Heirs to the Roman Empire: Byzantium and the West in the Early Middle Ages Civ March 9, 2015 Class 21

The Early Medieval West The Byzantine Empire Breakup of Church, West v East: 1014 Crusades:

8-3 The Byzantine World The Birth of Byzantium: Constantine moves capitol from Rome to Byzantium and establishes Christianity as the state religion (330) Culture and Religion – Greek supplanted Latin – Monasticism – Eastern Orthodoxy in Christian Church – Iconoclastic Controversy Important in itself and as example the Eastern Church faced similar controversies/challenges/heresies as did the Western. 3

The Byzantine Empire Note that it’s not only the EAST (eastern Roman)… it’s also the NORTH – That is… it’s just above and closest to the areas from which the Arabs and Islam will spread So although the Western Empire gets pounded, earlier, by invasions from the north, the Eastern Empire (eventually) falls under similar pressures from the SOUTH (and south east) – Between the time of the fall of the West and the East, the East recovers SOME of the Western territory via wars.

Most of the Eastern Scholars were men of the Church Byzantine Writers – John Moschus – Photius – Maximus the Confessor – John of Damascus – Michael Psellos – Liudprand – Only Anna Comnena was not

The World of Charlemagne Although there are other leaders and political organizations after the fall... The most “Western” was the Carolingian Renaissance Charles I took the Frankish throne in 768, Italy in 774, the Roman Empire in 800. Died in 814. Louis the Pious carried on the traditions until 843.

The World of Charlemagne But soon enough, it’s over The Post-Carolingian World – Treaty of Verdun, 843, divides the kingdom into three parts for Louis the Pious’ 3 sons – Invasions Muslims Magyars Vikings

Many of the Western Scholars were men of the Church – Benedict of Nursia and Pope Gregory I – Theodulf of Orléans – Gregory of Tours – Bede – John Scottus Eriugena

But some modeled a new form: Written Statesmanship with a secular base – Boethius – Cassiodorus – Alcuin – Einhard A key feature of the West, throughout, was continued reliance on the seven liberal arts as the educational template and standard.

The Christian Church in the Early Middle Ages Although the West/East split was real, and worsening, there were more efforts at union than disunion in the early middle ages. 7 “Ecumenical” Councils between 325 and 787. – Lots of fundamental questions to settle: Christ’s divinity and trinity; nature of the Creed; Mary’s role; role of “saints” and of imagery; New Testament texts and acceptable portions of the Old. – Underneath it all: establishes who is in charge and who isn’t (along with what to believe and what to reject)

Beginnings of Recovery The Vernacular Achievement – In Wales, Aneirin: Gododdin – Tain in Old Irish – Beowulf in Old English – Illuminated manuscripts – Modern typeface—Carolingian minuscule – Modern musical scores