Western Civilization I HIS-101

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Western Civilization IHIS-101

• Unit 7 Emergence of Medieval Civilization

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• Diocletian
• (284-305)

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The Late Empire

• While the Empire was on the verge of collapse
  during the 3rd century, it rebounded during the
  4th century
• This was due to two very strong emperors
  Diocletian and Constantine
• Both of them brought order and stability back to
  the Empire
• However, this was done at the expense of the
  freedom of the citizenry
• It is a period of a new government, economic, and
  social systems
• It is also a period of a new religion
  Christianity

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Diocletian (284-305)

• Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (284-305)
• Born into a lower class family
• Rose up in status in the army
• In 284, the army chose him as the new emperor
• Major change was in restructuring of the Empire
• Reorganized into a much more efficient
  bureaucracy
• The empire was divided into two parts, each with
  two prefectures (total of four)
• Those prefectures were divided into a total of
  twelve dioceses
• The total number of provinces was increased to
  almost 100
• All of this was designed as a way of keeping
  greater control
• Four new capitals were designated Nicomedia,
  Mediolanum, Antioch, and Trier

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Diocletian (284-305)

• Diocletian also created the Tetrarchy
• This was Greek for rule by four
• He had divided up the empire into two parts, each
  of which was to be ruled by an Augustus
• Eventually, he added in the position of a sort of
  vice-emperor known as a Caesar
• This person would be the heir to the position of
  Augustus if anything happened to the emperor
• Each member of the Tetrarchy was to reside in one
  of the four different capital cities
• He believed that the empire was too large to be
  run by one man

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Diocletian (284-305)

• Economic problems
• One of the largest problems was inflation
• In 301, he issued the Edictum De Pretiis Rerum
  Venalium (Edict on Maximum Prices)
• Established maximum prices and wages for the
  empire
• It was not easily enforced
• Merchants decided to sell their goods on the
  black market instead
• Unable to stop the decline of the circulation of
  coins
• To fix this problem, taxes and government
  payments were paid in goods and produce instead
  of hard currency

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Diocletian (284-305)

• He locked people into certain key professions
• The population was stagnating and there were not
  enough men able to work in certain jobs
• Workers were not allowed to leave certain
  professions (e.g., baker, shipper, tax collector,
  farmer, soldier, etc.)
• The positions also became hereditary
• Coloni were negatively impacted by the downturn
• Large estate owners (latifundia) bought out the
  smaller farmers
• They began working on the large estates
• Estate owners got the government to legally
  attach the coloni to their lands
• By the end of Diocletians reign, the coloni were
  transformed into a class of serfs, peasants
  legally bound to the land

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Diocletian (284-305)

• On May 1, 305, Diocletian retired from office
• He had been plagued with illness
• He was the first emperor to voluntarily retire
  from office
• Along with him, his co-Augustus retired as well
• Many expected the two Caesars to ascend to their
  positions but that was not the case
• This led to a short power struggle that ended
  with Constantine and Licinius as the two rulers
• However, Constantine had the true power and only
  shared with Licinius out of tradition

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• Constantine I
• (306-337)

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Constantine I (306-337)

• Caesar Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus
  Augustus (306-337)
• Born into a military family in Illyricum
• Unfortunately, not much is known about his early
  life
• Continued Diocletians military and economic
  policies
• The armys size was increased to 500,000
• This included barbarian units as well as mobile
  units that could be moved quickly to help out in
  the frontiers
• This meant a huge strain on the empires finances
• He focused on numerous building projects in the
  provinces
• These also put a heavy strain on the empires
  finances

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Constantine I (306-337)

• In 330, he focused his attention on building a
  new capital city of Byzantium
• By this point Rome was no longer the center of
  power of the Empire as it was not centrally
  located
• Also, Constantine was constantly butting heads
  with the old Roman nobility
• The location was perfect because it was easily
  defendable and located along the eastern trade
  routes
• What he is best known for is his acceptance of a
  new religion Christianity

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• Mosaic of Constantine
• c. 1000 CE

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Religion in the Roman Empire

• The official religion in the Empire was the
  worship of a pantheon of gods
• Religious worship was done on both the state and
  personal level
• Rituals were a key aspect to this religion
• It was also a very tolerant religion that
  incorporated the worship of gods from other
  territories
• Household cults were popular with the commoners
• It gave them a greater sense of spiritualism
• Also gave them closer contact to the gods than
  the official religion

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Religion in the Roman Empire

• Mystery cults were focused on the belief in a
  guaranteed afterlife
• Coming over from Greek religion, Mithraism was
  very popular in the empire, especially among
  soldiers
• In Rome, Mithras was known as the Unconquered Sun
  and would be worshipped on Sundays
• Rome and the Jews
• Romans first got involved with the Jews around 63
  BCE
• By 6 CE, Judaea was a Roman province
• During this time period, there was unrest among
  the different Jewish groups

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Judaism

• Sadducees
• Were the conservative group
• Strictly followed Hebrew law and did not believe
  in immortality
• Their worship focused around the Temple
• Politically, they wanted cooperation with the
  Romans
• Pharisees
• Were strict on following Jewish ritual
• Specifically emphasized the purity laws,
  including dietary rules
• Unlike the Sadducees, they believed in expanding
  the Torah
• They also focused more on private worship
• They wanted to get away from Roman control but
  did not want to do so violently

