1. Medieval History Overview of the development of Europe during the Medieval Era

2. Byzantine Empire, 300-1200  Location, location, location…  Created from Justinian’s split of Roman empire  Ideal for trade (crossroad between Mediterranean and Black Sea)  Constantinople is “new Rome”

3. Byzantine Empire: Rise and Fall

4. Byzantium Culture and Society  Preserved Roman traditions  Emperor appointed patriarch of Constantinople (combination of Church and State)—Unity?  Decline in Urbanism  Family becomes more rigid—women more confined  Body of Civil Law—compilation of Roman laws and edicts  Developed techniques of domed buildings (inspiration for Italian Renaissance architects)—Hagia Sophia

7. Transition from Rome to Germanic Kingdoms  After fall of Roman empire, Europe was politically fragmented.  Invasions from Muslims and Berbers in Western Europe  Vikings attacked in 8 th and 9 th century (most England, France and Spain). Settled in Iceland and Normandy  Charlemagne  Carolingians united Frankish kingdoms in the 8 th century.  At its height, it included Gaul, Germany and Italy  Subdivided by Charlemagne’s grandsons, never united again

10. Medieval Economic Transformation  Decline of Urbanization  Regional elites become more important  Farming  Invention of new and heavier plows  Horses used instead of oxen  Lord of a manor has unlimited power  Manorial system—manors primary centers of agricultural production. Grew out of need for self-sufficiency

12. Political Structure of Feudalism

13. Medieval Society  Kings—weaker because of their reliance on nobles  In return for military service, granted fiefs to…  Nobles  Knights—need for bigger, stronger horses. Advances in armor, weapons, stirrups  Landholding and military service interwoven  Clergy  Serfs—agricultural workers of nobles  Women—some rare women were powerful, most were pawns and had little rights. Many non- noble women worked alongside men.

14. The Western Church  One unifying (?) force in medieval Europe.  Pope, the head of the Catholic Church  Sought to combine religious power with political power  Legal Traditions: Germanic feudal law, canon (church) law, Roman law  Church/King friction  Investiture Controversy—who has the power to appoint bishops? Why does it matter?—money!!!

15. Monasteries  Monasticism—developed in Egypt in 4 th century  Celibacy  Devotion to prayer  Isolation from society  Benedict of Nursia (480-547)  Function  Centers of literacy and learning (copy manuscripts)  Refuge for widows and vulnerable women  Inns and orphanages  Estates of land

16. Kievan Russia  United Black and Caspian Seas, linked to Silk Road  Inhabited by many people—but 3 main groups: Slavs (E), Finns (N), Turks (S)  Varangians active traders on river (Volga), Turks built trade cities at mouth of Volga  Kiev and Novgorod important cities of trade

17. Vladimir I  980—Grand Prince of Kiev  Chose Orthodox Christianity as official religion  Imitated culture of Byzantine empire— Cryillic alphabet, architecture, trade

18. Revival of Western Europe and Crusades 1000-1200  Agricultural production increases  New technology—heavy moldboard plow, horse collar, breast-strap harness  Where did they get these ideas?  Self-governing cities  First in Italy (Venice—major sea power, traded in Muslim ports)  and Flanders (Ghent—imported wool and exported cloth)  Crusades, 1095-1204  Political and religious