LG 1: Explain how Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy were unifying social and political forces in Western Europe and Byzantine Europe and identify the impact of ideas contained in Justinian s Code of Laws.
Western Rome falls to barbarian invaders in 476 A.D. Europe was left with no central government & no system of defense Invading groups set up kingdoms throughout the west These kingdoms were often at war with one another Trade was disrupted, cities abandoned, people moved to the countryside for farming
The Christian church survived the fall of Rome The church was the only thing remaining that provided order and security to the people in the west
The Franks established the largest of the Germanic kingdoms in what is now known as France (that s how France got its name) Clovis: leader of the Franks brought Christianity to the region With the help of the newly converted Franks, Christianity continued to spread through out the region Ruled for 30 years and greatly expanded their empire
According to legend, his wife, Clothilde, had urged him to convert to her faith, Christianity. In 496, Clovis led his warriors against another Germanic army. Fearing defeat, he appealed to the Christian God. For I have called on my gods, he prayed, but I find they are far from my aid.... Now I call on Thee. I long to believe in Thee. Only, please deliver me from my enemies. The tide of the battle shifted and the Franks won. Afterward, Clovis and 3,000 of his warriors asked a bishop to baptize them. The Church in Rome welcomed Clovis s conversion and supported his military campaigns against other Germanic peoples. By 511, Clovis had united the Franks into one kingdom. The strategic alliance between Clovis s Frankish kingdom and the Church marked the start of a partnership between two powerful forces. Glencoe Book
Leader of The Franks after the death of Clovis United the Franks Wasn t the king Mayor of the palace 732 AD - Defeated the Moors (Muslims) at the Battle of Tours and kept them from invading If Charles Martel had not defeated the Moors, Western Europe may have become part of the Islamic Empires and therefore may still have practiced Islam today
http://www.history.com/top ics/charlemagne/videos/th e-reign-of-charlemagne After Charles Martel s death his son Pepin took over he was appointed King by the pope, then his grandson Charlemagne took power Charlemagne: the Holy Roman Emperor Most important leader of the Franks Ruled 768-814 A.D. Time of education, religion, and power Unified Christian land in Europe into one single empire: The Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire collapsed due to poor leadership & new threats of invasion (Slavs, Magyars, Muslims, Vikings) This led to the system of feudalism, a system of military service in exchange for land We ll learn about feudalism tomorrow!
LG 1: Explain how Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy were unifying social and political forces in Western Europe and Byzantine Europe and identify the impact of ideas contained in Justinian s Code of Laws.
After the fall of Rome, the eastern empire continued for another 1,000 years. We call this the Byzantine Empire, after Byzantium, the original name of its capital city Much more stable than the west Emperor Constantine moved the capital city to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople The eastern half of Rome thrived & survived (Byzantine) and the western half did not
Why was Constantinople chosen as the capital city? Easy to defend; surrounded by water on 3 sides Located on many of the major trade routes At its height more than a million people lived there and many people found wealth through trading goods (luxury items)
One of the greatest Byzantine Emperors Wife Theodora Rebuilt the empire after a revolt Built the Hagia Sophia grand church Reconquered parts of North Africa, Italy, and Spain Created a systematic body of laws Justinian s Code Became the basis for many law codes in the western world today
Empire organized through a bureaucracy Officials were trained in Hellenistic classics (remember Greek influence) Regulated trade, taxes, and prices of goods Western Empire spoke Latin Byzantine Empire spoke Greek
Before the fall of the Western Roman Empire 2 Emperors ruled one in Rome & one in Constantinople Remained connected through their shared Christian faith - until the church in the east (Byzantine) developed their own ways of doing things Eastern Orthodox Church
Byzantine Empire Began Eastern Orthodox Church Western Europe Continued to practice Catholicism