5/27- 28/2014

A.D. 478 - A.D. 1454 Middle Ages

Classical heritage of Rome
Beliefs of Roman Catholic church
Customs of various Germanic tribes

Overrun the western half of the Roman Empire caused:

disruption of trade
downfall of cities
population shifts to rural areas

Decline of learning
new vernaculars
only priests were literate

Germanic loyalty is to lord of the manor

Clovis rules the franks
franks < France

Clovis in 496 has battlefield conversion


Church + Franks = rise of Christianity

in 520 Benedict creates the rules monks follow

Scholastica (Benedict's sister) makes the rules for nuns

operate schools, maintain libraries, ...

Pope Gregory has church use its money to do things like fix roads (Theocracy)

Charles Martel (A.K.A. Charles The Hammer)
Battle of tours (732) defeats Muslims

Son is Pepin the Short

Short leaves Charlemagne

Spreads Christianity
Becomes most powerful king in all of England

his son Luis did terrible

Luis's sons split the kingdom in to three parts