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Judaism

• Essenes
• Small Jewish sect near the Dead Sea
• They too wanted to get away from Roman control
• Did so by withdrawing themselves from society
• Zealots
• They were the militant extremists
• They promoted a violent overthrow of Roman rule
• What did they have in common?
• The belief that a savior would come to liberate
  the Jewish people
• The first three saw him as a spiritual leader
  while the zealots a political leader

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• Madonna and Child

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Jesus of Nazareth

• Jesus of Nazareth (c. 7-2 BCE c. 26-36 CE)
• Most of what historians know of Jesus is through
  the New Testament
• These gospels were written quite some time after
  his death and by people who did not know him
  directly
• Scholars disagree on most of the chronology of
  his life
• Scholars do not know a lot about his first thirty
  years
• His parents were Joseph, a carpenter, and Mary
• He was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Galilee
• Galilee at the time was a hot bed of militant
  Zealots

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Jesus of Nazareth

• Unlike the Zealots, Jesus did not believe in a
  violent revolution
• Instead he believed in a heavenly kingdom
• This attracted a large following
• Theology
• His message was simple love God and love your
  neighbor
• He did not call for strict adherence to Jewish
  laws
• Instead, he believed in the interpretation of
  them
• He focused on three concepts humility, brotherly
  love, and charity
• These ideas were new to the time period and very
  different from the Greco-Roman value systems
• It was not his goal to undermine traditional
  Judaism

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Jesus of Nazareth

• For three years he preached his ideas in Judea
  and Galilee, gaining a large following
• While some believed he was the Messiah, not
  everybody was a fan
• Radical Jews denounced him for the idea of a
  heavenly kingdom rather than an earthly one
• Conservative Jews believed he was just another
  false messiah who was undermining traditional
  Judaism
• Roman authorities in Palestine saw Jesus as a
  potential revolutionary
• His idea of a heavenly kingdom might somehow be
  used as a means to start a revolt against Rome
• He was arrested by Roman authorities

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Jesus of Nazareth

• According to the Gospel of Mark, the Roman
  Prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, did not want
  to execute him
• He told the crowd to chose between Jesus and
  another insurrectionist named Barabbas
• The crowd chose Barabbas
• Did not end the threat of insurrection
• Jesus was seen as a martyr
• According to his followers, Jesus was resurrected
  three days after his death and then ascended into
  heaven
• Jesus was named Christ (anointed one in Greek)
• Many believed he would return and bring in the
  kingdom of God on Earth

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Birth of Christianity

• Christianity began as a movement inside of
  Judaism
• For many decades, the Romans viewed them as a
  sect of Judaism
• Paul of Tarsus (c.5-c.64 CE)
• One of the most important figures to the birth of
  Christianity
• While he never knew Jesus in life, he had a
  vision of his resurrection and became a follower
• He spread the idea of Christianity to the
  non-Jews (the Gentiles)
• This helped to transform it from a Jewish sect to
  a more broad based religion

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Birth of Christianity

• Many refer to Paul of Tarsus as the second
  founder of Christianity because of his work
• It was Paul who identified Jesus as the Son of
  God
• He also said that Jesus had come to cleanse all
  men of Original Sin, which was done through his
  death
• He believed that salvation was available only to
  those who accepted Jesus as their savior
• He created Christian communities throughout Asia
  Minor
• He also wrote a series of letters that outlined
  Christian beliefs for the different communities

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Birth of Christianity

• Jerusalem had been the center of Christianity
• The city was destroyed in 70 CE
• This left many churches with considerable
  independence
• By 100 CE, there were Christian churches in most
  of the major cities in the east
• There were also some in the western part of the
  empire
• Communities were loosely organized
• Both men and women played significant roles
• Women even held high positions including
  preachers
• Christians were meet in private homes and share
  an agape to celebrate the Lords Supper

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Birth of Christianity

• Christians also used missionaries to spread the
  good news
• Roman officials treated early appearance of
  Christianity with indifference
• However, they began to view them as a threat to
  the state
• Why were the Christians a threat?
• Practice of Lords Supper led to rumors of
  ritualistic murder of children
• Held secret meetings that were deemed dangerous
• Were overly exclusive and did not participate in
  Roman state festivals or worship of Roman gods
• This constituted atheism and an act of treason

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Birth of Christianity

• Persecution of the Christians
• Persecutions were intermittent and short-lived
• Started during the reign of Nero
• Persecution actually helped strengthen the church
• Helped make it a more centralized organization
• The position of bishop was created as leaders to
  the church
• Saw their power descended from the original
  Twelve Apostles
• Created a new hierarchical structure
• By 300, 1-5 of total Roman population were
  possibly Christians

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Birth of Christianity

• What was the appeal of Christianity?
• By 3rd century, it had spread throughout the
  empire
• Offered a lot
• Gave meaning to the everyday mundane things
• Gave a personal relationship with the God
• Promise of salvation
• Not entirely unfamiliar
• Similar to the other mystery religions of the
  east
• However, it actually had a human figure instead
  of a mythological one
• Did not involved difficult or expensive rituals

