Global connections Unit 3Chapter 7 section 1
Europe after the fall of the Roman EmpireThe Frankish Kingdoms
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages500-1000 AD
• Characteristics (a dark age?)• Culture
• 3 elements (German, Christian, Roman)• How did the Roman Catholic Church survive as
the Empire fell?• Autonomy (courts and law)• Leadership• Organization
The Expanded Role of the Clergy Early Caesaropapism: Popes of this time were
forced to assume both temporal and spiritual authority Pope Gregory the Great (590-614) (Chant)
exercised independent Temporal power (ex: helped the poor) St. Benedict (Monte Cassino 529): The rules for monastic
life The Role of Monks and Nuns
Manuscript illumination Missionary work (St. Boniface) Hospitals, education of farmers
Germanic Culture Oral tradition Rural not urban Legal system
Trial by ordeal Customs
Polygamy Incest Divorce Infanticide
The Franks 486, Clovis conquers
Gaul after making an alliance with the Roman Catholic Church United all the Frankish
Tribes
Battle of Tours 732 Muslim army crossed
into France Charles (The
Hammer) Martel rallied Frankish warriors
Christians triumphed Importance of this
victory?
Charlemagne 742-814 Grandson of Charles
Martel Hunting, riding, and
singing Christian upbringing 4 legal wives and 6
concubines King of Franks Became known as
Charlemagne “Charles the Great”
Charles as Germanic Warrior Saved Papacy from Lombards 773-774 Defeated the Byzantines and the Avars Used fear and his incredible energy to control
his Empire He sought to awe conquered peoples with his
fierce presence and terrible justice 4,000 Saxons killed at Verdun in one day
Battle of Roncesvalles 778
On way home form Spain his rear guard was
ambushed by Basques or Saracens Charlemagne’s only defeat
Roland became a great hero of many songs, dances, and romances (The Song of Roland)
Charles as Christian Administrator Delegated authority to local Counts Checked on what they were doing using a
system of Missi Dominici (agents of the King) One clergy one layman (every year) Accountability
Scholarship He Studied Logic, Rhetoric,
Dialects He could read Latin but could
not write Sponsored education by establishing
Cathedral schools (most imp?) At his court in Aachen (aka. Aix-
Le-Chapelle) Charlemagne assembled scholars Alcuin of Northumbria Einhard (Vita Caroli)