Civilization/Nation/Group: Western Culture in the Postclassical Era
Time Period: _
E
Economic: - Merchant capitalism gained ground in western Europe while other economic values predominated. - Trade revived, West became a common commercial zone. - Market for a few exotic products like spices came about. - Urban growth allowed more manufacturing and commercial activities, which promoted trade. - Banking was introduced. -Profit making was not well accepted by Christian thinkers. - Guilds grouped people in the same business or trade in a single city with loose links to similar guilds in other cities. - Urban women played an important role in local commerce, but found themselves edged into male dominated organizations.
S
Social: - Many peasants were able to shake off the most severe constraints of manorialism, becoming almost free farmers. - Noble landlords still served mainly military functions. - Women in the West had higher status than their sisters under Islam for example they were less segregated in religions services.
P
Political: -
I
Interactions: - Urban growth allowed more manufacturing and commercial activities, which promoted trade. - Italian merchants sought cloth manufacturing in the Low Countries.
R
Religion: - From 100 onward, a series of outstanding ministers advanced the logical exposition of philosophy and divinity to new levels. - They stressed the importance of absolute faith in God’s word, but they believed that human reason could move toward an understanding of some aspects of religion and the natural order as well. - Both Christianity and Islam relied heavily on faith in a revealed word, through the Bible or Qur’an.
I
Cultural & Intellectual: - Christian Culture dominated European philosophy and art, but it generated both change and conflict. - Combining rational philosophy and Christian faith was the dominant intellectual theme in the postclassical West. - The intellectual drive motivated a growing interest in knowledge, which led to the highest achievements of medieval learning. - Many people followed Christian rituals yet seemed unaware of how their actions might contradict Christian moral behavior. - Religious art came to excel. - Medieval literature and music reflected strong religious interest. - The adoration of Mary and other female religious figures gave women real cultural prestige.
T
Technology and demographic changes: - Medieval philosophy did not encourage a great deal of new scientific work. - End of 13th century bought some current practical science, like eyeglasses. - 14th and 15th centuries bought advances in chemistry and astronomy.
Impact of Christianity (490-600) - Power and influence of the Catholic Church continued to grow after the collapse of the Roman Empire, because people looked for guidance from the church during the Dark Ages. - Christianity influenced the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of those living in Europe. - Began in a corner of Western Asia known as Judea as an offshoot of Judaism. - Political leadership all converted to Christianity to maintain more control over population. - Christianity helped to create laws during dark ages that encouraged forced worship.
Reign of Charles Martel & Viking Raids (600 - 755) - Vikings launched raids in and around the North Sea between 490-600 because of good weather conditions, overpopulation in their homeland, and a culture that did not discourage pillaging. - Pioneered new military technology like stirrups for swords and heavy infantry. - Slaves were captured during raids.
The Rise of the Franks (755-850) - Charlemagne was crowned first Holy Roman Emperor by the church. - Jews given some freedoms under Charlemagne. - Expands Frankish kingdom to the east. - Freed Rome from the Lombard's and established new, independent papal states.
Feudalism (840 - 967) - The lack of leadership and political instability gives way to Feudalism, a system of political organization that evolved in Western Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries. - "Feudalism - political and economic system of Europe describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, revolving around the three key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs. A lord was a noble who owned land, a vassal was a person who was granted possession of the land by the lord, and the land was known as a fief. In exchange for the fief, the vassal would provide military service to the lord. The obligations and relations between lord, vassal and fief form the basis of feudalism. Before a lord could grant land (a fief) to someone, he had to make that person a vassal.
Christianity and the High Middle Ages & Expansion of Holy Roman Empire(967 - 1060) - Christianity continued to be a dominant force in Europe, spreading to almost all politically organized groups in Europe. - Holy Roman Empire began spread after the appointment of Otto I the Great and because of the fact that it had considerable influence on Christian authorities. - The church transcended political organizations that helped to give people sense of purpose, thus expanding the German, Byzantine, and Holy Roman Empires. - Pope couldn’t stop its expansion.
Effects of the Crusades, Norman conquest of Englandand Magna Carta (1060-1240) - Some effects of the Crusades included violent wars, discouragement of Church's moral authority, and distrust of Christians. - Norman invaded England in 1066 and become the ruling class in England.
Why the Golden Horde was able to dominate Europe and the Black Death Plague (1240 - 1350) - They had superior military technology because of their nomadic tendencies. - They knew a lot about science and government philosophy. - They were forced west because of dry weather. - They were able to dominate because they invaded in a time of weakness. - The Black Death was a plague that killed about 75 million, which was carried by bacteria in rats. - It spread to Europe after Mongols spread it to the Arabs.
Notes Decline of the Medieval Synthesis
Western Europe began facing problems with over-population and disease after 1300.
Black Death in 1348 decreased Europe’s population and changed their social structure.
Kings reduced their dependence on the nobility in favor of paid armies.
