Main Idea
-Many Germanic Kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire


Why it Matters Now
-Charlemagne spread Christian civilization through northern Europe, which is where many of us came from


Middle Ages= Medieval period
500-1500 AD
Medieval Europe is fragmented


1. Invasions trigger changes in western Europe
1. Invasions and constant warfare spark new trends
1. Disruption of trade
1. Europe's cities are noe longer economic centers
2. Money is scarce
2. Downfall of cities
1. Cities are no longer centers of administration
3. Populations shifts
9. Nobles retreat to the rural areas
10. Cities don’t have strong leadership
2. Decline of learning
1.  Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
2. Only priests and church officials could read and write
3. Knowledge of Greek (and literature, science, philosophy) is almost lost
3. Loss of common languages
1. Dialects develop in different regions
2. By the 800s, French, Spanish, other Roman-based languages are evolving from Latin   
2. Germanic Kingdoms emerge
1. The concept of government changes
1. Roman society: loyal to public government
2. Germanic society: loyal to family
1. Germanic chief led warriors
2. During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live (the lords hall)
3. During wartime, warriors fought for the lord
3. "The king" who's that? You want to collect taxes from me? Who the heck are you
4. Franks live in the Roman providence of Gaul- their leader is Clovis
2. The Franks under Clovis
1. Another battlefield conversion (like Constantine)
2. Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
3. The church in Rome approves of this alliance
4. Clovis and the church begin to work together
1. Clovis military expertise + Church's support and money =a strategic alliance between two powerful forces
3. Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
1. Gregory I expands papal power
1. Papacy= popes office
2. Secular power= worldly power
3. So… under Gregory the Great
Papal Power is Political Power
4. The church can use church money to:
Raise armies
Repair roads
Help the poor
5. Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome, and as head of an earthly kingdom