Early Middle Ages - Part 1

1. (5th – 10th centuries)
Early Middle Ages
(Part 1)

2. 1) Draw a Concept Map of the Unit

3. 2) Explain how was the Roman Empire in the 4th-5th cent.
The Roman Empire was suffering a severe crisis.
This crisis was economic, political and social.
The Roman Empire couldn’t stop the attacks of the Huns
and the Germanic tribes.
3) Explain what happened in 395 a.D.
In 395 a.D. the emperor Theodosius divided the Roman Empire
in two parts.
• The Western Roman Empire (Rome) and
• The Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople).
The intention was to improve the government and the
protection of the Empire.

5. 4) Explain all you know about the Huns and the
Germanic tribes.
The Huns and the Germanic peoples were tribes that
attacked fiercely the Roman Empire.
• The Huns came from Asia; they were commanded by
Attila. They attacked the Germanic tribes and the Roman
Empire.
• The Germanic peoples came from Scandinavia and
settled in the frontiers of the Roman Empire. They also
attacked the Roman Empire.

7. Batalla de los Campos Cataláunicos o de Chalons 451 (1). Atila inicia la batalla con los
arqueros hunos lanzando una lluvia de flechas contra toda la línea de los aliados. Autor
Steve Noon (Fuente: arrecaballo.es)

8. Cena en la corte de Atila rey de los hunos. A pesar de lo que la leyenda dice de él, Atila fue
un político astuto que conocía el valor de la gentileza y la cortesía en la diplomacia, comía
en cuencos de madera mientras sus invitados lo hacían en vajilla de oro y plata.(Fuente:
arrecaballo.es)

9. 5) Explain the Fall of the Roman Empire.
In 476 a.D. a Germanic tribe called the Heruli and their
leader Odoacer defeated the last Roman emperor of the
West Romulus Augustulus. Odoacer proclaimed himself
king of Italy.

11. 6) What happened to the Eastern Roman Empire?
The Eastern Roman Empire survived the fall of Rome
and the attacks of the Germanic tribes.
We study it as the Byzantine Empire and it lasted until
1453 when Constantinople was conquered by the Turks.
(Extra information: more exactly, the Ottoman Turks).
The Byzantine Empire

14. 7) Tell me some characteristics of the Byzantine Empire
It was very prosperous and advanced.
They considered themselves the heirs (herederos) of the
Roman Empire
• Economy was based on industry and trade.
• Cities were important (urban society)
• The Byzantine art was very luxurious and elaborated.
Extra information:
• In architecture they constructed great buildings such
as Hagia Sophia.

15. Map of the Byzantine Empire
(Before Justinian and after Justinian)
Source: Wikipedia

16. 8) Where was the Byzantine Empire located?
The Byzantine Empire was located in eastern Mediterranean.
It included:
• Eastern Europe,
• Middle East and
• Northeastern Africa.
9) What territories did Justinian I conquer?
The territories that Justinian I conquered were:
• The Vandal kingdom of North Africa.
• Italian Peninsula
• Southern Iberian Peninsula

17. 10) Tell me some examples of the Byzantine art.
Some examples of Byzantine art were:
• In architecture the Hagia Sophia Church and the Basilica of
San Vitale in Ravenna.
• The Mosaics (for example the mosaics of San Vitale in
Ravenna).
• The Icons, that are religious images of Jesus Christ, the
Virgin and the Saints.
For more information:
• Take a look to the presentation of Byzantine Art.
• Video Academia Play (3 min) of Hagia Sophia. Link
• Video Ted Ed (6 min) of Hagia Sophia. Link

19. 11) Explain the East-West Schism.
(What it is, when it happened, why it happened, what two
Christian religions we will have from now on).
The East-West Schism (cisma, división) was the separation
between the Roman Church and the Eastern Church. It
took place in 1054 because of the rivalry between the
patriarch of Constantinople and the Pope of Rome. As a
consequence, we will have the Orthodox Church and the
Catholic Church.
For more information:
• El cisma de Oriente. (Vídeo, 3 min.). Enlace
• Great Schism (Video, 20 min). Link
• Great Schism – Khan Academy (Video, 9 min). Link

20. 12) Who were the Germanic tribes?
The Germanic tribes were groups of people that came from
Northern Europe.
They were nomadic and their main economic activities
were agriculture, livestock farming and military activities.
Germanic Kingdoms
Extra Information:
• They shared a common language and traditions and each
tribe followed a leader that was chosen among the best
candidates (“Primus inter paris”).
• They attacked the Roman Empire, but they also worked
for the Romans as mercenaries and received territories
in exchange.

22. 12) Who were the Germanic tribes?
The Germanic tribes were groups of people that came from
Northern Europe.
They were nomadic and their main economic activities
were agriculture, livestock farming and military activities.
Germanic Kingdoms
Extra Information:
• They shared a common language and traditions and each
tribe followed a leader that was chosen among the best
candidates (“Primus inter paris”).
• They attacked the Roman Empire, but they also worked
for the Romans as mercenaries and received territories
in exchange.

23. Germanic Family

24. Guerreros burgundios siglo IV. Eran aliados
de Roma y se asentaron en la cuenca del
Rin, posteriormente ocuparían Borgoña.
Autor Angus McBride

25. 13) What were the consequences of the attacks of the Germanic
tribes?
Because of these attacks the Western Roman Empire
collapsed (disappeared). It was divided into smaller
territories called Germanic Kingdoms.
In economy industry and trade disappeared and agriculture
and livestock farming became the most important
economic activities.
Cities were abandoned and culture and art disappeared.
Extra Information:
• the Germanic people became the rulers of the new
kingdoms because they conquered the different
territories and imposed themselves in the military
aspect.

26. 14) Tell me some Germanic tribes and the territories where they
established themselves.
• Suevi established in the Iberian Peninsula
• Visigoths in Hispania (or the Iberian Peninsula)
• Franks in France
• Burgundians in eastern France
• Vandals in north Africa
• Ostrogoths in Italy
• Lombards in Italy later
• Anglo-Saxons in England

27. Germanic Kingdoms