After Rome Fell

Germanic kingdoms unite under Charlemagne

- main Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the roman empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire.
- Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us came from.
- middle ages = medieval period
- 500-1500 AD
- medieval Europe is fragmented
- invasions trigger changes in western Europe.
- invasions and constant warfare spark new trends

disruption of trade

- Europe's cities are no longer economic centers
- money is scarce
- cities are no longer centers of administration
- nobles retreat to the rural areas
- cities don't have strong leadership

Decline of learning

- Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
- only priests and church officials could read an write
- knowledge of Greek an literature, science, philosophy is almost lost

Germanic kingdoms emerge

-the concept of government changes
- roman society loyal to public gov't
- Germanic society loyal to families
- Germanic chief led warriors
- during wartime warriors fought for the lord
- people did not complain about the king
- the franks under clovis
- another battlefield conversion, just like Constantine
- clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
- the church in rome approves of this alliance
- clovis and the church begin to work together

Germanic peoples adopt Christianity

- papacy= pope's office
- secular power= worldly power
- the church can use church money to
               raise armies
               repair roads
               help the poor
- Gregory the great began to act as mayor of rome, and as head of an earthly kingdom Christendom
- 511 AD - clovis unites franks into one kingdom
- 600 AD - church + Frankish rulers convert many
- fear of muslems in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
- 520 AD - benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries