Name: __________________________

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The Fall of Rome

The Middle Ages began with the Fall of Rome in _____________.

Hordes of barbarian invaders destroyed the once great Roman Empire. First the Huns, under their war-leader _________________, pillaged and plundered towns across Gaul and the Italian Peninsula. As Attila the Hun approached the Eternal City in 452, the mighty Roman Legionaries were unable to slow his progress. From the city, Pope Leo the Great emerged and approached Attila’s camp. No one knows the words that passed between these two men – one a saint and the other known as the “Scourge of God” – but the Hun agreed not to attack. However, the invasions did not end with him. Next came the Teutonic (tue-Tawn-ik) tribes from the mountains, thick forests and swamps of what is now ____________________. These tall, light-skinned and blue-eyed warriors wore animal skin and woolen clothing. Eventually, these Teutonic barbarians, the Ostrogoths, Visigoths and Vandals, took the city of Rome and deposed the last emperor: Caesar Augustulus or “Little Augustus”. From there, barbarian tribes continued to move into Rome’s former territory: the Franks occupied _________________ and became the ___________________ and the Angles and Saxons traveled into _____________________ and became ___________________.

Rome, the greatest empire of the ancient world, was no more. It had fallen to _____________________. The loss of Pax Romana meant chaos in Europe. Multitudes of people

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reverted to surviving as nomads and bandits. Travel and trade became difficult because it was dangerous and the roads and bridges fell into disrepair. In fact, entire cities fell into ruins. Moreover, the barbarians destroyed Roman culture: artwork, books and buildings were destroyed. Much of this knowledge and learning was ____________ to history forever.

Yet, despite the devastating loss of the Roman Empire, the ___________________________, which had been established almost a half a millennium earlier, survived. In fact, the Church, with its capital still in the city of Rome, didn’t just survive, it ______________________ and ________________. God allows great suffering to bring us closer to Him. Christ’s promise to St. Peter that, “I will be with you until the end of time” cannot be broken. Christ instructed his Apostles to go out and teach all nations and His Church converted the pagans of Rome. Now the seeds needed to be planted among the barbarians. It worked. Gradually, these unruly, uncouth and uncivilized warrior people, settled down and became ________________________. Throughout the thousand years of the Middle Ages, the Holy Spirit helped guide these barbarians into the Christian nations of Europe: England, Portugal, Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria and Russia.

1. Describe the Fall of Rome. (4 marks)

2. Describe the Catholic Church at the time of the Fall of Rome. (2 marks)

Feudalism (129) see castle on 133 (and 148-150)

Feudalism Feudalism is the system in which a person’s power was based on land ownership. During the middle ages:

_________________________________________________!

In modern times, upon what is power based?

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Monarch The _______________ or _____________________.

Serf __________________ __________________. They owned no land and had no power.

Religious Today we think of this word as meaning any person who has faith. But in the proper sense it refers to anyone who serves the church; specifically: _______________, _________ and _______________.

Monastery During the Middle Ages, many villages or fiefs had both a church and a monastery. A ______________ _____________________ is called a monastery. (A nuns’ residence is called a _________________.)

Vassal Somebody who gives _________________ to another for permission to occupy __________.So, serfs are vassals to their _______________; lords are vassals to the _____________; and kings are vassals to ________________.

Hierarchy When a group of people are ___________________ in order of importance. In the feudal hierarchy, the people with the most land are ranked highest.

The Feudal Hierarchy3. Using your textbook, draw the image on page 23 of the feudal class structure of the

middle ages.

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MonarchSo who do you think had the most land? That’s right: the __________ (or _____________!). Due to the fact the monarch had the most land they possessed the most power. And as everyone knows: “_______________ _______________________________________________________________________”. The monarch was responsible for protecting his subjects and making laws that were good for his kingdom. Many of the kings of Christian Europe – the Italian, French and Germanic kingdoms – considered themselves to be _______________ to ____________. Most of these landowners and monarchs believed that God gave them their wealth and that it was their responsibility to rule it wisely and justly. The king recognized that in the end, he would have to answer to God for all his actions as king.