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Birth of Christianity

• Fulfilled the human need to belong
• Created communities
• Helped with assisting the poor, sick, widows, and
  orphans
• Was not sterile or impersonal like the Roman
  religion
• Attractive to all classes
• Appealed to broad range of social classes
• Offered new roles to women
• Starting in the 2nd century, church started
  believing women should be subject to men

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Birth of Christianity

• During the Terrible Third Century, the Christians
  were heavily persecuted
• Decius (249-251) blamed the disasters of the time
  on the Christians
• As they failed to worship the state gods, the
  gods were retaliating
• Forced Christians to make sacrifices to the Roman
  gods
• When they refused, they were executed
• There was also heavy persecution under the reign
  of Diocletian
• By this point, Christianity had gotten too
  powerful

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• The Christian Martyrs Last Prayer (1883)

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Rise of Christianity

• Under Constantine, Christianity flourished
• Constantine converted to Christianity
• After the Battle of Milvian Bridge (312)
• Saw a vision of a Christian cross and the words
  In this sign you will conquer
• Won the battle and began believing in the
  Christian god
• Edict of Milan (313)
• Signed by the two emperors
• Granted religious tolerance to all religions in
  the Empire
• Legally recognized the Christian religion
• Call for a restoration of property seized by
  Diocletian

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Rise of Christianity

• Post-Constantine Empire
• Almost all of the emperors were Christians
• Only exception was Julian (360-363) who tried to
  restore the old state religion
• Theodosius (378-395) made Christianity the
  official religion of the Empire
• With state support, the Christian church was able
  to push for a monopoly
• Used their influence to outlaw pagan religious
  practices

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• Barbarian Invasions of the Roman Empire

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Fall of the Western Roman Empire

• Diocletian and Constantine were only able to keep
  the empire going for another 100 years
• After Constantine, the empire continued to divide
• Clear division between east and west by 395
• There were two independent state western empire
  and the eastern one
• Barbarian invasions
• Beginning in the 4th century, western Rome was
  attacked by a series of barbarian tribes
• Continued until 476 when the last western Roman
  emperor was deposed
• In the east, the Empire continued to flourish

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Barbarian Invasions

• Collapse of the western empire
• Mid-4th century, the Huns moved into the Black
  Sea region
• This forced the Goths and others to migrate south
• Goths had been clients of Rome for several
  centuries
• In 376, Romans permit the Goths to cross the
  Danube
• Revolt of the Goths (378)
• Put down at the Battle of Adrianople
• Emperor Theodosius (379-395)
• Restored peace by accommodating the Goths
  demands
• Enrolled them in the Roman army
• Divided the empire between his two sons

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Barbarian Invasions

• Attack of the Visigoths
• One branch of the Goths led by Alaric I
• Rebelled and invaded Italy
• Sacked Rome in 410, first time in 800 years
• The Huns moved farther westward
• Forced other Germanic tribes toward the Rhine
  frontier
• The Vandals cross the Rhine and invade Gaul in
  406
• Joined by the Goths
• Visigoths moved into Gaul and Spain
• Vandals attack Rome by sea in 445
• Sack Rome in 455

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Barbarian Invasions

• Rome was unable to push out the Vandals
• Attempted a naval campaign against them in 461
• Vandals found out about it and destroyed the
  fleet
• Tried again in 468 but failed
• Franks, Burgundians and Alamans go into Gaul and
  establish kingdoms
• In 476, Emperor Romulus Augustulus is deposed by
  Odovacer
• Odovacer names himself king of Italy
• The western empire is no more

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• Europe c. 476

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Development of the Christian Church

• By the end of the 4th century, Christianity was
  the predominant religion in the empire
• Organization
• Went through significant organizational and
  structural changes
• Based these on the Roman territorial plans
• Diocese
• Territories were divided up into dioceses
• Each was headed by a bishop
• Bishops of Rome, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and
  Antioch held special positions
• Claimed their churches were founded by original
  apostles

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Development of the Christian Church

• Need for formal organization due to rise in
  heresy
• Problem of heresy
• Different, sometimes contradictory,
  interpretations emerged
• Heresy Teaching different theology than
  official beliefs of the church
• Donatism
• Donatus was a priest in North Africa
• Argued that sacraments should not be given by
  priests who were either immoral or denied their
  faith under persecution
• Constantine forced to call a council to denounce
  this
• Was not until 411 that the church stated that the
  moral standing of the priest did not affect the
  efficacy of the sacraments

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Development of the Christian Church

• Arianism
• Founded by Arius, a priest from Alexandria
• Stated that Jesus was human and therefore not
  truly God
• Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, argued Jesus
  was both
• Constantine was forced to call the Council of
  Nicaea (325) in response
• Stated that Jesus was of the same substance of
  God
• Impact
• Forced the emperor to become more involved in
  church affairs
• Also called for one specific leader for the church

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Development of the Christian Church

