2. • Also called the Medieval Period, Dark
Ages, and Age of Faith.
• 400s – Renaissance Period (14th Century)
The Franks
• The Franks were a Germanic tribe that
invaded the Roman Empire and settled in
Gaul (France).
• 481 – Clovis becomes King of the Franks
(Merovingian ancestors/dynasty)
• Took over other tribes, and more land.
Clovis also became a Christian and
received support from the Church.
3. • Charles Martel “the Hammer” had cavalry
that defeated the Spanish Moors in the
Battle of Tours in 732. He dies in 741.
• His son Pepin III “the Short” takes over. In
751 Pepin was made King of the Franks
and the Carolingians came to power.
• The Pope sought Pepin’s help against the
Lombards. The Franks beat the Lombards
and then Pepin gave the land (Rome) to
the Pope. This was called “the Donation of
Pepin”
4. • Pepin’s son Charlemagne was the greatest of all
Frankish Kings. Ruled from 768-814ad.
• Charlemagne spent much of his life at war working
to expand the Carolingian Empire.
• He was a Christian and worked to spread
Christianity.
• 12/25/800ad Charlemagne was in Rome and
when he knelt to pray, Pope Leo III placed a crown
on his head and declared him “Emperor of the
Romans” or “Holy Roman Emperor”
• Charlemagne united much of western Europe.
5. • After Charlemagne’s death his three
grandsons and other nobles fought over
and split up the empire this was the
Treaty of Verdun in 843.
• Frankish inheritance was traditionally split
among successors unlike primogeniture
where the inheritance goes to the oldest
son.
6. The Vikings
• The most feared invaders of western Europe
between 800-900s were the Vikings.
• The Vikings came from Scandinavia and in
the spring and summers would raid and loot
settlements and bring back captives to work
as slaves on their farms.
• Their ways of capturing towns was often
savage and cruel.
7. • Their longships carried many men and
could sail and attack inland places and
brought men across the Atlantic Ocean.
• The Vikings had a settlement in northern
France, this was called Normandy after
their name of Northmen, Norsemen.
• Eric the Red – Founded 1st Nordic
settlement in Greenland. Left Norway for
murders. Went to Iceland then left for
murders fled to Greenland
• Leif Ericson – explorer, thought to be the
1st European to have landed in North
America.
8. The Church
• During the Middle Ages, the Church’s
powers extended across kingdoms and
through every social and political level of
life.
• Christian areas and kingdoms were said to
be part of Christendom.
• Members of the clergy were organized
according to a strict hierarchy of rank.
9. Church Hierarchy
• Parish Priest – lowest rank. Served the
people in the parish directly. Responsible
for the moral and spiritual life of the
community. They could perform 5
sacraments: baptism, Holy Communion,
penance, matrimony, and the anointing of
sick and dying.
10. • Bishops- could perform the last two
sacraments: confirmation and the taking of
holy orders. Bishops managed a group of
parishes called a diocese. The king or
powerful nobles controlled bishops. Many
bishops were also feudal lords or vassals.
• Archbishops – controlled several diocese
called an archdiocese. Had all the powers of
a bishop and had power over them.
• Pope – the pope had supreme authority in
the church. Cardinals chose and advised
the Pope.
11. Monasticism
• Monks and nuns believed that they had to
withdraw from the world and temptations to live a
Christian life.
• At first monks lived alone and even inflicted
physical pain on themselves to prove their
dedication to God.
• Over time monks lived together in monasteries,
working, eating, and praying together.
• Monks time and labor belonged to the monastery.
An abbot was elected head of the community. He
controlled and distributed all property.
12. • As people learned of St. Benedict’s
holiness he gained followers. Later he
created rules to govern monks’ lives called
the Benedictine Rule.
• St. Scholastica built a community for
nuns, an abbey/convent, about 5 miles
from St. Benedict’s Monastery.
• Gregory I- Known as “Gregory the Great”
Strengthens the papacy and RCC.
Increases spiritual authority of the pope
and is active in converting Germanic tribes
to Christianity
13. • Monasticism spreads: St. Patrick brings
Christianity to Ireland and St. Augustine led a
group of monks to England.
Problems in the Church:
• Lay investiture – officials choosing friends for
clergy positions.
• Simony – buying clergy positions in the church
• Selling Indulgences – selling forgiveness of sins
• The Church attempts to fix things by searching
out heretics. This is called the inquisition.
People who asked for forgiveness could be
forgiven; those who didn’t would be turned over
for punishment, execution, sometimes being
burned at the stake.
