3.  Taking place as a result of the gradual decline of the Roman Empire  Primary unifying force in Western Europe = Roman Catholic Church (THE church)

4. How?  1) the Pope anointed Holy Roman Emperors  2) missionaries carried Christianity to Germanic Tribes  3) Church served social, political and religious needs of the people

6. 1. Classical heritage of Rome – Roman culture still important, even though in decline – giving way to Germanic culture 2. Christian Beliefs – most of Western Europe, including more Germanic Tribes 3. Customs of Germanic Tribes – ex: oral tradition of song and language, no written language, violence and warfare

7. 1. Disruption of Trade – frequent invasions caused trade to break down, causing a decline in cities and a lack of money in Western Europe 2. Downfall of Cities – cities were abandoned, lack of leadership 3. Population Shifts – people left cities for rural areas

8. 4. Decline of Learning – invaders couldn’t read or write, Roman culture in decline, knowledge of Greek nearly disappeared, only literate people = monks/priests 5. Loss of a Common Language – different dialects of Latin gave rise to Romance languages

10. 1. Roman authority declined, while church authority grew 2. Monasteries preserved Greco-Roman cultural achievements – monks were the few who could read and write = literate

13. 3. Missionaries carried Christianity and Latin alphabet to Germanic tribes. 4. Clovis converted the Franks to Christianity

15. 5. Pope Leo III anointed Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor in 800 A.D. 6. Parish priests served religious and social needs of the people

17.  Background: 1. Invaders destroyed Roman ability to protect people of Western Europe 2. people, in response to this lack of protection, entered into feudal agreements with land-holding lords who promised them protection

18.  Fief – piece of land  Lord – landowner, granted land to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and military service  Vassal – one who received land from a lord, pledged loyalty and military service  Serf – workers/peasants who were tied/bound to the land – worked to maintain the manor

19.  Medieval Manor – lord’s estate, houses and land -had its own rigid class structure and self- sufficient economy

21. King Nobles/ Church Officials Knights Serfs