EUH 2000 Oct 29 Crisis of 14th Century

Crisis in the Late Middle Ages

Overview of Crises

  • Two primary crises during the late Middle Ages:

    1. Crisis of Authority in the Church

    2. Health Crisis (Black Death)

  • Both occurred in the 1300s, concurrently ending the medieval period and ushering in the Renaissance.

Crisis of Authority in the Church

  • Central question: Who holds ultimate authority on Earth, the king or the pope?

  • Avignon Papacy: Period when popes resided in Avignon instead of Rome (1309-1377), often referred to as the Babylonian Captivity.

  • The move was seen as corruption and excessive wealth, contrasting with expected Christian asceticism.

Events Leading to the Avignon Papacy

  • Pope Boniface VIII (1303): Died during a kidnapping attempt by agents of King Philip IV of France.

  • After Boniface's death, cardinals elected a new pope, desired to be French to increase Philip's control.

  • Pope Clement V (1305): A French bishop who ruled from Avignon to avoid conflicts with Roman Italians.

Dynamics of Papal Authority

  • The selection of Clement V was politically motivated to maintain French control over papacy:

    • Avignon was strategically chosen as it was not in France but under the influence of the French King.

  • Popes acted similarly to secular rulers, adopting lavish lifestyles seen as contrary to church teachings.

  • Despite questions of legitimacy and authority, these were tolerated due to the political climate.

Recognition of the Crisis

  • Important ecclesiastical figures (e.g., St. Catherine, St. Bridget) criticized this situation yet the papacy continued to operate from Avignon.

  • This eventually led to the Great Schism (1378), where multiple popes existed in rivalry (one in Rome, another in Avignon), creating confusion and power struggle.

The Great Schism

  • Resulted from the failure of the church to address the authority issue; multiple candidates claimed papal authority.

  • Compounding problem led to the Council of Pisa, where both rival popes were asked to resign, leading to the election of a third pope.

  • Ultimately, this resulted in a total of three rival popes, illustrating the political and ecclesiastical disunity.

Resolution by the Holy Roman Emperor

  • The Holy Roman Emperor intervened by organizing the Council of Constance (1414) to resolve the schism, lasting four years.

  • All three claimants were forced to resign, resulting in the election of Martin V as the sole pope, reaffirming Rome as the papal seat and ending the Avignon Papacy.

Long-term Effects of the Crisis

  • Loss of respect and influence for the church; inability to self-regulate led to perceptions of institutional weakness, further diminishing church authority.

Health Crisis: The Black Death

  • Occurred concurrently, significantly affecting European population and stability between 1347-1350.

  • Many believe existing famine and poor social conditions exacerbated vulnerability to pandemics.

Context of the Environment

  • Decline of the Medieval Optimum, leading to agricultural challenges and food shortages, worsening public health before the outbreak.

  • The population prior to the Black Death was already weakened due to famine in the early 1300s.

Spread of the Plague

  • The Black Death was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium primarily transmitted through fleas on rats.

  • Initiated in Italy and spread rapidly throughout Europe, resulting in death estimates varying between 19 to 38 million, approximately 25-50% of Europe's population.

Consequences of the Outbreak

  • In Florence, death rates reached 45-75% within a year.

  • First signs included painful swellings known as buboes.

  • Symptoms rapidly escalated within a week, often leading to death shortly after onset.

Medical Practices and Misunderstandings

  • Medical practices from the period were misguided, including:

    • The Victory Method: A contrived treatment involving chickens and plucking.

    • Use of unicorn horn (from Narwhal) in potions for treatment.

    • Religious practices included prayer and flagellation (self-whipping) to atone for sins perceived to have caused the disease.

  • Quarantine measures proved effective, illustrating an early understanding of disease transmission, even without the scientific basis.

Reflection on Medical Understanding

  • Despite their ineffectiveness, medieval efforts suggest proto-scientific observation methods attempting to identify causation without understanding the underlying germ theory leading to future advancements in medicine.

Conclusion of Lecture

  • Students are reminded to consider the long-term historical implications of both the Church's authority crisis and the Black Death as they transition into upcoming topics in the course.