The%20Middle%20Ages

1
The Middle Ages
2
Middle of What?

• Rome and Renaissance (6th-14th century)
• Petrarch called the "Dark Ages"
• Political turmoil
• Economic and cultural stagnation

3
Political Turmoil

• Vacuum left by Rome
• Fragmentation
• Viking raids
• Muslim incursions

4
Manorialism

• Aristocratic landowners control agricultural
  laborers
• Originated in Roman Empire
• Serfs owed significant obligations and loyalty
• Low-production farming but self-sufficient

5
Farming

• Hard work
• Moldboard
• Three-field system

6
Feudalism

• Political fragmentation
• King provides vassals with wealth and land.
• Vassals/lords provide king with service.

7
Political Developments

• Rise of German kingdoms and the Franks
• Clovis Christianity
• Charles Martel Carolingian
• Pepin the Short
• Charlemagne
• Otto and the Holy Oman Empire
• Feudal monarchy in France and England

8
Cultural Life

• Education limited most people farmers and
  superstitious
• Literate clergy
• Benedict of Nursia Monasticism
• Rise of commerce after 10th century begins a slow
  change.

9
The Church

• Only institution with centralization
• Papacy leads from Rome
• Political power
• Northern pagans assimilate
• Saved literacy conflict with superstition and
  the vernacular

10
Intellectual Developments

• From monasteries to universities
• Rediscovery of Aristotle
• Rationalism v. Conservativism and Faith
• Abelard's "Yes and No"
• Aquinas and scholasticism
• Bernard of Clairvaux counters

11
Improved Economy

• Growth of urban trade and banking, especially in
  Italy
• Manufacturing, merchant, and artisan guilds
• Money economy
• More political stability
• Manorialism weakens

12
The Crusades

• Religious reasons
• Political reasons
• Consequences

13
The Black Death

• Political consequences
• Economic consequences
• Cultural consequences