Dark Ages

Dark Ages

Constantinople

City that was the center of the Byzantine empire. Famous for its Theodosian Walls.

Theodosian Walls

Built in the 5th century, they were double-lined and elaborate defenses for Constantinople.

Justinian

Ambitious leader of the Byzantine empire. He exhausted the treasury whilst fighting Arian Christians. Put down the Nika Revolt. After his rule, the Byzantines are bankrupted and faced with plagues.

Justinian Code

10 scholars analyzed the 12 Roman Tables, and condensed the new laws into 4,000. All the laws were put into four different books.

Haiga Sophia

Large-domed building made by Justinian, given to the church. Dome collapsed but was rebuilt. “Temple of holy wisdom”.

Nika Revolt

In the Hippodrome (chariot arena), fans revolted against Justinian’s rule. His wife, Theodora, convinced him to put down the rebellion.

Justinian’s Expansion

He is known for expanding the Byzantine empire into North Africa, and parts of Italy and Spain, and restoring the Byzantine empire to its former size.

Heraklios

Used military rules and exarchates/themes to regain control upon the Byzantine empire. He recovered the ‘true cross’, the cross Jesus had been crucified on, after he fought the Persians.

Themes System

Districts where the military exerts authority. Soldiers were often farmers, who had interest in protecting their farms and land.

Exarchates

Military outposts that provided administration and protection to a theme, as well as early warning for the main kingdom. A governor is a military leader placed in its command to train soldiers.

Battle of Yarmouk

Where the Muslims defeated the weakened Byzantines and accepted the Arabs as liberators, leading to the beginning of the Byzantine decline.

Caesaropapism

The emperor acts as the Church power.

Iconoclasm

Christians developed faith in icons over the actual religion. Leo III outlawed these symbols, but the Pope disagreed with Leo. Led to Leo II removing the Papal states from the Church, and deepens the divide between the Eastern and Western empires/churches.

Empress Irene

Declares iconoclasm as heresy (opposes it), and allows for worshiping icons. Got exiled, but became a saint because she reinstated the veneration of icons.

Basil II

Last effective Byzantine emperor. He expands back into Syria and conquers parts of Bulgaria. He was the last to expand the empire.

Battle of Manzikert

Alp Arslan, the seljuqid sultan, led an army to Manzikert. He battled Romanos IV Diogenes, the loss is a psychological blow to the Byzantines, and Arslan managed to capture Romanos. Furthers the Byzantine decline.

Fall of the Byzantines

Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople. Emperor Constantine XI was killed during this conquest.

Monasticism

Monks lived in monasteries, generally in isolated places where monks can focus on things like fasting and prayer without distractions. Monks produce many religious written works during this period.

St. Benedict

Established the concept of Ora et Labora (work and pray). The Benedictine Rules for daily life of monks were created to guide them in their journey to be self-sufficient.

Pope Gregory

Ordered monks to convert Germanic tribal groups such as the Angles and the Saxons. This was done by absorbing pagan customs into the Christian faith, such as establishing Christmas as the birth of Christ.

St. Patrick

Returned to Ireland after escaping as a slave to convert people to Christianity. Ireland becomes a Christian stronghold, and Irish monks branch out to many other locations to spread the religion.

Book of Kells

Contains parts of the Christian Gospels with elaborately ornate illustrations.

Lombards

Arian Christian barbarians that conflicted with the Orthodox Christians. Eventually, Theudalinda convinced her husband, Agilulf, to adopt Orthodox Christianity. Beginnings of Catholic Church siezing political power.

Visigoths

Another Arian Christian barbarian group that converts to Orthodox Christianity under Emperor Reccared.

Councils of Toledo

Councils from toledo (capital of the Visigoths) with strong influence over the Visigoth government and society, including nominating Visigoth kings. The Councils of Tolede oppress non-Christian communities.

Franks

Roman federates that were hunters and trappers who supplied recruits for the Roman armies. When Roman authority collapses in Gaul (modern France/Belgium), the Franks take control.

Clovis I

The founding father of the Merovingian Dynasty, assumed the throne at the age of 15 when his father Childeric, king of a Germanic tribe known as the Salian Franks, died. Clovis united the Frankish tribes surrounding Gaul. First to convert to orthodox Christianity. He is baptized because the people he controls are already Christian, so he can relate and get a beaurocracy.

Gavelkind

Line of inheritance. When the father dies, each son gets an equal share of the land. Applied to the king as well.

Salic Law

Land is only handed down through the male line of succession.

Dagobert I

Peak of Merovingian power, last dynastic king to assert any dynasterial or royal power.

Mayor of the Palace

The staff who provided for the household also had to manage the estates that supplied them with food, clothing, horses, and other necessities. These household servants included the mayor of the palace (who directed all household operations).

Charles Martel

As Mayor of the Palace, he led the Franks to victory against the Muslims

Battle of Tours

Charles Martel stops Muslims from invading France. Muslims needed (non-Muslim) slaves, and the wealth from France. They also view the Christians as a religious threat, so they want to convert people.

Pepin the Short

Son of Charles Martel. Eventually, he gets the Pope to him as the new king, replacing the Merovingian dynasty. He then gives some land to the Pope.

Papal States

The land territories under the direct administrative control of the Orthodox Christian Church and the Pope.

Charlemagne

Helped Pope Leo defeat the Lombards. In turn, he became the emperor of the Romans, granting additional land to Leo’s control. Established the Carolingian line of leaders.

Charlemagne’s Accomplishments

• Expands into Saxony, Thoringia, and part of Spain. Apex of the Frankish empire under Charlemagne.

• Conquering territories to spread Christianity. He forced Saxon conversion.

• Expanded education (revives literacy). He pushed for the standardization for uncial and miniscule (uppercase and lower case) letters. He could read but not write

Missi Dominici

“Lord’s emissiaries”, which inspected the dukes and counts.

Counts

Administrative officials in charge of cities, with limited control of municipal territories, and administer royal justice.

Dukes

Administrative officials similar to counts, but in charge of larger geographic areas (more authority than the counts).

Palace Chapel at Aachen

Charlemagne’s favorite palace (in present day Germany); also symbol of how Franks were influenced by Muslim architecture (from Umayyads in Spain) and the Christian East.

Alcuin

Introduced the methods of English learning into the Frankish schools, systematized the curriculum, raised the standards of scholarship, and encouraged the study of liberal arts for the better understanding of spiritual doctrine. He was also an advisor to Charlemagne.

Louis the Pious

Charlemagne’s only surviving heir. His sons fight and each take control of part of the Frankish kingdom.

Treaty of Verdun

The Treaty of Verdun divides the Frankish controlled kingdoms into three territories. West Frankish Kingdom went to Charles the Bald, Lothar gets modern-day Italy, and Louis II gets modern-day Germany. Division shows beginnings of modern states such as Italy, Germany, and France, while weakening the Frankish state.

Vikings

Originating from modern Scandinavia, they used longships to raid the British Isles. They often attacked monasteries as they held wealth, and the monks did not fight back.

Vikings against Franks

Charles the Bald of the Franks payed the Vikings 5,670 pounds of silver to leave Paris alone (845). They eventually return, and Charles the Fat pays them more silver to leave again (885).

Charles the Simple

He gives a land grant (modern Normandy) to the Vikings to:

1. To encourage Vikings to stop raiding Frankish territory.

2. To have Rollo protect the mouth of the Seine River against future Viking raids.