1. Aim: How should the medieval Church and the Crusades be remembered?
Do Now: What would you be willing to fight for if it would risk your life?

2. I The Medieval Church
A) After the fall of the western Roman Empire in 476 CE, Europe no longer had a strong centralized government. The Roman Church filled the gap by becoming the most powerful unifying force in medieval western Europe.
Everyone had to pay a tithe; 10% of their income to the Church.
Few except the clergy (Church officials) were educated.

3. Medieval Church Continued…
B) Christian monks and nuns served god for life. Often lived in monasteries (isolated communities). Provided charity. C) Some monks created illuminated manuscripts; they would hand write and illustrate the Bible. **Monks also hand copied ancient Greek and Roman texts, preserving them!
“…a monk… consider himself… as a poor and unworthy workman… He should have absolutely not anything: neither a book, nor tablets, nor a pen-nothing at all…” St. Benedict 530 CE

4. Medieval Monastery, Armenia

5. The Medieval Church Continued…
D) Early Medieval Churches were built in the Romanesque style. They had Roman style arches, vaulted ceilings, and thick walls.

6. The Medieval Church Continued…
E) Later Medieval Churches were built in the Gothic style; they were taller and lighter with more detail.

7. Notre Dame Interior

8. The Medieval Church Continued…
F) The Church began the inquisition to find and stop heresy (actions that went against the Church), as well as blasphemy (speech or writing that went against the Church).

9. Classical Greek sculpture Unknown Artist, Florence, 1200
II Medieval Church Art
A) Most Medieval art was religious B) Unlike Classical art of Greece and Rome that was realistic, Medieval art was 2-D and abstract. This was due to the belief that our focus should be on god, not on the body.
Classical Greek sculpture
5th Century BCE
Unknown Artist, Florence, 1200

10. III Medieval Christian Philosophers
St. Augustine (354 – 430) wrote the City of God. He was influenced by Plato. Used the allegory of 2 cities (earthly vs. city of God) to differentiate those who refuse God’s love, and those who have faith and who seek God’s love.
“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”
– St. Augustine
Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274)
was influenced by Aristotle. “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” –Thomas Aquinas

11. IV The Crusades
A) In 638 CE Umayyad Muslims conquered Jerusalem and built the Dome of the Rock. Allowed Jews and Christians (people of “the book”) to pray at their holy sites if they paid a tax. B) In the 1050s, the Seljuk Turks (also Muslim) conquered Jerusalem. Less tolerant than the Umayyads, the Byzantines saw them as a threat. In 1095 the Byzantine emperor asked the Roman Pope for help. D) 1095 Pope Urban II called for Christian Knights to rescue the Holy Land. He promised those who went forgiveness of their sins, though many also went for wealth and adventure.
"Christians, hasten to help your brothers in the East, for they are being attacked. Arm for the rescue of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. Wear his cross as your badge. If you are killed your sins will be pardoned.“ – Pope Urban II, 1095

13. The First Crusade (1095 – 1099)
30,000+ Christian knights went. On the way, some crusaders massacred Jews in Mainz. In 1099 under the leadership of Godfrey of Bouillon the Christian Knights conquered Jerusalem.

15. Primary Source Unknown Christian Knight, 1099
"Exulting with joy we reached the city of Jerusalem… we besieged it in a wonderful manner… the defenders of the city quickly fled… Our men followed and pursued them, killing and hacking, as far as the Temple of Solomon [the Wailing Wall], and there was such a slaughter that our men were up to their ankles in the enemy's blood Entering the city, our pilgrims pursued and killed the Saracens [Muslims]… the whole temple flowed with their blood… Then the crusaders scattered throughout the city, seizing gold and silver... Afterwards our men went rejoicing and weeping for joy to adore the Holy Sepulcher of our Savior Jesus. . . On the eighth day after the capture of the city they elected Duke Godfrey prince of the city…The city was captured by the Christians on Friday, July 15."

16. A Christian Depiction of the Crusades
Can you see bias in this painting?

17. Later Crusades
By 1144 CE the Saracens had recaptured a lot of the Holy Land  2nd Crusade. ( ) It was a major failure. The Christian hold on Jerusalem greatly weakened.
1174 Saladin became the leader of the Saracens. He conquered Jerusalem in 1187  3rd Crusade. King Richard I (the Lionhearted) of England, King Philip of France, and the Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa led the Christian army. Barbarossa drowned while bathing. King Philip went home. In 1192, Richard agreed to peace with Saladin; Christians could visit their holy sites as long as they did not make further attacks.

18. Later Crusades Continued…
Saladin died in Some Christians saw this as an opportunity  4th Crusade. On the way to the Holy Land, the knights attacked Constantinople (a Christian city!) when the Byzantine Emperor failed to give them money for helping him regain his throne. *Constantinople never fully recovered.
“For the sacred altar [in the Hagia Sophia Church in Constantiniople]… was broken into bits and distributed among the soldiers... No one was without a share in the grief. In the alleys, in the streets… weeping, lamentations, grief, the groaning of men, the shrieks of women, wounds, rape...” Nicetas Choniates 1204

19. Later Crusades Continued…
1212 CE 30,000 children (most from France and Germany) joined the Children’s Crusade. Most were never heard from again. *This crusade was never officially blessed by the Pope.

20. Consequences of the Crusades
Political
Economic
Social
The Holy Land remained in the hands of the Saracens (Muslim Turks) until the end of WWI!
Many nobles who joined the Crusades never returned. This allowed kings to increase their power, weakening the feudal system.
1-5 million people died.
Relations between Christians and Muslims strained for centuries
Revival of trade between Europe and Asia
Europeans were exposed to Muslim technology, education, and luxury goods.
Anti-Semitism increased

21. Key Vocabulary
Blasphemy Clergy Crusades Gothic Church Heresy Illuminated Manuscripts Inquisition Monastery Monk Nun Pope Urban II Romanesque Church Saladin Seljuk Turks Tithe

22. Summary Questions
How much power did the Church have in medieval western Europe? How did it gain this power?
What were the Crusades?
What were the most important CAUSES of the crusades?
What were the most important CONSEQUENCES of the crusades?
Were the Crusades justified?
Were the Crusades successful? How do you know?
Do you think the medieval Church had too much power?