However, also as everyone knows, “________________________________________________________________.” Sometimes, the royalty of the Middle Ages were selfish and greedy. Instead of creating peace, they created war; instead of helping their people, they hurt them; instead of living by “_______________________________”, they lived by “my will be done”.

Nobles / BaronsWithin each larger kingdom, the land was divided up into smaller, more local _______________ or territory. In the feudalist system, a noble or a baron controlled each of these fiefs. This territory included mostly farmland, but also had:

-------

Religious The word “religious” refers to anyone in ________________ of the church. People in this __________________ included: _____________, ___________, __________________ and anyone higher up such as __________________ or cardinals. The Religious social class were common in the middle ages and a typical fief would likely have many men and women who had been called by God to serve His Church. Of course, beyond anything else, serving God is the most

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important job. Primarily, the religious were given the responsibility of teaching the Good News for the salvation of all. On Sunday’s the small village church would be filled with all the citizens. Sitting in the pews one would see nobles sitting next to peasants celebrating the mass in _________________ and awaiting the moment of Christ’s sacrifice know as the Eucharist! The religious were often the only educated people in an area, so they frequently looked after more than just their parishioner’s souls. A monastery was a busy place:

Many of them taught literacy to pupils in the monastery, took care of the sick and dying, assisted with orphans or widows and even educated farmers in proper agricultural techniques.

KnightsAh yes, who hasn’t heard of the knight in shining armour? Perhaps what you don’t realize is that these gallant men were real. Each of them was guided by a Code of Chivalry.

4. As a class, view PowerPoint and define Chivalry.

A knight’s duty was first and foremost to serve God. After, they desired to protect their king and land against invaders. Many knights were also landowners or nobles.

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Peasant Serfs

Finally, at the bottom of the feudal social class structure, were the lowly peasant serfs. While the vast majority of the population was serfs, they also had the least amount of power. A serf farmed the nobles land. They were allowed to keep the majority of their harvest but were expected to give a certain amount to their landowner. As well, serfs traditionally donated 10% of their profits to the church. As a result, serfs were most often very poor. But their poverty hardly meant that they were unhappy.

Serfs knew what was important in life: God, family and friends. While they certainly did not have any worldly material luxuries, they had so much more: a pretty good shot at eternal salvation. Unlike today, prayer, fasting, Sunday Mass, and the sacraments were just a part of their routines. People didn’t miss Mass because the Church bells at the center of the village rang loudly and everyone went. Yes, the serfs worked hard: six days of the weeks these persevering men and women toiled from sunrise to sunset; but they also played hard. Sundays were a day of celebration and Church feast days and holidays (read: Holy Days) were a time off work to enjoy God’s gifts, family and friends.

5. Opinion Question: Do you think peasant serfs during the Medieval Era were happy? Why or why not? (2 marks)

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Castles

The first thing that distinguished a castle was the moat. Most were filled with deep water to prevent enemies from coming in and the steep walls prevented the enemy from entering. The only way to cross a moat was on the drawbridge. These wooden structures could be raised or lowered depending on whether or not the people in the castles wanted you to come in. Upon crossing the drawbridge, you would reach the curtain wall. This exterior wall surrounding the castle was strong enough to survive a battering ram, a common weapon, and could be anywhere between 8 and 20 feet thick. A gatehouse was built into the curtain wall. An iron grate was used block entrance, in addition to heavy wooden doors. Small holes, called murder holes, were added to the ceiling above the main entrance to pour boiling liquid down on entering enemies.

Towers were also a part of the curtain. They allowed people to look about and keep watch outside the castle’s walls. In addition, at times they kept prisoners. For example, the Tower of London in England was well known for the important political prisoner kept within its walls.

The Keep of the castle was the highest point and the center of defense.  The strongest and most secure place in a castle. If the castle was under attack, the Lord and his family could take refuge in the keep.

