Early Medieval Europe Unit 5 Topic 1

• Early Middle Ages (500 - 1000 AD)

  • Fall of Rome to 1000

Early Medevil Europe

• After the fall of the Roman Empire

  • Decline in trade, centralized government, education

  • Cities lose their importance

Germanic Kingdoms

• Usually rural, tribal groups

• Lacked large cities, written literature

• This led to using the term “Dark Ages” for early medieval Europe (c. 500 - 1000)

Theodoric (476 - 526)

• Leader of the Ostrogoths

• Took over Italy 

• Kept the Roman Senate and government 

Germanic Kingdoms 

• Franks 

  • 486 - Conquered Gaul (modern France)

  • Clovis converts to Christianity 

• All his people follow 

• Merovingian Dynasty (lasts until 750)

• Gaul → Gallie Wars (Caesar)

• Rheims → St. Remigius 

  • (France) Eldest daughter of the Chruch 

• Merovec

  • Merovingian

Important Thinks  - Boethius

• Lived c. 480 - 525

• Wrote commentaries on works of Aristotle, Cicero, Porphyry

• Most famous work: The Consolation of Philosophy

  • Meaning Christianity

Cassiodorus (C. 490 - 575)

• Collected important Greek and Latin manuscripts

• Helped monasteries start copying important classical texts to preserve them

Isidore of Seville (c.576 - 636)

• Lived in Spain 

• Created an encyclopedia of knowledge, called Eytmolgiae

  • Referred to everything from math and science to theology

Gregory the Great c. 540 - 604

• Became pope in 590

• Known for his Pastoral Rule - how bishops should act

• Worked on the Mass and the liturgical chants (Gregorian Chant)

• Sent St. Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize England

Angelo - Saxons

• Angles

• England before 1066