• Rise of the pope
• In the original church, bishops held most of the
  influence and power
• It would be the Bishop of Rome that emerged as
  the true leader
• Petrine Supremacy
• Stated that the Bishop of Rome held the most
  important position in the church and this was
  founded in the Scriptures
• According to Gospel of Matthew, I tell you that
  you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
  church
• Peter was considered the first Bishop of Rome
• All of his successors were considered the vicars
  of Christ on earth

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Development of the Christian Church

• During the 4th and 5th centuries, the Bishops of
  Rome began to solidify their power
• St. Damasus (366-384)
• Addressed other bishops as sons rather than
  brothers
• By the end of the 4th century, bishops of Rome
  were using the title of papa
• St. Leo I (440-461)
• Pushed the doctrine of Petrine supremacy
• Jesus chose Peter to be the head of the Christian
  church
• Stated he was the heir to Peter
• Supremacy of the bishops of Rome was established
  by the end of the 5th cnetury

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• St. Leo I
• Bishop of Rome
• (440-461)

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Roles of Church and State

• Church and the Emperors
• Once the emperors converted to Christianity, they
  saw themselves as Gods representatives on earth
• Built churches and played an active role in
  churchs organization
• Also became involved in church government and
  doctrinal controversies
• Role of Bishops
• With the fall of the Empire, bishops were able to
  play a more active role in government
• Served as advisors to Emperors
• Started playing independent political roles as
  the power vacuums were created

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Roles of Church and State

• St. Ambrose (339-397)
• Bishop of Milan (374-397)
• Was not even baptized when he was elected for the
  position
• City population proclaimed him to be the Bishop
• He created the ideal image of a bishop through
  his writings
• Wanted to keep the independence of the church
  away from Imperial authorities
• Conflict with Emperor Theodosius I
• Ambrose wanted harsher actions against pagans
• Theodosius refused
• In 390, Theodosius massacred the people of
  Thessalonica for refusing to obey his commands

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Roles of Church and State

• Ambrose responded with a temporary
  excommunication
• Made Theodosius take part in public penance in
  Milan
• After this, Ambrose had greater influence over
  Theodosius
• Creation of a dual power structure
• With the bishops retaining their independence,
  emerges two ruling powers temporal and spiritual
• Church will become the higher authority as it
  provided the means to salvation
• Temporal authorities would have to show
  subservience to the church

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• St. Ambrose
• (339-397)

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New Patterns of Thought

• Embracing pagan heritage
• Some in the Christian church were outwardly
  hostile to the pagan world
• Others encouraged the church to absorb pagan
  history and culture
• Influence of Greek culture
• Church adopted Greek as its language
• New Testament was written in Greek
• Rise of Neoplatonism
• Believed that a person could use reason to
  achieve a union with God
• Helped to explain the difference between Jesus
  divine and human natures

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New Patterns of Thought

• St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
• Born to a Christian mother in North African
• Converted to Manichaeism and led a playboy
  lifestyle
• Traveled to Milan and was influenced by St.
  Ambrose
• Converted back to Christianity in 386 after a
  spiritual awakening
• Became Bishop of Hippo (396-430)
• Prolific writer
• Believed that divine revelation was necessary for
  understanding the complete truth
• Writings had a major impact on the development of
  such concepts of free will, grace, and
  predestination

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New Patterns of Thought

• Confessions (397)
• An account of his own personal and spiritual
  experiences
• Designed as a guide to help others with their own
  search
• City of God (410)
• Written in response to the sack of Rome in 410
• Argued against critics who believed Romes
  downfall was due to it embracing Christianity
• Instead he believed the downfall occurred much
  earlier
• Believed there were two different societies
• There was the City of God in heaven
• City of the World was still necessary to keep
  people from falling to their primitive and sinful
  instincts

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New Patterns of Thought

• City of God was an important work as it stated
  that secular government was necessary
• Without it, people would not have the safety or
  security to pursue true Christian life on this
  earth
• Augustines views on sex
• Believed that Christians should reject sex and
  that abstinence was the best way to achieve
  holiness
• Marriage was an alternative for those who could
  not abstain
• The sole purpose of sex was for procreation
• The clergys job was to uphold the high ideal of
  celibacy

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• St. Augustine of Hippo
• (354-430)

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New Patterns of Thought

• St. Jerome (345-420)
• Born in Dalmatia province in the Balkans
• Studied rhetoric and philosophy and became a
  master of Latin prose
• Had a spiritual conversion and turned to
  Christianity
• Writings
• Translated the Old and New Testaments into the
  vulgate (Latin)
• His version of the Scriptures became known as the
  Latin Vulgate
• This was the prominent edition for the church
  throughout the Middle Ages

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• St. Jerome
• (345-420)

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Rise of Monasticism

• The growth of Christianity was greatly helped by
  the development of monasticism
• Monachus - Latin word for someone who lives
  alone
• Monk was a person who was divorced from the world
• Lived outside of human society in order to pursue
  an ideal of godliness or total dedication to the
  will of God
• Developed in Egypt
• Eremitical Monasticism
• First form of monasticism
• Purpose was living a solitary life and forsaking
  all civilized society to pursue spirituality

