The Middle Ages

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The Middle Ages

• 476 1500
• Version 3

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Before the Middle Ages

• THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• 27 BCE 476 CE
• Largest Empire of history to that date

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REMEMBER

• Rome was not built in a day
• AND it did not fall in a day.
• Romes peak was about 200 CE.
• It took 276 years to collapse.

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Benefits of the Roman Empire

• More people had education.
• Better roads and bridges
• Sanitation in the cities and clean water.
• CULTURE
• LAWS

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So What Happened to Rome?

• Despotic and crazy emperors.
• Caligula was only one example.

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So What Happened to Rome?

• Not enough soldiers.
• The Germanic Tribes figured out how to fight the
  Romans and WIN.

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So What Happened to Rome?

• Not enough tax money to support the military or
  public structures.
• The Church (Catholic) was unsure about fighting
  and giving up tax money in the 300s 476.

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So what happened to Rome?

• Not enough slaves to support the Roman way of
  life.
• Problem began in the 300s.

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So what happened to Rome?

• The lead water pipes???
• Creates infertility?
• Creates slower brain abilities?

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So what happened to Rome?

• 476 A tribe called the Vandals invaded and
  sacked Rome.
• End of the Empire.
• THAT is where we get the term vandalism!

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What happened after Rome fell?
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The Dark Ages

• About 400 years of chaos.
• Germanic tribes only seeking loot taking from the
  weak.
• The Norsemen (Vikings) raiding from the sea.

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The Dark Ages 400 - 800

• Not much is known from this period.
• Few people could write.
• Few people had time to write.
• No real art comes from this time in Europe.

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The Dark Ages

• There were spots where civilization hung on.
• Christian monasteries in remote locations.
• Tended to be looked at by people as another type
  of magic.
• AND .

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The Age of Arthur?

• Was there a King Arthur?

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Somewhere between 500 600 - ARTHUR

• The Mabniogion
• Arthur wasnt really a king like we think of
  it.
• He was probably a Roman Celt cavalry commander
  left after Rome deserted Britain.

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Arthurian Legend in Britain

• What we can guess at being true about Arthur
• He kept the invading Angle and Saxon tribes from
  taking complete control.
• He had a huge victory that kept the Angles/Saxons
  away for a generation..
• He had the time to try to care about justice.

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Later in the Middle Ages the Arthur story was
made appropriate

• Le Morte DArthur in 1485.
• Arthur was made a king.
• Christianized story.
• Women were subservient / unfaithful.
• Round Table and Knights searching for the Holy
  Grail.

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There were probably other Arthurs in the Dark
Ages ..

• Stories and legends.
• The Arthurs tended to lose in the end.
• And History is written by the victors.

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Now for some of the real history

• Things we know for sure!

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By the 500s

• Germanic invasions had all but destroyed the
  Roman world.
• Law and order disappeared.
• Infrastructures like roads, bridges, buildings
  fell apart.

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Frankish Rulers

• Franks (France)
• Merovingian kings
• Charlemagne and the Frankish Empire

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The Merovingians

• 400s the Franks Germanic Tribe conquered and
  settled in France / Germany.
• 481 Clovis became king of the Franks.

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King Clovis

• Brutal king
• BUT became a Christian.
• Saw that Christianity had some educated people
  that he needed to help rule his domain.

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Problems for the Merovingians

• Frankish custom to divide your land among all
  your sons.
• Heirs began to kill each other for their
  inheritances.
• So busy fighting the governing was left to the
  MAYORS OF THE PALACE.

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Charles Martel Mayor of the Palace

• 714 Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer) more or
  less took over in all but name.
• Led the Franks to defeat the Muslim invasion in
  732.

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Charles the Hammers son Pepin the Short

• 752 Pepin finished off the Merovingians and
  bought off the Church and nobles.
• Became King of the Franks.
• Convinced the Pope that he could be his
  protection.

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Pepins Son CHARLEMAGNE

• 771 Charlemagne became king.
• Doubled the size of his kingdom to include
  Germany, France, northern Spain and most of
  Italy.
• Created the Frankish Empire

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Charlemagne needed help with his empire

• Needed communications
• Needed educated men to help
• Charlemagne needed ..

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THE CHURCH

• The Church started to create schools and
  monasteries to teach reading and writing.
• Made illuminated copies of the Bible and Roman
  manuscripts.
• Spread the knowledge around the empire.
• First time in 300 years.

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A Christian Realm under Charlemagne

• Defending the Pope against the Lombards (another
  Germanic tribe) in 800 Charlemagne had an
  interesting problem come up.

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Charlemagne an EMPEROR?

• Pope Leo III thought it was a great idea if HE
  crowned Charlemagne emperor.
• Charlemagne liked the idea of the power of being
  an emperor too - BUT

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Charlemagne as Emperor?

• BUT what does it mean if the Pope crowned him?
• The pope had more power than the emperor.
• Charlemagne did not like that idea.

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Emperor Charlemagne

• Pope tricked Charlemagne into being emperor.

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Charlemagnes Empire

• Divided land among COUNTS.
• Solve local problems
• Stop feuds
• Protect the weak
• Raise taxes and armies.

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Charlemagnes Empire

• Sent royal messengers on inspections to tell him
  how counts were doing.
• Charlemagne was constantly traveling to see for
  himself his kingdom.

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814 Charlemagne died.

• Son Louis the Pious was more concerned about the
  purity of his soul than ruling.
• Charlemagnes grandsons went to war for his
  kingdom.