Inside the castles walls were many things. There was a kitchen where the cooks made meals. The great hall was where everybody ate and the servants slept. Court jesters often sang, juggled, and told stories here to amuse the lord and his family. Stables were used to house livestock of all sorts and each castle had a chapel that could be located in a tower or gatehouse. In the courtyard was the well for drinking water. Also, in the courtyard was the garderobe or the outhouse. Castles also had one or more houses within the walls for the Lord and his guests.

6. On a separate sheet of paper, draw the floor plan for the sweetest castle, ever. Your design must:

a. Label all the above bolded vocabulary words; and8

b. Insuring that the castle can be defended.

Age of FaithRight now, sitting in this very room, you are a part of, perhaps, the most secular era in the history of the world. Throughout all of human history, people have understood that we are spiritual beings, who have been created for a purpose. However, in today’s modern world, few people grasp this most basic and important concept.

Unlike today, the Middle Ages were a time of faith. All across the globe, people understood the Truth: we are a created people with a purpose. While not everyone knew the full revealed Truth offered by Jesus Christ, most cultures were far closer to understanding the supernatural or spiritual reality than our society.

It would be appropriate to refer to the Medieval Times as the Age of Faith. For during that era, the world came to know God much more fully. First, and most importantly, the Roman Catholic Church, aided by hundreds of thousands of monks in as many as 37,000 monasteries spread the Good News of salvation throughout Europe. Because of the work of these hardworking clergy, millions of souls were saved. Secondly, in the places where Christ’s teaching were not heard, the Islamic Empire expanded and, at least, taught millions more about God (Allah). Given the increase in knowledge about God, the Middle Ages can rightfully be called the Age of Faith.

Christendom7. What does a “Christian” believe? Are Catholics Christians? Who is NOT considered a

“Christian”?

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Life in a Christian MonasteryThe local monastery was busy place. For a 1000 years of Medieval history, monasteries and the monks within are credited with many achievements:

- Carefully transcribing the ___________ as well as __________ from the ancient Greeks and Romans;

- __________________________ the locals both intellectually and spiritually;- _______________________ the sick and dying;- Collecting and distributing ________________;- Providing beds for ____________________;- Caring for ___________________ and widows;- Offering a place for _______________, adoration and the sacraments;- __________________ for the community;- Researching __________________ and inventions;- Teaching ____________________ techniques;- Improving the village’s ______________________________;- Offering a ________________; - and More!

Essentially, monks offered all the services normally associated with today’s government.

In this reading, we are taken into a Benedictine Monastery. Here the monks lived by the Benedictine Rule that reflected the two primary principles of monastic life - Ora et labora or “_______________ and _________________”. The monks lived by a strict timetable of prayer, labor and study. Also, personal possessions were _______________________. Much of their day was spent in transcribing the Bible and ancient texts left from the Roman Empire, preserving these sources of knowledge for future generations.

8. Why do you think personal possessions were forbidden?

This text was written by an abbot who, while unknown at the time, becomes the pope and is now known to history as Saint Gregory the Great. In the following story, written in 585, shows the consequences of one young monk keeping three gold pieces for himself.

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The Consequences of Breaking the Rules "There was in my monastery a certain monk, Justus by name, skilled in medicinal arts. . . . When he knew that his end was at hand, he made known to Copiosus, his brother in the flesh, how that he had three gold pieces hidden away. Copiosus, of course, could not conceal this from the brethren [other monks]. He sought carefully, and found the three gold pieces hidden away. When he told me [Gregory] this great calamity [misery] that concerned a brother who had lived with us, I could hardly hear it with calmness. For the rule of our monastery was always that the brothers should live in common and own nothing individually.

Then, stricken with great grief, I began to think what I could do to cleanse the dying man, and how I should make his sins a warning to the living brethren [monks]. Accordingly, having summoned the superintendent [assistant] of the monastery, I commanded him to see that none of the brothers visited the dying man, who was not to hear any words of comfort. If in the hour of death he asked for the brethren, then his own brother in the flesh was to tell him how he was hated by the brethren because he had concealed money; so that at death remorse for his guilt might pierce his heart and cleanse him from the sin he had committed.