57
Rise of Monasticism

• St. Anthony (c.251-356)
• Was the father of eremitical monasticism
• Was a prosperous Egyptian peasant
• Followed Gospel of Mark Go, sell everything you
  have and give to the poor, and you will have
  treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
• Gave away all of his possessions, including 300
  acres of land
• Spent the rest of his life in the desert
• Impact
• Changed the ideal Christian model from one of
  martyr to monk as they were no longer being
  persecuted
• Goal was to achieve spiritual life through denial
  and solitude

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• St. Anthony
• (c.251-356)

59
Rise of Monasticism

• Cenobitic Monasticism
• Not everyone was willing to live a life of
  solitude
• Development of monasticism based upon communal
  life
• St. Pachomius (c.290-346)
• Organized communities of monks
• Wrote the first monastic rules for living in
  communities
• Stressed obedience and manual labor
• St. Basil (329-379)
• Founder of eastern monasticism
• Believed communities were necessary for
  fellowship and work
• Communal societies became ideal Christian
  societies

60
Rise of Monasticism

• St. Benedict of Nursia (c.480-c.543)
• Established the fundamental form of monasticism
  in the west
• First attempted to hermetic solitude but was
  surrounded by followers
• Set up a monastic house in Monte Cassino in 529
• Became the foundation of other monastic groups
• Benedicts rules of monasticism
• Did not follow the eastern practices (e.g.,
  extended fasting and self-inflicting torments)
• Believed in the ideal of moderation
• Still included a hard and disciplined existence
  based on poverty, chastity, and obedience

61
Rise of Monasticism

• Division of the day
• Each day was to be divided up into a series of
  activities
• Focused mainly on prayer and physical labor
• Believed that idleness is the enemy of the soul
• Prayer included private meditations and reading
• Monks would meet seven times a day for common
  prayer and psalms
• Abbots
• Each monastery was ruled by an abbot (father of
  the monastery)
• Elected by fellow monks
• Had complete authority over them

62

• St. Benedict of Nursia
• (c.480-c.543)

63
Rise of Monasticism

• Women also sought religious lives as well
• They too wanted to dedicate their lives to God
• Started organizing religious communities in the
  3rd century
• St. Pachomius
• Organized cenobitic communities for women after
  320
• Brothers took care of the material needs of the
  convent
• Kept a close eye on the relations between the
  monks and nuns
• St. Caesarius of Arles (c. 468-542)
• Set up the first monastic rule for women in the
  west
• Emphasized rigid cloistering of women to
  safeguard them

64
Rise of Monasticism

• Some women set up religious communities in their
  houses
• St. Marcella (325410)
• She set up her home in Rome as a center point of
  Christian worship
• Promoted the ideals of asceticism and virginity
  as spiritual disciplines
• Died at the hands of the Goths during sack of
  Rome
• Impact of monasticism
• Monks and nuns became the new heroes of
  Christianity
• Their dedication was seen as the highest ideal of
  Christian life
• Played a significant role in spreading
  Christianity

65

• St. Marcella
• (325410)

66
Rise of the Germanic People

• The Germanic people first moved from northern
  Scandinavia into eastern Europe c. 500 BCE
• During the Roman Empire, they developed relations
  with the Romans
• Romans even hired Germanic tribes to fight other
  Germanic tribes who were seen as a threat to Rome
• Visigoths
• These were the western Goths
• Converted to Arian Christianity c. 4th century
• Were forced to cross the Danube in 376 due to the
  westward movement of the Huns
• Sacked Rome in 410

67
Rise of the Germanic People

• Emperor Honorius (395-423) encouraged the
  Visigoths to settle in Gaul
• Set a precedent where Roman emperors made
  alliances with large groups of Germanic people
• Vandals
• Remained continuously hostile to Rome
• Overran western Roman Empire throughout 5th and
  6th centuries
• Crossed the Rhine in 406 and eventually moved
  into Spain
• Pushed out by the Visigoths and then settled in
  North Africa
• Captured Hippo (531) and Carthage (439)
• Eventually sacked Rome in 455

68
Rise of the Germanic People

• Overthrow of the Western Emperor
• In 476, Odoacer deposed Emperor Romulus
  Augustulus
• Returned the imperial regalia to eastern Emperor
  Zeno at Constantinople
• Odoacer claimed he would rule as the emperors
  regent
• In reality, he put himself in power
• Zeno responded by sending the Ostrogoths into
  Italy
• Ostrogoths
• These were the eastern Goths
• Were subjugated by the Huns in the late 3rd
  century
• Settled in the eastern Empire

69
Rise of the Germanic People

• Theodoric (471-526)
• Leader of the Ostrogoths
• Zeno made a deal with Theodoric to get Odoacer
  out of Italy
• Marched into Italy in 493 and killed Odoacer
• Set up the Kingdom of Italy in spite of Zenos
  wishes
• Emergence of new Germanic kingdoms
• By 500, the western Roman Empire was being
  replaced
• There was the creation of new political kingdoms
  set up by German kings
• Became a fusion of Roman and German politics and
  cultures

70

• Europe (c. 500)

