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Ch 17

While other parts of the world were experiencing unprecedented prosperity during the postclassical era, Europe's economy underwent a sharp constriction with the fall of the Roman Empire. Long-distance trade did not entirely disappear, significant developments took place in agricultural production, and there were brief periods of government consolidation; nevertheless, early medieval Europe was a world dominated by rural self-sufficiency and political decentralization. In spite of its seeming "backwardness" compared to the other great empires of the postclassical world, Europe was laying the foundation for the development of the powerful society that would emerge during the high middle ages.

Carolingian dynasty, family of Frankish aristocrats and the dynasty (ad 750–887) that they established to rule western Europe. The name derives from the large number of family members who bore the name Charles , most notably Charlemagne . A brief treatment of the Carolingians follows. The family came to power as hereditary mayors of the palace of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia , and, by the time of Pippin II of Herstal (French Héristal), who became mayor of the palace in 679, they had reduced their nominal Merovingian kings to mere figureheads. Indeed, in 687 Pippin II gained effective rule over the entire Frankish realm when he defeated his Neustrian rival, Ebroïn. At his death in 714 Pippin left a legitimate heir, a child of six, and an illegitimate son, Charles Martel . By 725 Charles Martel had established himself as ruler of the Franks, although he maintained the fiction of Merovingian sovereignty until 737, when following the death of Theuderic IV he let the throne remain vacant. Charles Martel died in 741, and his sons Pippin III the Short and Carloman divided the realm between themselves. Upon Carloman’s abdication in 747, Pippin III became the sole ruler. His position was so secure that in 750 he deposed the last of the Merovingians, Childeric III , and, with the support of Pope Zacharias , had himself elected king by an assembly of Frankish nobles and consecrated by a bishop of the Roman church.

Pope Gregory was born circa 540, a member of a noble family. Gregory grew up in a Christian home with parents who were strong in the faith. He was the son of Gordianus, at that time, a wealthy Senator. His grandfather was Pope Felix. Gregory's mother is named as a saint in the Roman Martyrology His noble upbringing helped acquaint him with the difficulties in Roman government at the time. The Byzantine Empire changed emperors four times during his boyhood. The city of Rome itself was conquered in 546 by the Goths , who were very brutal. In 552, the Narses recaptured Rome, but were equally as troublesome to the Romans as the Goths who preceded them.  Finally, in 568, the Germanic Lombards began warring with Rome.

Monastics have been instrumental in creating, preserving, and enhancing institutions of religious and secular learning and in transmitting cultural goods, artifacts, and intellectual skills down through the generations. Monastic institutions have also fulfilled medical, political, and military functions, though since 1500 the latter two have become completely secularized in most societies.

A definition of monasticism that covers all its forms would be so broad that particulars would have to be relegated to the analysis of specific monastic systems. Such a definition might be: religiously mandated behaviour (i.e., orthopraxy), together with its institutions, ritual , and belief systems, whose agents, members, or participants undertake voluntarily (often through a vow) religious works that go beyond those required by the religious teachings of the society at large. Such behaviour derives from the example of religious and spiritual founders who interpreted more radically the tenets that apply to all believers or to the whole society. Beyond such a statement, one can speak only of the principal characteristics of the monastic life and its institutions, since none of them is universal. Celibacy is fundamental to the majority of the world’s monastic orders but is by no means universal, as shown by the case of Buddhism in modern Japan. Another characteristic, asceticism , is universal, provided the term is defined widely enough so as to include all supererogatory religious practices.