When he was dead his body was not placed with the bodies of the brethren, but a grave was dug in the dung pit, and his body was flung down into it, and the three pieces of gold he had left were cast upon him, while all together cried, 'Thy money perish with thee ! ' . . .

When thirty days had passed after his death, my heart began to have compassion on my dead brother, and to ponder prayers with deep grief, and to seek what remedy there might be for him. Then I called before the superintendent of the monastery, and said sadly: 'It is a long time that our brother who died has been tormented by fire, and we ought to have charity toward him, and aid him so far as we can, that he may be delivered. Go, therefore, and for thirty successive days from this day offer sacrifices for him. See to it that no day is allowed to pass on which the salvation-bringing mass is not offered up for his absolution.' He departed forthwith and obeyed my words.

We, however, were busy with other things, and did not count the days as they rolled by. But the brother who had died, appeared by night to two of the monks, including Copiosus, his brother in the flesh. When Copiosus saw him he asked him, saying, 'What is it, brother? How art thou?' To which he answered: 'Up to this time I have been in torment; but now all is well with me, because today I have received the communion.' This Copiosus straightway reported to the brethren in the monastery.

Then the brethren carefully reckoned the days, and it was the very day on which the thirtieth oblation was made for him. …So the fact was plainly shown forth how that the brother who had died had escaped punishment through the salvation-giving mass."

How To Cite This Article: "Life in a Christian Monastery, ca. 585," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2004).

9. In three sentences, write a synopsis for the above passage.

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Rise of IslamIslam There is no ______________ but ______________, and ______________ is his

______________.

Muslim

Muhammad

Allah

Heresy

Prophet

Mecca

Koran

Archangel Gabriel

Shrine of Ka’aba

632

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Islamic EmpireThe following is adapted from E. H. Gombrich’s, “A Little History of the World”.

There is No God But Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet

Can you picture the desert? The real hot, sandy desert, was crossed by long caravans of camels laden with cargoes of rare goods? Sand everywhere. Just occasionally, you see one or two palm trees on the sky line. When you get there you find an oasis consisting of a spring with a trickle of greenish water. Then the caravan moves on. Eventually you come to a bigger oasis where there is a whole town of white, cube shaped houses, inhabited by white-clothed, brown-skinned men with black hair and piercing eyes.

You can tell that these men are warriors. On their wonderfully swift horses they gallop across the desert, robbing caravans and fighting each other, oasis against oasis, town against town, tribe against tribe. Arabia probably still looks much as it did thousands of years ago. And yet it was in this strange desert land, with its few, warlike inhabitants, that perhaps the most extraordinary of all the events I have to tell took place.

It happened like this. At the time when the monks were teaching simple peasants and the kings were ruling over the Franks – that is to say around the year 600 – nobody talked about Arabs. They were busy wandering the desert and living in tents. They had a faith like the Babylonians: they worshipped the stars, and also a stone which they believed to have fallen from heaven. This stone lay in a shrine called the Shrine of the Kaaba in the oasis town of Mecca, and the Arabs often made pilgrimages across the desert to pray there.

Now at that time, in Mecca, lived a man named Muhammad, son of Abdallah. His father was of high birth but not a rich man, a member of the family charged with watching over the shrine. He died young, and all he left his son Muhammad was six camels, which didn’t amount to much. When Muhammad was six his mother also died and he had to leave the desert encampment where he lived with other children of men of high rank and earn his living tending goats for the well-to-do. Later he met a rich widow, much older than himself, and made great journeys in her service as a camel driver. They married, had six children, and lived happily together. Also, Muhammad adopted his young cousin, Ali.

Strong and vigorous, with black hair and beard, eagle nose and heavy, loping gait, Muhammad was highly respected. He was known as the ‘Trustworthy One’. He had shown an early interest in questions of religion and enjoyed talking not just to Arab pilgrims who came to the shrine in Mecca, but also with Christians who traded in the area, and with Jews of whom there was a large number in Arabian oasis towns. In his conversations with Jews and Christians one thing particularly inpressed him: both spoke of the doctrine of the One, Invisible and Almighty God.

