NOTES

Germanic kingdoma unite under charlemagne
Main Idea
- Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the roman empire were reunited under Char,emagne's empire
- Charlemagen spread christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us came from
-Setting the stage
- Middle ages= medieval period
500-1500 AD
- Midieval Europe is fragmented
- Invasions trigger changes in Western Europe
- INvasions and constant warfare sparkk new trends
Disruption of trade
- europes cities are no longer enonomic centers
-MOney is scarce
Downfall in cities
- Cities are no longer centers of administration
population shifts
- nobles retreat to the rural areas
- Cities dont have strong leadership
2. Decline of learining
- Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
- ONly priests and chruch officals knew how to read
- KNowledge of Greek (and Literature, science, philosophy) is almost over
3. Loss of a common language
- Dialects develope in different regions
- By the 800's, French, Spain, and other Roman- based languages are evovling from Latin
Germain kingdoms emerge
- the concept of government changes
- roman society: loyality to public goverment
- Germanic Society: loyal to family
- Germanic chief led warriors
- During peace, he provided food, weapons treasure, and a place to live (lords hall)
- "The King? whos that? you want to collect taxes from me? who are you?"
- Franks live in the roman province of Gaul- their leader is Clovis
2. The franks under clovis
- Another battlefield conversion ( just like Constantine)
- Clovis and 3,000 if his warriors are baptized by the bishop
the church in rome approves of the "alliance"
-Clovis and the church begin to work together
A simple mathematical equation: Clovis military expertise+ The church's support and money
= A strategic alliance between two powerful forces!
Germainc people adopt Christianity
- Pope Gregory 1 epands papal power
- Papace= popes office
- Secular power= worldy power
- So.. under Gregory the Great
- The church can use church money to:
- Raise armies
- Repair rodes
Help the poor
- Gregory the Great began to act as a mayor of Riome and as head of an earthly kingdom (Christendom)
Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
1. 511 AD- Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
2. 600 AD- Church+ frankish rulers convert many
3. Fear of muslims in southern europe spur money to become christians
4. Monasteries and covents
a. 520 AD- Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries
- Povery, chasity, obedience, study
-His sister Scholastica did the same for nuns in covents
c. 731 AD- the venerable Bede wrote a killer history of England
d. Monks opened schools, maintained libraries, and copied books ( Bibles, Greek texts)