Chapter 9 Outline

Chapter 9 Outline
Christian Europe Emerges (600-1200)
I. The Byzantine Empire

-The Byzantine Empire’s official religion was Christianity
-The Byzantine’s practiced the Roman Imperial system of government and
the political oversight of the Christian church to insure the church’s power
did not exceed the government’s power.
A. An Empire Beleaguered
- Between 634 and 650 the Arabs captured the Byzantines as well as the
Egyptians, the Syrians, and the area of Tunisia. The land lost to them and
the Muslims was never gained back, even after the Empire’s military
strength was regained. The crusades in the Middle East helped to spread
Christianity for a short time before the foothold was lost to the Muslims
-The Byzantines faced the threat of invasion from the north (the Germanic
tribes) and from the south (the Slavs and the Turkic people)
-Over time in the empire, the relations between the Pope and the princes
worsened
-The great schism between the Latin Church and the Orthodox Church
took place in 1054, a split that still exists today.
B. Society and Urban Life
-The economic wealth and late Roman Imperial system in the east initially
sheltered the Byzantine Empire from the pitfalls and depression going on in
the Western part of Europe.
- The Byzantines and East Europe was struck with the Black Plague, just
as the people of Western Europe were.
- During the Byzantine time period, the upper elite class shrunk in size,
making the remaining few ever the more important.
-Woman’s status dropped during this era as well; they were confined to the
households and only went out in public under a veil.
-The Byzantine Empire monopolized the market and the economic system,
slowing trade and the spread of technology. Eventually though, East
Europe began to catch up technology-wise, to the rest of West Europe
C. Cultural Achievements
-The Byzantines most archeologically advanced and most beautiful
building was the Hagia Sophia. Byzantine styles of architecture, painting,
and music were passed along and used a lot in Western Europe.
II. Early Medieval Europe (600-1000)

-Insecurity from invaders and pillagers led to the break down of the
Imperialistic government, and led many local people to look towards a local
lord or knight for protection.
A. A Time of Insecurity
- In the 700s, the area of East Europe was in turmoil. Invaders from all over
began conquests and the Vikings began to seize areas of land.
-Charlemagne’s empire was split into 3 parts after his death and they were
never reunited. The West spoke French, the middle was Burgundy, and to
the east were the German-speaking areas.
B. A Self-Sufficient Economy
- The Roman’s centralized, urbanized government was broken down and
the importance of urban communities declined. Public works and roads fell
into disrepair, and trade broke down as small communities began to rely
more on their own resources and less on the decentralized government
system. A uniform currency broke down back to a primitive bartering
system.
- Diets consisted of beer, butter/lard, bread, wheat, nuts, local game, and
farm-raised pigs. The elite upper class of nobles ate better than the
peasants, but the peasant diet was still reasonably decent. Their diet would
be better than those of their descendants, because later on as the nobles
gained more and more power the monopolized the food and recourses.
-Most peasants lived on a manor. A manor was a self-sufficient town ruled
over by a lord or knight. In return for their crops and labor, the peasants
would receive political and physical protection from the lord. These manors
usually had villages of farmers and fields, with a mill and other necessary
shops and buildings. The manor also usually had fortifications or defenses,
especially in the 12th century as they became necessary to defend the
manor from jealous lords and pillagers.
-Nobles lived much better and easier lives than peasants and serfs.
- Prisoners of war eventually became less important as slaves and more
important as trophies or objects of warfare.
C. Early Medieval Society in the West
-Fighting from horseback was the main style of fighting in the Carolingian
army, and the advent of stirrups allowed horsemen to attack the enemy
while riding their horse. This called for a larger and tougher breed of horse
instead of the draft horses raised in the steppes.
-The kings began to practice feudalism: The king would give a lord or
knight a fief, or piece of land to raise a manor on. However, the vassal, or
person receiving the land had to provide military protection to the king
when called upon.
-The lords were in charge of all governing in the manor and any judicial
action was up to them. The kings rarely interfered with the governing at the
local level.
-All members of the clergy and churches fell under the jurisdiction of the
Pope and the main Church, further limiting the power of the kings.
-Daughters and sons were married strategically, and had little say in the
marriage. They allegiance formed by the marriage helped strengthen
certain lords and manors.
-Noblemen protected their wives and women as closely as they did their
manor.
-Noblewomen were allowed to own land, and they would perform
agricultural tasks in everyday life. They also sometimes ruled over their
husband’s estates when the husband was off fighting a war.
III. The Western Church

-The Western church was ruled over by the Pope and he had complete
authority over all of the churches.
-The councils of bishops (called canons) regulated priests and laypeople
(people who were not members of the clergy)
-The Church had problems enforcing religious laws
A. Politics and the Church
- Originally the Pope had very little political power and only crowned the
Emperors of Rome.
- As the Pope and his office began to gain power, the fight between the
church and the lords began. The Pope believed he and only he could
choose bishops, however the lords were used to choosing their own
bishops and fought back against the church.
-Henry II fought against the power of the church and it eventually led to a
Catholic archbishop to be assassinated. Henry II allowed himself to be
whipped twice publicly and it generated sympathy for the church and
weakened the crown’s power.

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Chapter 9 Outline

Christian Europe Emerges (600-1200)

I. The Byzantine Empire

II. Early Medieval Europe (600-1000)

III. The Western Church

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