One evening beside a fountain he had a vision. Do you know what that is? It’s a dream you have when you’re awake. Muhammad believed that the Archangel Gabriel appeared before him,

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and addressed him in thunderous tones: “Read!” cried the angel. “But, I cannot,” stammered Muhammad. “Read!” repeated the angel. Then the angel commanded him, in the name of the Jewish and Christian Lord, his God, to pray. Profoundly shaken by this vision, Muhammad returned home. He didn’t know what had happened to him.

For three long years, as he journeyed across the dry desert, he reflected on his experience, turning it over and over in his mind. Then, another vision: Gabriel reappeared in a blaze of heavenly light. Afraid, Muhammad ran home. His wife covered him with his cloak. Suddenly, he heard the voice again: “Rise and give warning!” he was commanded. Then: “Honour thy God!” Muhammad knew this was God’s message, that he must warn mankind about hell and proclaim the greatness of the One Invisible God. From that moment, Muhammad acted like the Prophet through whose mouth God would make known his wishes to mankind. In Mecca, he preached the doctrine of the One Almighty God, the Supreme Judge, who had appointed him, Muhammad, to be His messenger. But most people mocked him. Only his wife and a few friends had faith in him.

However, it was clear to the priests and officials of the Shrine of Kaaba that Muhammad was no fool, but a dangerous enemy. They forbade anyone in Mecca to associate or do business with Muhammad or his family. This resulted in years of hunger and hardship for Muhammad. During this time, Muhammad continued to preach, sometimes to distant (sometimes enemy) oasis towns.

The news that Muhammad was preaching to these hostile tribes, and that his popularity with them was growing, roused the tribe’s leaders to a fury. Muhammad had already sent his followers out of Mecca to the desert town that had befriended him, and when the assassins who had been sent to kill him entered his small home, he climbed out the back window and fled to join them. This flight is known as the Emigration – the ‘Hegira’ in Arabic – and it took place on June 16th, 622. Muhammad’s followers have counted the years from that date, just as the Romans had done after the birth of Christ.

In his new home, which was eventually renamed Medina – meaning ‘the City of the Prophet – Muhammad was given a warm welcome. Everyone ran out to meet him and offered him hospitality. In Medina, Muhammad now set about instructing his followers, who listened to him attentively. He taught them about Abraham and Moses. He explained how God revealed himself to the old prophets and how he had been chosen to be God’s prophet.

He taught them that they should fear nothing and no one but God – or Allah (Allah means “God” in Arabic). That it was futile either to fear or to look forward to the future, for their fate had already been ordained by God. Muhammad taught his followers that they must surrender

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themselves to the will of God. In fact, the word Islam in Arabic means: “submission to the will of God”.

One of the most misunderstood parts of Muhammad’s teachings is that he told his followers that they must fight for this teaching and be victorious. He explained that if they are attacked by unbelievers, then it is not a sin to kill them.

Here is the section of the Koran explaining:

"Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not disobey. And slay them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter... But if they stop, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful... If they stop, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression" (2:190-193).

In other words, Muhammad wanted his followers to fight anyone who oppresses or controls them. If they fight or kill for a just cause, then it is not a sin. While non-Muslims and extremists often use this quote to explain terrorism, they are forgetting one important thing: Muhammad wanted his people to remember that God is merciful and once the unbeliever leaves them alone, then they need to stop the attack.

Muhammad taught his people about Heaven or Paradise. He explained that by killing an Infidel (an oppressive unbeliever), then they would go straight to Heaven (Paradise) while Infidels would go to Hell. He described it as a place “where immortal youths lie of plumb cushions facing one another bearing goblets filled with pure liquor, and no one who drinks of it has a headache or is made drunk. All fruits are there … [as well as] doe-eyed maidens as beautiful as the hidden pearl.”

Can you imagine the effect of this promise of Paradise on poor tribes people living in the scorching desert heat, and how willingly they would fight and die to be admitted.

