Blog #54

R.J.
5/19/14
Blog

       

Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

 

Main Idea: Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire

Why It Matters Now: Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us came from

  Setting the Stage: Middle Ages= medieval period; 500-1500 A.D.; medieval Europe  is fragmented

 

1. Invasions Trigger changes in western Europe
2. Invasions and warfare spark new trends
3. Disruption of Trade
4. Europe's cities are no longer economic centers
5. Money is scarce
6.  Downfall of cities
7. Cities are no longer centers of administration
8. Population Shifts
9. Nobles retreated to the rural areas
10. Cities don't have strong leadership
11. Decline of learning
12. Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
13. Only priests and church officials could read and write
14. Knowledge of Greek (and literature, science, philosophy) is almost lost
15. Loss of a common language
16. Dialects develop in different regions
17. By the 800s, French, Spanish, other Roman-based languages are evolving from Latin
18. Germanic kingdoms emerge
19. The concept of government changes
20. Roman society: loyal to public gov't
21. Germanic Societies: loyal to family
22. Germanic chief led warriors
23. During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live
24. During wartime, knights fought for the Lord
25. Franks live in the Roman province of Gaul- their leader is Clovis
26. The Franks Under Clovis
27. Another battlefield conversion (Just like Constantine)
28. Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
29. The Church in Rome approves of this "alliance"
30. Clovis and the Church begin to work together
31. The alliance was a strategic one
32. 511 AD- Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
33. 600 AD- Church + Frankish rulers convert many
34. Fear of Muslims in Southern Europe spur many to become Christians
35. Monasteries and Convents
36. 520 AD- Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries
37. Poverty, chastity, obedience, study
38. His sister Scholastica did the same for Nuns in convents
39. 731 AD- the Venerable Beda wrote a killer history of England
40. Monks opened schools, maintained libraries, and copied books (Bibles, Greek texts)
41. Pope Gregory I expands papal power
42. Papacy= pope's office
43. Secular Power= worldly power
44. So…. Under Gregory the Great…
45. Papal Power= Political power
46. The church can use money to: raise armies, repair roads, help the poor
47. Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome, and as head of an Earthly Kingdom (Christendom)