1. Transforming the Roman World: Germanic Kingdoms, the Carolingian Empire, and Charlemagne

2. Do Now:
Grab a textbook and use the map on page 303 to answer these questions:
Which Germanic kingdoms were the largest in 500?
What Geographic factors kept Constantinople from being conquered?

3. Objective/Essential Question: Copy Onto Notes Sheet
How did Germanic tribes transform the Roman Empire?

4. New Germanic Kingdoms
Germanic peoples had begun to move into lands of the Roman Empire by the third century and set up new states
Visigoths: occupied Spain and Italy
Ostrogoths: took control of Italy from the Visigoths in the 5th century
Angles and Saxons: tribes from Denmark and northern Germany that moved into Britain
Eventually became the Anglo-Saxons

5. Germanic Society
Germans and Romans intermarried and created new society
Most important social bond among Germanic peoples was family
Extended family including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents
Worked land together and passed it down to future generations
Provided protection in violent atmosphere of the time
Affected way Germanic law treated crime and punishment
How did Roman system deal with crime and punishment?
Germanic law was personal: injury by one person against another resulted in blood feud between families and savage acts of revenge.
To avoid bloodshed, new system developed called wergild
A fine paid by wrongdoer to family of person he/she injured or killed
Value of a person in money
Varied according to social status

6. Kingdom of the Franks
Only German state on European continent that lasted long time
Frankish kingdom established by Clovis
Strong military leader
500 A.D. became first Germanic ruler to convert to Christianity
Won him support of the Catholic Church
Covered modern day France and western Germany
Defeated surrounding Germanic tribes and unified Franks as a people
After Clovis’ death, sons divided kingdom among themselves

7. Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire
During 600s and 700s, Frankish kings gradually lost power to their officers
One of them, Pepin, assumed kingship for himself and his family
768: Pepin dies and his son, Charles the Great or Charlemagne, becomes new Frankish king
Ruled from
Fierce warrior, strong statesman, devout Christian
Greatly expanded Frankish kingdom and created the Carolingian Empire
Covered much of western and central Europe at its height
Most powerful Christian ruler
800: acquired title Emperor of the Romans
Symbolized joining of Roman, Christian, and German elements

8. The End of the Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire weakened from within by division after Charlemagne’s death and from outside by enemy attacks
From within:
814: Charlemagne dies
Less than 30 years later, empire divided among his grandsons into 3 major sections
West Frankish lands
Eastern Frankish lands
Middle Kingdom
Local nobles gained power while Carolingian rulers fought each other
From outside:
Ninth and tenth centuries, western Europe experienced wave of invasions
Invaders
Muslims attacked southern coasts of Europe up to southern France
Magyars, people from western Asia, moved into Central Europe, settled in Hungary and invaded western Europe
Vikings, Germanic people from Scandinavia, most far-reaching attacks

9. The Vikings
Sacked villages and towns, destroyed churches, defeated small local armies
Warriors, superb shipbuilders, and sailors
Their ships were the best of the period
Dragon ships
Long and narrow with beautifully carved, arched prows
Carried 50 men
Construction allowed them to sail up European rivers and attack places far inland