And so the inhabitants of Medina attacked Mecca, to avenge their prophet and loot caravans. At first they triumphed, and carried off the rich spoils. Muhammad, with fifteen hundred men, made the journey to Mecca. The people, who remembered him as poor and derided, now recognized him as a mighty prophet. Many people went over to him. And once Muhammad had conquered the whole town, he spared the inhabitants, only emptying the shrine of its idols.

His power and prestige were immense and people came from far and wide to hear his message. Shortly before his death, he preached before a gathering of forty thousand pilgrims, insisting for the last time that there was no other God, but Allah and that he, Muhammad, was his Prophet; and that the fight against infidels must go on. He urged them to pray five times a day, facing Mecca, to drink no wine and to be brave. Soon afterward, in 632, he died.

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The Arabs obeyed their Prophets words, and when the infidels in their desert had been either killed or converted they moved on to nearby countries. Under the leadership of Muhammad’s representatives, or Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Omar they conquered. Within six years of Muhammad’s death, the Arab warriors had already made bloody conquests of Palestine and Persia, and amassed vast quantities of loot. Other Islamic armies attacked Egypt – still part of Byzantine – and in four years it had fallen.

The great city of Alexandria met the same fate. It is said that, when asked what should be done with the wonderful library, which at the time held seven-hundred-thousand scrolls by Greek poets, philosophers, and writers, the Caliph Omar ordered, “If what is in them is already contained in the Koran, they are not needed; and if what is in them is not contained in the Koran, then they are harmful.” Whether this is true or not, we’ll never know, but certainly there have always been people who think like that. So in all the fighting, that most important collection of books was lost to us forever.

The Islamic Empire went from strength to strength, the flames, as it were, spreading from Mecca in all directions. It was as if Muhammad had thrown a glowing spark onto the map. From Persia to India, from Egypt through the whole of North Africa, the fire raged. At this time the Arabs were far from united. Several caliphs were chosen to succeed Omar after his death and they fought ferociously against one another.

From around the year 670, Arab armies made repeated attempts to conquer Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire (Rome East), but the inhabitants put up a heroic defence, withstanding one siege for seven long years, until the enemy finally withdrew. The Arabs had to be content with the islands of Cyprus and Sicily.

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But they didn’t stop there. Returning to Africa, they crossed over into Spain. In a battle that lasted seven days, General Tarik, one of the Islamic Empire’s most revered generals, was victorious. Now Spain, too, was under Arab rule.

From there they reached the kingdom of the Franks, were they were confronted by bands of Christain-German peasant warriors. The leader of the Franks was Charles Martel – which means Charles the Hammer – because he was so good at knocking people down in battle. And he actually succeeded in defeating the Tarik and the Islamic warriors, in 732 – exactly a hundred years after the Prophet’s death. If Charles Martel had lost those battles at Tours and Poitiers in southern France, the Arabs would surely have conquered all of what is now France and Germany, and destroyed the monasteries. In which case we might all be Muslims, like so many people in the world today.

Islam vs Christianity1. This is one of the most important questions you may ever be asked: Would you convert to

Islam? Why or why not?

2. What makes you so sure that you are on the right side? How do you know that Christianity is true?

3. Wait a minute…does Christ actually claim to be God?

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4. How do we know that the bible writers were telling the truth? Can we actually know?!?

Open Book Quiz1. Describe Muhammad (4 marks).2. Describe Islam. In other words, what do Muslims believe (8 marks)?3. How do we prove that Jesus Christ was God and that Muhammad was wrong (8 marks)?

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The CrusadesWhat were the Crusades?

The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars fought between _________________________ and the __________________ Empire. The Crusades started in __________ when Pope ___________________ called together a Church council at ____________________ (klair mawn) in France. In one of the most important speeches ever given, Pope Urban II called upon the hundreds of bishops and multitudes of priests and laity to rescue the Holy Land, specifically Jerusalem, from the Turks. He asked all the men going to defend the Holy Land to wear a cross as a sign of their vow. The word crusade means to take the _______________.