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The end of the Franks

• Charles the Bald took over what is today France.
• Louis got what is today Germany.
• Lothair took a strip between the North Sea to
  Italy.

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800 1000 New Invaders

• VIKINGS!

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The VIKINGS

• Came from Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
  Holland)
• Called themselves Northmen or NORSEMEN.

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Viking Invasions

• TRIVIA Viking comes from A-VIKING (fight as a
  warrior).
• Had GREAT boats
• Sturdy in oceans
• Shallow enough to go up rivers.
• Could be carried past fortified bridges.

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Viking Invasions

• Brutal. No mercy in battle.
• What couldnt be stolen theyd burn.

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Viking Trade

• They also explored and settled in other
  countries.
• Dublin (capitol of Ireland) was a Viking
  settlement.

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Viking Trade

• Since no one else but Vikings were using the
  waterways trade happened through them.
• Sometimes trade was more profitable than war.

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Viking Culture

• Worshipped many gods.
• Told EPICS about gods and men.
• Storytellers had special status.
• So did the CRONES.

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Vikings accepted Christianity

• BUT not until the 1100s.

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The Effects of the Germanic / Viking Invasions

• People became very isolated.
• Not much centralized control.
• Nobles and local people had to defend themselves.
• Trade declined.

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Medieval Life

• Feudalism
• Life of the Nobility
• Manorial System (castles)

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Feudalism 900s - 1500

• With weak central government feudalism
  developed.
• Alliances of mutual protection between monarchs
  and nobles of varying degrees of power.

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Feudal Relationship

• Military service land ownership.
• Fiefs land with peasants.
• Warriors got a way to make money in exchange for
  being a warrior for a king or greater noble.
• This is where the knight began.

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Knights

• USUALLY cavalry fighters .
• Cost a lot for upkeep of horse and armor.

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In exchange for land nobles swore oaths of loyalty

• To kings or greater nobles.
• Promised to provide so many mounted warriors for
  the armies.
• Nobles, if they did their duty, could pass on
  their land to their heirs.

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Feudalism A Pyramid Scheme

• King at the top.
• Middle was the various ranks of lords.
• Vassals were nobles who served a higher ranked
  lord.
• Nobles could pledge services to more than one
  lord!
• One Siboto of Falkenstein was pledged to 20
  different lords!
• Worked as long as one of his lords didnt declare
  wary on the other!

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Feudal Obligations

• Homage The ceremony of making promises.
• Knight promises service to the king.
• The king promises fiefs to the knight.

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Usual Feudal Obligations

• Promised to bring a certain number of knights to
  fight for the king.
• 40 60 days a year of service to the king.
• Serve in the lords court
• Provide food and lodging if the lord came to
  visit.
• To pay for educating / dowry of the lords kids.
• Pay ransom for the lord.

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Castles for Defense

• No big surprise warfare happened quite a bit.
• Every noble built a castle fortified manor
  house for defense.

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Castles for Defense

• In the beginning mostly wooden fort-like
  structures with a great hall that everyone lived
  in.

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Castles for Defense

• Around 1100s castles began to be made of stone.
• Built on a hill or mound for defense.
• Maybe a moat?

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Inside the Castle Walls

• Square towers called KEEPS.
• Strongest part of the castle.
• Usually had the great hall for meals /
  celebrations.
• Some housing for the family of the noble.
• Dungeon?

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Inside the Castle Walls

• Surrounding the keep was the BAILEY.
• Large open area.
• Had buildings like barracks, storerooms,
  workshops, stables, chapel.

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Life in the castles

• Not so glamorous as the movies make out!
• Castles were for security NOT comfort.
• Nor sanitation!

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Life of the Nobility

• Within his fief, a lord, or nobleman, had almost
  total authority.
• Collected rents
• Administered justice
• Keep away invaders who might try to take his fief.

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Life of a noblewoman

• Few if any rights.
• Could be wed by her twelfth birthday (sometimes
  younger)
• Husband chosen by father / brother.
• Have children and take care of the household.
• Often the doctor.

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Life of a noblewoman

• SOMETIMES, their husbands / fathers / brothers
  trusted them to do themens duties when they were
  at war or the kings court.

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Entertainment for Nobles

• Tournaments!
• Hunting!
• Women and men did falconry and archery.
• Eating!
• Entertainment by traveling minstrels.

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Becoming a Knight

• Boys training began at 7.
• Became a page / assistant / in the house of
  another lord.
• Began to learn the use of weapons and some
  manners.

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Becoming a Knight

• At 15, if good enough, they became a SQUIRE.
• Assisted the knight, practiced using weapons.
• Had to prove himself in battle before he could
  become a knight.

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The Code of Chivalry

• Code for knights to be brave and
• Fight fair
• Keep promises
• Defend the Church
• Treat women of noble birth courteously.
• RARELY kept to the code!!!!

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The Manorial System

• Usually the manor only produced enough food to
  support the peasants and lords household on the
  fief.
• Hunger could be a real problem with a bad crop
  year.

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Peasant Life

• Poverty and hardship.
• Rarely lived beyond the age of 40.
• Famine, diseases, war peasants hardest hit.

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Peasant Life

• Lived in one room hovels, dirt floor, no chimney,
  maybe one or two stools and a table.
• Warmth came from sleeping together.
• Grain diet very little meat.

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Strange thing

• People rarely questioned the social order of
  their society.
• They accepted that nobles were better than
  serfs / peasants and had more rights.

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But

• Acceptance of the social ladder also meant you
  knew your place and might have a bit more
  protection than if you were out on your own.