo-Saxons. It was due to this wide-spread of Christianity that led to stability in Medieval Rome and collapses in the Empire.

• Franks move south west to Roman Gaul and the Merovingian dynasty started.

• Charlemagne spreads the Carolingian Empire even further thus spreading Christianity to more parts of the world.

• Due to overpopulation of younger men a string of raids in sued. Topped with technologically advanced ships that could hold up to 100 men Christian Europe fights hard to stay alive.

• Because of Manorialism and the peasants advanced greatly in farming technology, some of these advances were horse plows, to make plowing and tilling easier and a three field farming system to keep the land from deteriorating.

Interactions Continued• Rapid increase of population helps to start trade and change manors into towns.• Crusades for the “Holy Land” spread Catholicism, but even more so, the Crusades

show Medieval Europe a better way of living that they hadn’t experienced before then.

• William the Conqueror storms England from Normandy and starts a new line of kings in England descended from.

• Byzantium sends out missionaries to convert Slavs which ultimately lead to the creation of Cyrillic language and the expansion of the Byzantine Empire.

• Turkish peoples migrate from China to southwestern Asia, which led to the sacking of Byzantium, causing a great economic meltdown.

• After Germans movement to the west the Slavs follow their example and spread out in Eastern Europe. This was the beginning of Russia.

• Due to Russia’s vast size and low population invaders have been able to easily conquer Russia and led Russia to be very impressionable. This is easily seen when Byzantium missionaries not only convert Russia but, create a language from them.

Cultural Aspects of Christian Europe

• Europe formed a unique culture that was influenced by Roman and Germanic peoples and

traditions.• Christian Church worked as a social fabric of society• Missionaries were used all over Europe to spread the church’s influence• Irish monasteries became safe havens for learning and storehouses of priceless original

literature and exquisite manuscripts dedicated to scholarship and preservation of early Christian works such as the Book of Kells.

• The Kingdom of the Franks, which were the most enduring of the early Germanic States, played a significant role in blending Roman and Germanic customs throughout Europe.

• Under the reign of Clovis I, the Frank kingdom was converted to Christianity, which in turn led to a strong alliance between the Franks and the papacy which then affected the course of politics and religion for centuries.

• During the Middle Ages of Europe centralized political power began to shrink due to the corrupt relationship between feudal lords and church officials, who were seeking protection from the feudal lords, and in turn, offering the church and papacy up as a political prize sought after by many nobles.

Culture Continued

• The church then worked to influence their Christian values into society through the concept of Chivalry became popular in the Middle Ages, Chivalry was the code of conduct that nights would live their lives by that exemplified such virtues as honor, courage, and loyalty.

• Heresy became big concern for the church during the High Middle Ages• Development of studies in law, medicine, and theology led to the development of

Universities. • Idea of Scholasticism became popular with scholars of the church, reached its highest

development in the works of Thomas Aquinas.• Crusades, though unsuccessful, ended European isolation and introduced much of Europe to

the Muslim civilization. • During the ninth and tenth centuries, the church made major contributions into converting

much of Eastern Europe and Russia, mainly with the adaptation created by the two brothers, Cyril and Methodius, to use vernacular in religious books, which meant that the religious books would be translated into the native language and more people could understand the churches message.

• The last big impact that Christian Europe left on the world was the Great Schism, which separated the two churches of Rome and Constantinople, a seperation that is still in place today

The Economics of medieval Europe: Manorialism

• Manorialism- Meant to keep Europe self sufficient - Center of the manor was the village- Nobles owned 1/3 to 1/6 of the land- Peasants owned few holdings- The peasants used a system of fielding crops known as the two field

system - Half of the land was used while the other half lay to cultivate and fertilize.

The Economics of medieval Europe: the resurgence of towns

- The resurgence of towns and trade boosted European economy and culture- There were three types of workers: - apprentices - journeymen - master craftsmen- Merchants and artisans formed guilds - an organization of people who practiced a similar occupation and come together to protect their own professional standards and social interests

The ECONOMICS OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE: THE CRUSADES

- One of the most important things that happened during the Crusades was the fact that Europe now had trading connections with the Middle East.

Soapstone• Speaker- An Anglo-Saxon artists employed by

Bishop Odo

• Occasion- To commemorate and glorify the conquering of England by the Normandy Prince, William, the Duke of Normandy. Also, to get on the good side of William the Conqueror so that he would think highly of the man who commissioned the piece (Bishop Odo).

• Audience- All people of Normandy, peasants and nobleman, who wanted to understand how and where William the Conqueror got his start. (In the Bayeux Cathedral)

• Purpose- To boost the morale of the Normans and to show off their great leader to future generations. Many times, in the tapestry we see William the Conqueror doing good deeds i.e. saving Harold from capture and giving him armor and weapons.

• Subject- War. Defeating other Nations.• tone- To Inform the people of Normandy of their

great heritage.

Bayeux Tapestry