1. The Foundations of Christian Society in Western Europe
Chapter 10
The Foundations of Christian Society in Western Europe

2. Germanic Successor States
Germanic kingdoms: Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Burgundians, Angles/Saxons
The Franks: center of gravity shifted from Italy to northern lands

4. The Franks and Empire Clovis
Led the Franks and wiped out the last vestiges of Roman authority in Gaul
Military campaigns against other Germanic peoples
Clovis's conversion
Many other Germanic peoples converted to Arian Christianity
The Franks converted to Roman Christianity
Alliance with the Roman church greatly strengthened the Franks

5. The Carolingians
Carolingians, an aristocratic clan, asserted authority in the early eighth century
Charles Martel's son claimed the throne for himself, 751
Charlemagne (reigned C.E.)
Grandson of Charles Martel, founder of Carolingian empire
Control extended to northeast Spain, Bavaria, north Italy

6. Administration
Capital city at Aachen (in modern Germany)
Relied on aristocratic deputies, known as counts
Used missi dominici to oversee local authorities
Charlemagne as emperor
Pope Leo III proclaimed Charlemagne emperor, 800
The coronation strained relations with Byzantine emperors

8. Decline and Dissolution of the Carolingian Empire
Louis the Pious (reigned )
Charlemagne's only surviving son; lost control of the counts
His three sons divided the empire into three kingdoms, 843
Invasions
Muslims raided south, seized Sicily, parts of northern Italy and southern France
Magyars invaded from the east
Vikings invaded from the north

9. Vikings
Norse expansion; Scandinavian homelands were Norway, Denmark, and Sweden
Motives: population pressure, resisting Christian missionaries
Most were merchants and migrants
Some mounted raids in many European regions from Russia to Spain
Outstanding seafarers; even established a colony in Canada about 1000
Fleets could go to interior regions via rivers, attacking towns and villages

11. Establishment of Regional Authorities
In England small kingdoms merged into a larger realm against Scandinavian raids
King Alfred (reigned ) expanded to the north
Alfred's successors controlled all England about the mid-tenth century
Germany: after Carolingian empire, local lords took matters into their own hands
King Otto I (reigned ) defeated Magyars in 955
Imposed authority in Germany; led armies to support the papacy in Italy
Otto's coronation by the pope in 962 made him the Holy Roman Emperor
In France counts and other local authorities became local lords

13. Feudalism
After Carolingian empire dissolved, local nobles built decentralized states
Lords and vassals (retainers)
Lord provided vassal with a grant known as a benefice (usually land, called fief)
Enabled vassal to devote time and energy to serve the lord
Provided resources to maintain horses and military equipment
Vassals owed lord loyalty, obedience, respect, counsel, and military service
Lord/vassal relationships become stronger; vassal status became hereditary

14. Potential for instability
Multi-tiered network of lord-retainer relationships
Sometimes conflicting loyalties led to instability
But powerful states were built on foundation of lord-retainer relationships

15. Manorialism
Serfs
Slaves and peasants took agricultural tasks and frequently intermarried
Free peasants often turned themselves and their lands over to a lord for protection
Serfs as an intermediate category emerged about the mid-seventh century
Serfs' obligations
Labor service and rents in kind
Could not move to other lands without permission
Once their obligations were fulfilled, serfs had right to work on land and pass it to heirs

16. Manors were a principal form of agricultural organization
A manor was a large estate, controlled by the lord and his deputies
Manors were largely self-sufficient communities

17. The Economy of Early Medieval Europe
Agriculture production suffered from repeated invasions
Heavy plows
Heavy plows appeared in the sixth century; could turn heavy northern soils
Became common from the eighth century; production increased
Cultivation of new lands; watermills; and rotating crops
Rural society--agricultural surplus not enough to support large cities
Mediterranean trade--Italian and Spanish merchants trade with Muslims

18. Norse merchant mariners in North and Baltic Seas
Followed routes of Vikings
Traded actively with Byzantine and Abbasid empires
Imported Abbasid silver used in European coinage
Population: 36 million in 200; down to 26 million in 600; back up to 36 million in 1000

19. Age of Faith Every aspect of life was dominated by the Church
All answers to questions were dictated largely by faith
Popes, clergy held enormous power
Social Hierarchy of the Church
Symbols of the Post-Classical Age of Faith
The Cathedral
The Crusades
The Pilgrimage
The Monastery

20. The Politics of Conversion
The Franks and the Church
Frankish rulers viewed themselves as protectors of the papacy
Charlemagne also worked to spread Christianity in northern lands
The spread of Christianity
Charlemagne's military campaigns forced the Saxons to accept Christianity
Pagan ways did not disappear immediately
By 1000 C.E., all western Europe had adopted Roman Christianity

21. The Papacy Pope Gregory I (590-604 C.E.)
Organized defense of Rome against Lombards' menace
Reasserted papal primacy over other bishops
Strongly emphasized the sacrament of penance--confession and atonement
The conversion of England--by 800, England in the Roman church

22. Monasticism
Origin
Devout Christians practiced asceticism in deserts of Egypt, second and third century
Monastic lifestyle became popular when Christianity became legal, fourth century
Monastic rules
St. Benedict ( C.E.) provided a set of regulations
Virtues of Benedictine monks: poverty, chastity, and obedience
St. Scholastica ( C.E.)
St. Benedict's sister, a nun
Adapted the Rule, and provided guidance for religious life of women

23. The roles of monasteries
Became dominant feature in social and cultural life of western Europe
Accumulated large landholdings
Organized much of the rural labor force for agricultural production
Provided variety of social services: inns, shelters, orphanages, hospitals, schools
Libraries and scriptoria became centers of learning