Muslims had been in control of Jerusalem since 732, why did the church wait until 1095 to call for the Crusades?

While Muslim armies had been occupying Jerusalem and other places in the Holy Land for over __________ years, they had, for the most part, left Christians alone. Christians, who actually made up the majority of the population of Jerusalem in 1095, were allowed to practice their faith, visit the Holy sites and receive the sacraments.

However, in 1065, just 30 years before Pope Urban II delivered his historical speech, everything changed. Jerusalem was conquered by the Islamic __________. Immediately, they massacred _________ Christians. Moreover, churches were _______________ and Holy sites were ___________ to Christians. It looked much like ISIS in Syria and Iraq today.

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Crusades: A Reading Comprehension Quiz name: ___________

Read pages 20 and 21 in order to answer the following questions.

1. What was the purpose of the crusades?

2. Which three religious faiths consider the Middle East lands to be holy?

3. The reading says that entire armies were exposed to a new way of life in the east. Describe three ways in which the travelers were “exposed to a new way of life” (3 marks).

Analyze the map on page 20.

4. Find Italy. What image can be seen located on Italy?

5. In the Jewish faith, what are the teachers called?

6. List the two ways to spell the Muslim holy book.

Analyze the map on page 21.

7. Name two cities located in the disputed area of the Holy Land.

8. What is the most likely way that the armies traveled from Marseille to the Holy Land?

9. What is the approximate distance between Genoa and Rome?

10.In what year did the crusades end?

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Jerusalem

Besieged or siege

Saracens

Sepulchre of our Lord

Procession

Prayers, Alms and Fasting

The Crusaders Capture Jerusalem, 1099The name of the author of the following eyewitness account is unknown, but it is considered a reliable description:

"Exulting with joy we reached the city of Jerusalem on Tuesday, June 6, and we besieged it in a wonderful manner. Robert of Normandy besieged it on the northern side. ...Godfrey and Tancred carried on the siege on the west. The Count of St. Gilles operated from the south, on Mount Sion, near the church of St. Mary, the Lord's mother, where the Lord supped with His disciples. . . .

During the siege we were unable to find any bread to buy for about the space of ten days; …also we were afflicted by great thirst. [Our water came from] the fountain of Siloam, at the foot of Mount Sion, but the water was sold us at a high price. . . . We sewed up skins of oxen and buffaloes in which we brought the water six miles. The water we drank from such receptacles was fetid, and what with foul water and barley bread we daily suffered great affliction and distress. Moreover the Saracens hid near all the springs and wells and ambushed our men, killing and mutilating them.

Then our leaders planned to attack the city with machines, in order to enter it and adore the sepulchre of our Saviour. They made two wooden towers and many other machines. . . . Day and night on the fourth and fifth days of the week we vigorously attacked the city on all sides; but before we made our assault the bishops and priests persuaded all by their preaching that a procession should be made round Jerusalem to God's honour, faithfully accompanied by prayers, alms and fasting. Early on the sixth day we attacked the city on all sides and could do nothing against it. We were all surprised and alarmed. Then, at the approach of the hour at which our Lord Jesus Christ deigned to undergo the passion of the cross for us, our knights in one of the towers fought bravely, amongst them Duke Godfrey and his brother, Count Eustace.

One of our knights, climbed on to the wall of the city. When he reached the top, all the defenders 21

of the city quickly fled along the walls and through the city. Our men followed and pursued them, killing and hacking, as far as the temple of Solomon, and there was such a slaughter that our men were up to their ankles in the enemy's blood. . . .

The emir who commanded the tower of David surrendered and opened the gate where pilgrims used to pay tribute. Entering the city, our pilgrims pursued and killed the Saracens up to the temple of Solomon. There the Saracens assembled and resisted fiercely all day, so that the whole temple flowed with their blood. At last the pagans were overcome and our men seized many men and women in the temple, killing them or keeping them alive as they saw fit. On the roof of the temple there was a great crowd of pagans of both sexes, to whom Tancred and Gaston de Beert gave their banners [to provide them with protection] . Then the crusaders scattered throughout the city, seizing gold and silver, horses and mules, and houses full of all sorts of goods. Afterwards our men went rejoicing and weeping for joy to adore the sepulchre of our Saviour Jesus and there discharged their debt to Him. . . .