71
Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy

• Out of all the Germanic kingdoms, the Ostrogothic
  kingdom kept a Roman-styled government
• Theodoric had received a Roman style education
• Wanted to blend the good of Roman with
  Ostrogothic
• Dual system of government
• Italians were ruled by Roman officials and law
• Ostrogoths were ruled by Ostrogothic officials
  and law
• Army would be controlled only by the Ostrogoths
• Still tensions between the Italians and the
  Ostrogoths
• Ostrogoths were Arian Christians
• Catholic Italians saw them as heretics

72
Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy

• After Theodorics death, kingdom went into
  decline
• His successors did not have the personalities to
  keep it going
• Faced opposition from Eastern Empire under
  Justinian
• Byzantine armies reconquered Italy between 535
  and 552
• Devastated the land and destroyed Rome
• Lombards
• Another Germanic tribe
• Invaded Italy in 568
• Conquered most of north and central Italy
• Harsh rulers who destroyed much of the Roman
  structure and traditions

73

• Theodoric
• (471-526)

74
Visigothic Kingdom of Spain

• It shared some similarities with the Ostrogothic
  kingdom
• Wanted peaceful coexistence between Roman and
  German peoples
• Warrior caste that dominated the larger native
  population
• Maintained a large part of the original Roman
  political structure but kept Romans out of power
• Visigoths converted to Catholic Christianity
• Wanted to appeal to the large Roman population
• Did not adopt hereditary system of leadership
• Was not a clear succession policy so there were
  constant civil wars and assassinations
• Destroyed by Muslim invasion in 711

75
Frankish Kingdom

• This was the only long-lasting Germanic kingdom
• Clovis (481-511)
• Was able to unify the Frankish people into a
  major kingdom by 510
• Succeeded in conquering Gaul
• Conversion to Christianity helped to strengthen
  the kingdom
• Conversion to Catholic Christianity c. 500
• Was able to gain the support of both the western
  churches and the popes
• Also led to the conversion of the Frankish people
• Expanded Frank territory under the banner of
  defending the orthodox Christian faith

76
Frankish Kingdom

• Control of the kingdom
• Clovis designated Frankish followers as counts
  to rule the old Roman cities
• The Counts shared power with the Catholic bishops
• Led to a blending of German and Roman cultures
• Securing the dynasty
• Latter years were spent consolidating power for
  his heirs
• Killed off many relatives who led other tribes
• Start of the Merovingian dynasty
• Named after his ancestor, Merovech
• Would remain in power until 751

77

• Frankish Kingdom
• c. 511

78
Frankish Kingdom

• After Clovis death, his sons divided the kingdom
• By the 7th century, three main regions emerged
• Neustria Northern Gaul
• Austrasia Land around the Rhine
• Burgundy Southwest France
• All were ruled by Merovingian kings
• Kings were assisted by nobility
• Frankish nobility married into the old Roman
  nobility
• Used their positions to strengthen their power at
  the expense of the king
• Major domus (mayor of the palace) had more power
  than the king himself

79
Frankish Kingdom

• Charles Martel (c. 688-741)
• Was a major military and political leader in
  Austrasia
• Worked to consolidate his power over all Frankish
  kingdoms through military conquest
• In 732, stopped Muslim expansion into Gaul at
  Tours
• Development of knighthood
• King owns all the land in a kingdom
• Martel granted his nobles rights over certain
  parcels of land
• This land would then give the nobles the income
  to supply fighting men for his army
• Nobles would also swear oath of loyalty to the
  king

80
Frankish Kingdom

• Development of feudalism
• Feudalism is based on the Frankish work fehu-od
  (fief)
• Nobles would become vassals to the king
• King would give the vassals a fief
  (income-producing land)
• The nobles would then give land to lesser
  nobility under the same type of obligation
• Worked its way down to the peasantry
• Did not become widespread in Europe until the
  10th century
• Martels legacy
• By his death, had essentially reunited the three
  regions
• Founded the Carolingian dynasty (from kerling
  descendant of Charles)

81

• Illustration of Martel at the Battle of Tours

82
Anglo-Saxon England

• Because of the barbaric invasions, Rome had been
  forced to abandon England in the 5th century
• This was followed by the invasion of two Germanic
  tribes the Angles and Saxons
• Originally hailed from Denmark and northern
  Germany
• In the beginning, their actions were limited to
  raids
• With the withdrawal of the Romans, were now able
  to build settlements
• Did face some resistance from the Celts
• Helped bring Christianity to England

83

• Justinian I
• (527-565)

84
Justinian I (527-565)

• By the 5th century, the Eastern Roman Empire was
  continuing to flourish
• Empire is later referred to as the Byzantine
  Empire
• Justinian I (527-565)
• The last Roman and the first Byzantine emperor
• Main goal was to reunite the old Roman Empire
• Expansion to the West
• Invaded Vandal kingdom of North Africa in 533
• Went on to Italy in 540 to reconquer it
• Weakened Italy opening it up to later conquest by
  the Lombards
• Successors were not able to hold most of the
  territory

