Impact of the reign of Charlemagne
Germanic Tribes and Vikings
5th-11th centuries
The Myth of the Dark Ages
Germanic tribes took over Roman lands.
Hundreds of little kingdoms took the place of the Western Roman Empire in Europe.
Modelled Roman law, customs, and Christianity
Kingdoms were always at war with one another.
Myth of the Dark Ages
Germanic tribes adopted Christianity
Monasteries – communities of nuns and monks who were servants of God
They were Europe’s best educated
They opened schools
Maintained libraries
Copied important books: this preserved Greco-Roman cultural achievements
The Franks
In A.D. 481, Clovis united the Franks and became their king.
Clovis converted to the Christianity.
Essentially, the Franks blended Germanic and Roman cultural practices
He established the Merovingian Kingdom
The Franks
By 800s Franks ruled much of western, central Europe
Leaders most influential in expansion of Franks all belonged to one family—Charlemagne’s family, the Carolingians
One of first Carolingians to gain power, Charlemagne’s grandfather
Charles Martel, political adviser, war leader for Frankish king
Led Frankish army in many crushing defeats of opponents, notably at the Battle of Tours
Age of Charlemagne
Charlemagne 742-814 AD
Overview:
Charlemagne became king of the Franks in 768 A.D. He tried to recreate the glory of the old Roman Empire.
He conquered vast territories and was eventually proclaimed emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III.
He gave land to his nobles in exchange for their loyalty and military service.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was a Frankish king that lived during the 8th and 9th centuries
He became king in 768 after his father Pepin the Short died
Charlemagne was an ambitious ruler and expanded the Frankish territory
Because of his successful campaigns, he has been considered by some as the Father of Modern Europe.
Charlemagne and pope Leo
In 773 Charlemagne began his attack on the Lombard kingdom, which was in northern Italy
Pope Leo called on him for help when the Lombards attacked Papal States, 774
The Papal states was a region in central Italy under control of pope
By 774, he had the Lombards on the verge of defeat and he received the Iron Crown
The Iron Crown made him king over the Franks and Lombards
Charlemagne and Pope Leo
In 799, Charlemagne helped Leo III again. Eventually, Charlemagne was named emperor of the Roman people
The Pope’s action suggested that Charlemagne’s rule had the backing of the church and God
Th effects of this were massive:
Charlemagne now rivaled the Byzantine’s as the inheritors of Rome
It placed the Roman papacy firmly in the sphere of the west isolating it from the influence of the Byzantines
Charlemagne also considered marrying the Byzantine queen Irene to unite the empires
The West was now further unified politically and spiritually
Charlemagne
Charlemagne had tremendous power as emperor
His empire was large and not easy to rule; he made changes to make the government efficient
He established a permanent capital at Aachen, in what is now Germany
He built a huge palace, cathedral to reflect own greatness
He chose counts, officials to help rule parts of empire in his name
The counts were bound to obey having been granted large tracts of land and given much authority
Carolingian Renaissance
It was the first of several European renaissances
The renaissance occurred during the eighth and ninth centuries, particularly under the leadership of Charlemagne
The focused centered upon the moral regeneration of society
Secular and church leaders sought to improve society through classical texts, Biblical literature, improved Latin, and more education
Carolingian Renaissance
One of the major causes for the renaissance was economic growth and stability
The Carolingian Empire had created a system that allowed for economic growth
Charlemagne had also created a universal coinage, the denarius
Along with that, Charlemagne’s conquest brought in many slaves
These slaves were sold to the booming Arab slave markets, which prized European slaves
Carolingian Renaissance
Latin became a major focus in the renaissance
This was because many clergy and secular leaders could not read
This was particularly a problem for the clergymen who could not read the Latin Vulgate
To help teach his people, Charlemagne created schools and gathered scholars from around Europe to his court
One of the most famous of Alcuin of York
Carolingian Renaissance
Alcuin helped create a standardized school system
Latin was a major part of the curriculum
The Carolingians also created a standardized hand writing system known as minuscule
During this period, the Carolingians produced over 100,000 literary volumes
Only a handful survive today
Legacy of Charlemagne
Charlemagne was personally interested in learning – he ordered churches, monasteries to start schools
Charlemagne wanted to preserve, spread Christian teachings, and create a unified Christian empire
He sent copies of texts to monasteries across Europe; monks there made copies
This saved many valuable works for posterity
Developed written legal code – incorporated local laws
The Age of the Vikings
8th-11th centuries
Vikings
Originated in the region known as Scandinavia
This region includes the present day countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland
The Vikings were renowned for their shipwright skills and prowess on the battlefield.
By 1000 they had set up colonies in Iceland, Greenland, and in Ukraine
The image is of a Viking longboat which they used to raid England, Ireland, Northern France, and other parts of the Baltic
Beowulf: Famous Germanic Epic
Beowulf is a 3000 line epic
The story is preserved in Old English and details the adventures of the hero Beowulf
In the epic Beowulf fights Grendel the monster, Grendel’s mother, and later, a fire-breathing dragon
The story celebrates the Germanic hero culture and provides valuable insight into Germanic folklore
The Normans
The Normans were a famous group of Vikings that settled in Normandy, France
From Normandy, the Normans raided all over Europe, including the Mediterranean
In 1066 the famous Norman, William the Conqueror, defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings
The Normans conquered England and set up a feudal kingdom
The Bayeux Tapestry
This is a famous embroidery that records the Norman conquest of England
It is 20 inches in height and 231 feet long and includes 626 figures, 190 horses and 500 other animals
The images provide historians with insights into how the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons fought, dressed, traveled and many other important facets concerning their cultures.
Normans in Sicily
The Normans also conquered the important island of Sicily
Sicily had previously been ruled by an Islamic Emirate
The Norman kingdom on Sicily became one of the most important cultural centers in all of Europe
Roger II, who ruled Sicily, even tried to conquer the Byzantine Empire and become emperor
Norman Cathedral of Monreale
The Normans created a kingdom that combined Byzantine, Latin, and Islamic elements
The cathedral combines elements of the Western and Eastern church traditions
Saints from both the Byzantine and Western tradition cover the walls
The Islamic influence is also seen on the cathedrals ceilings
Norman Kingdom of Sicily
End of the Vikings
By the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Vikings had ceased raiding and settled in various parts of Europe.
The Normans settled in Normandy, England, and Sicily
Other Vikings created the Kingdom of Novgorod in the Ukraine
The eventual conversion of the Vikings to Christianity also slowed their raiding and expansion