The city was captured by the Christians on Friday, July 15."

How To Cite This Article: "The Crusaders Capture Jerusalem, 1099," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2000).

10.Summarize the above passage.

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Bubonic PlagueNewspaper Primary Source from The Florentine ChronicleBy Marchione di Coppo Stefani,

Concerning A Mortality In The City Of Florence In Which Many People Died

In the year of the Lord 1348 there was a very great pestilence in the city and district of Florence. It was of such a fury and so tempestuous that in houses in which it took hold previously healthy servants who took care of the ill died of the same illness. Almost none of the ill survived past the fourth day. Neither physicians nor medicines were effective. Whether because these illnesses were previously unknown or because physicians had not previously studied them, there seemed to be no cure. There was such a fear that no one seemed to know what to do. When it took hold in a house it often happened that no one remained who had not died. And it was not just that men and women died, but even animals died. Dogs, cats, chickens, oxen, donkeys sheep showed the same symptoms and died of the same disease. And almost none, or very few, who showed these symptoms, were cured. The symptoms were the following: a bubo in the groin, where the thigh meets the trunk; or a small swelling under the armpit; sudden fever; spitting blood and saliva (and no one who spit blood survived it). It was such a frightful thing that when it got into a house, as was said, no one remained. Frightened people abandoned the house and fled to another. Those in town fled to villages. Physicians could not be found because they had died like the others. And those who could be found wanted vast sums in hand before they entered the house. And when they did enter, they checked the pulse with face turned away. They inspected the urine from a distance and with something odoriferous under their nose. Child abandoned the father, husband the wife, wife the husband, one brother the other, one sister the other. In all the city there was nothing to do but to carry the dead to a burial. And those who died had neither confessor nor other sacraments. And many died with no one looking after them. And many died of hunger because when someone took to bed sick, another in the house, terrified, said to him: "I'm going for the doctor." Calmly walking out the door, the other left and did not return again. Abandoned by people, without food, but accompanied by fever, they weakened.

No one, or few, wished to enter a house where anyone was sick, nor did they even want to deal with those healthy people who came out of a sick person's house. And they said to them: "He is stupefied, do not speak to him!" saying further: "He has it because there is a bubo in his house." They call the swelling a bubo. Many died unseen. So they remained in their beds until they stank. And the neighbors, if there were any, having smelled the stench, placed them in a shroud and sent them for burial. The house remained open and yet there was no one daring enough to touch anything because it seemed that things remained poisoned and that whoever used them picked up the illness.

At every church, or at most of them, they dug deep trenches, down to the waterline, 23

wide and deep, depending on how large the parish was. And those who were responsible for the dead carried them on their backs in the night in which they died and threw them into the ditch, or else they paid a high price to those who would do it for them. The next morning, if there were many [bodies] in the trench, they covered them over with dirt. And then more bodies were put on top of them, with a little more dirt over those; they put layer on layer just like one puts layers of cheese in a lasagna.

Bubonic Plague: Reading ComprehensionBefore beginning the reading quiz, complete the following directions on the above map.

a) Colour all the water blue but make sure that you can still read all the dates.b) Locate: Spain, France, Germany, Poland, England, Greece, Turkey, Russia and Italy (if

necessary, use an Atlas).

11.Based on the information available on the map, which European country was least affected by the plague?

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12.According to the map, the plague first struck Europe in December, 1347. Describe, in detail, the route the plague followed through Europe.

13.When did the plague first hit England?

14.Approximately, how old was Marchione di Coppo Stefani when the plague first arrived in Florence?

15.Describe the symptoms of the plague.

16.Find a quote from the above passage that supports the opinion: “Many people died of the black plague.” For full marks, cite your quote.

STOP! Watch the Monty Python Video, “Bring Out Your Dead”.

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