85
Justinian I (527-565)

• War in the east
• Persian forces invaded from the east in 540
• Sacked Antioch in 540
• Justinian was able to keep the integrity of the
  eastern borders with small territorial gain
• Very costly war
• Centralization of government
• Worked to centralize the imperial government by
  bringing all aspects (military, government,
  religion) into one system
• This was the biggest success of his reign

86
Justinian I (527-565)

• Corpus Iuris Civilis (Body of Civil Law)
• His attempt to codify Roman law
• Also included a compilation of imperial edicts
• Became the basis of imperial law until the end of
  the empire in 1453
• It would later be adopted in the west as it was
  written in Latin
• Building Programs
• Rebuilt Constantinople after riots destroyed the
  city in 532
• Became an important religious and political
  center
• Pushed through numerous public works projects
  including underground reservoirs
• One of his significant buildings was the Hagia
  Sophia

87
Justinian I (527-565)

• Ecclesiastical policy
• Promoted good church government and orthodox
  beliefs
• Worked hard to bring an end to numerous heresies
• Council of Constantinople (553) confirmed that
  the dual nature of Jesus (human and divine)
• Imperial control over church would start a divide
  between western and eastern Christianity
• Problems during his reign
• Growth of Monophysite heresy (Jesus was solely
  divine)
• Extreme weather issues in 535-536 due possibly to
  volcanic activity
• Justinian Plague (541-542) which was either
  bubonic plague or viral hemorrhagic plague

88

• Byzantine Empire (527-565)

89
Byzantium in the 7th Century

• With Justinians death, the empire faced numerous
  issues
• Empty treasury due to wars
• Too much territory to protect
• Smaller population from the plague
• Renewed threats along the frontier
• Creation of the theme
• A new administrative unit which placed control of
  both the military and civilian populations in one
  person
• Led to increased militarization of the empire
• Helped strengthen the empire from new threats

90
Byzantium in the 7th Century

• Threat of Islam
• Most serious challenge to the empire
• Unified Arab tribes attempted to take control of
  the empire including Constantinople
• City was able to defend itself through the use of
  Greek Fire
• Still remained struggles between the two in
  southern Asia Minor
• The Bulgars
• Asiatic people who settled in the Balkans
• In 679, defeated imperial forces and created a
  new Bulgarian kingdom in the lower Danube River
  valley

91
Byzantium in the 8th Century

• By the 8th century, Byzantium only controlled the
  eastern Balkans and Asia Minor
• By this point, it had developed a unique
  character, separating it more clearly from the
  west
• Development as a Greek state
• Latin fell into disuse after Justinians reign
• His Body of Civil Law was the last thing
  published in Latin
• Greek became the official language
• Development of a Christian state
• Tied in with the government was a strong
  foundation in Christianity
• Almost all of its citizens were devoutly Christian

92
Byzantium in the 8th Century

• Permanent war economy
• State retained control through regulation of
  economy
• Necessary due to the need for a large army
• Pushed agricultural and industrial production for
  the necessary funds
• State took control of trade of grain and silk
• Role of the Emperor
• Believed to have been chosen by God
• Were absolute rulers
• As they appointed the patriarch, they also exuded
  control over the church

93

• Mosaic inside the Hagia Sophia

94
Byzantine Religion

• The Byzantine Empire was characterized by
  religious orthodoxy
• There were numerous disputes over proper wording
  of religious creeds
• Emperor played an active role in doctrinal
  disputes
• First Iconoclastic Controversy (730-787)
• Iconoclasts wanted to prohibit the veneration of
  icons
• To them, it resembled idolatry and paganism
• Also believed that because Christ was divine, he
  should not be portrayed in art
• Traditionalist argued it was not the images that
  were worshipped by the what they represented

95
Byzantine Religion

• Emperor Leo III (717741)
• Supported Iconoclasm and made it official policy
  of the church
• Ordered the removal and destruction of all images
• When the Patriarch refused to comply, Leo
  replaced him
• Constantine IV (741-775)
• Also a strong supporter of Iconoclasm
• Heavily persecuted those who did not follow his
  rulings, including monks
• Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (787)
• Instigated by Irene, regent to her son Leo IV
• Brought a temporary end to Iconoclasm

96
Byzantine Religion

• Second Iconoclastic Controversy (814-842)
• Instituted by Emperor Leo V
• Did not end until Theodora, regent to Michael
  III, reinstated images in 842
• Consequences
• Much religious art destroyed as a result of the
  Controversy
• Opened a serious breach between East and West as
  the popes were against Iconoclasm
• Defeat of Iconoclasm led to renewed emphasis on
  Orthodox faith as key to political unity
• Focusing on tradition led to fewer religious
  conflicts and a stronger fear of heresy

97

• Triumph of Orthodoxy
• Theodora and Michael celebrating the end to
  Iconoclasm

98
Rise of Islam

• Born in the desert of Arabia
• Early Arabian religions were polytheistic
• There was the belief in one supreme God (Allah)
  who ruled over the other gods
• Kabah
• Allah was symbolized by the Black Stone which was
  enshrined in the Kabah in Mecca
• Quraish tribe
• Dominant tribe of Mecca
• Controlled the Kabah and the economic life of
  Mecca
• It was also the tribe Muhammad was born into

99
Muhammad (c. 570-632)

• Muhammad (c. 570-632)
• Born at Mecca to a merchant family but was
  orphaned at the age of 5
• Became a caravan manager
• Married his employer at the age of 25
• Religious experience
• In 610, the angel Gabriel appeared to him
• Told him that there was no god but Allah
• Muhammad becomes an uncompromising monotheist
• Believed that Allah had already revealed himself
  to both Moses and Jesus
• Called to be the Prophet

100
Muhammad (c. 570-632)

• Muhammad wanted to convince people that his
  revelations were true
• Some thought he was insane
• Others thought he would upset the social and
  political order
• The Quraish may have been fearful of how this
  would affect the Kabah and the commerce of the
  city
• Hijrah of 622
• Muhammad and his followers were invited to
  Yathrib
• Organized the first Muslim community there
• Believed there was no separation between
  religious and political authority
• City was remained Medina (city of the Prophet)
• Marks the beginning of the Islamic era (year 1)

101
Muhammad (c. 570-632)

• Conquering of Mecca
• Muhammad put together a sizable military force
• Started raids on Quraish caravans
• Finally captures Mecca in 630 and the Quraish
  submit to Islam
• Farewell Pilgrimage (632)
• Muhammads final pilgrimage to Mecca
• Accompanied by tens of thousands of followers
• Laid the foundation for the Hajj
• Muhammad died on June 8, 632
• Did not stop the spread of his teachings
• Spread throughout the Arab world in a short
  period of time
• Helped to united Arab society both politically
  and religiously

102
Religious Teachings of Islam

• Term islam means submission to the will of
  Allah
• Allah the Creator God Almighty
• Muhammad as the last and greatest prophet
• Men and women must surrender themselves to Allah
• Qur'an
• Book containing Gods revelations to Muhammad
• Basic message there is no God but Allah and
  Muhammad is his Prophet
• 114 chapters
• Serves as Muslim code of ethics and law

103
Religious Teachings of Islam

• Five Pillars of Islam
• Belief in Allah and Muhammad as his Prophet
• Standard prayer five times a day and public
  prayer on Friday
• Observance of the holy month of Ramadan with
  fasting from dawn to sunset
• Making a pilgrimage to Mecca in ones lifetime
• Giving alms to the poor
• Islam, Christianity and Judaism
• Jesus was a prophet but was not the son of God
• Strict monotheism
• Old and New Testament as divinely inspired
• Islam as a way of life no sacraments or clergy

104

• Spread of Christianity from 325-600

105
Development of the Latin Church

• Uncertainty in the 6th century
• Constant political changes were taking place
• Popes had to constantly adapt to the barbarian
  rulers
• Pope Gregory I (590-604)
• One of the more powerful popes in Catholic
  history
• Very prolific writer
• Helped set dogma for the church
• Expansion of Papal Authority
• Asserted his authority over all Western bishops
• Intervened in church affairs all over western
  Europe

106
Development of the Latin Church

• Theology
• Believed in the necessity of penance but
  encouraged private penance as well as public
• Developed the concept of purgatory
• Relations with the east
• Attempted to reconcile the differences between
  the eastern and western churches
• Creation of the Papal States
• Took control of Rome and surrounding territories
  from the Lombards
• Set up what eventually will be called the Papal
  States
• Both a religious and political/administrative
  unit

107

• Pope Gregory I
• (590-604)

108
Development of the Latin Church

• Gregory was also active in converting pagan
  people
• To do this, he was going to use monasticism
• Main roles of monks in the 7th century
• Besides spiritual efforts, monks worked
  tirelessly to copy Latin works
• Also played a major role in converting the old
  Roman and German territories
• Conversion of Ireland
• Had not been a part of the Roman world nor
  Germanic invasions
• St. Patrick (c. 390-461) was one of the most
  famous missionaries

109
Development of the Latin Church

• Irelands isolation affected the development of
  the church
• Did not have the Roman model to work on
• Developed a different organization
• Monasteries became the fundamental unit of
  administration
• Abbots had more authority than bishops did
• Irish Monasticism
• Focused on examining ones life to see what sins
  were committed
• Focused on a love of learning as well
• Were able to preserve classical Latin in their
  works
• Became fervid missionaries

110
Development of the Latin Church

• Conversion of England
• Gregory oversaw the conversion of England
• Wanted to use persuasion rather than force
• Assimilated old pagan practices to convert them
• Lupercalia Day, a Roman fertility festival, was
  converted to St. Valentines Day
• The Feast of Christ (Christmas) was moved to
  coincide with the Pagan celebration of winter
  solstice
• Conflicts with Irish Christianity
• English Christianity soon came in conflict with
  Irish
• Synod of Whitby (664) stated they would follow
  Roman practices

111
Development of the Latin Church

• English Church by 700
• Still focused on monastic culture and missionary
  work
• Clergy were the best-trained and most learned in
  western Europe
• Women and Monasticism
• Double Monasteries Monks and nuns lived in
  separate housing but attended church together
• Convents offered opportunities for learning not
  found any where else in society
• Not as heavily cloistered
• Were able to play an important role in the spread
  of Christianity