New military methods challenged monopoly of the feudal lords
Medieval architecture could no longer keep up with population growth.
No new technology
Breakdown of intellectual and artistic synthesis
Tensions between peasants and landlords.
Church characterized medieval life
Pope returned to Rome, the church was weakened.
Hundred years war went badly for France; it was a sign of weakness in the French economy.
Artisans started painting human features
universities were an enduring legacy to western society
Most Europeans saw Islam as a dangerous false religion and a threat.
Civilization/Nation/Group: Western Culture in the Postclassical Era
Time Period: _
- Merchant capitalism gained ground in western Europe while other economic values predominated.
- Trade revived, West became a common commercial zone.
- Market for a few exotic products like spices came about.
- Urban growth allowed more manufacturing and commercial activities, which promoted trade.
- Banking was introduced.
-Profit making was not well accepted by Christian thinkers.
- Guilds grouped people in the same business or trade in a single city with loose links to similar guilds in other cities.
- Urban women played an important role in local commerce, but found themselves edged into male dominated organizations.
- Many peasants were able to shake off the most severe constraints of manorialism, becoming almost free farmers.
- Noble landlords still served mainly military functions.
- Women in the West had higher status than their sisters under Islam for example they were less segregated in religions services.
-
- Urban growth allowed more manufacturing and commercial activities, which promoted trade.
- Italian merchants sought cloth manufacturing in the Low Countries.
- From 100 onward, a series of outstanding ministers advanced the logical exposition of philosophy and divinity to new levels.
- They stressed the importance of absolute faith in God’s word, but they believed that human reason could move toward an understanding of some aspects of religion and the natural order as well.
- Both Christianity and Islam relied heavily on faith in a revealed word, through the Bible or Qur’an.
- Christian Culture dominated European philosophy and art, but it generated both change and conflict.
- Combining rational philosophy and Christian faith was the dominant intellectual theme in the postclassical West.
- The intellectual drive motivated a growing interest in knowledge, which led to the highest achievements of medieval learning.
- Many people followed Christian rituals yet seemed unaware of how their actions might contradict Christian moral behavior.
- Religious art came to excel.
- Medieval literature and music reflected strong religious interest.
- The adoration of Mary and other female religious figures gave women real cultural prestige.
- Medieval philosophy did not encourage a great deal of new scientific work.
- End of 13th century bought some current practical science, like eyeglasses.
- 14th and 15th centuries bought advances in chemistry and astronomy.
Impact of Christianity (490-600)
- Power and influence of the Catholic Church continued to grow after the collapse of the Roman Empire, because people looked for guidance from the church during the Dark Ages.
- Christianity influenced the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of those living in Europe.
- Began in a corner of Western Asia known as Judea as an offshoot of Judaism.
- Political leadership all converted to Christianity to maintain more control over population.
- Christianity helped to create laws during dark ages that encouraged forced worship.
Reign of Charles Martel & Viking Raids (600 - 755)
- Vikings launched raids in and around the North Sea between 490-600 because of good weather conditions, overpopulation in their homeland, and a culture that did not discourage pillaging.
- Pioneered new military technology like stirrups for swords and heavy infantry.
- Slaves were captured during raids.
The Rise of the Franks (755-850)
- Charlemagne was crowned first Holy Roman Emperor by the church.
- Jews given some freedoms under Charlemagne.
- Expands Frankish kingdom to the east.
- Freed Rome from the Lombard's and established new, independent papal states.
Feudalism (840 - 967)
- The lack of leadership and political instability gives way to Feudalism, a system of political organization that evolved in Western Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries.
- "Feudalism - political and economic system of Europe describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, revolving around the three key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs. A lord was a noble who owned land, a vassal was a person who was granted possession of the land by the lord, and the land was known as a fief. In exchange for the fief, the vassal would provide military service to the lord. The obligations and relations between lord, vassal and fief form the basis of feudalism. Before a lord could grant land (a fief) to someone, he had to make that person a vassal.
Christianity and the High Middle Ages & Expansion of Holy Roman Empire (967 - 1060)
- Christianity continued to be a dominant force in Europe, spreading to almost all politically organized groups in Europe.
- Holy Roman Empire began spread after the appointment of Otto I the Great and because of the fact that it had considerable influence on Christian authorities.
- The church transcended political organizations that helped to give people sense of purpose, thus expanding the German, Byzantine, and Holy Roman Empires.
- Pope couldn’t stop its expansion.
Effects of the Crusades, Norman conquest of England and Magna Carta (1060-1240)
- Some effects of the Crusades included violent wars, discouragement of Church's moral authority, and distrust of Christians.
- Norman invaded England in 1066 and become the ruling class in England.
Why the Golden Horde was able to dominate Europe and the Black Death Plague (1240 - 1350)
- They had superior military technology because of their nomadic tendencies.
- They knew a lot about science and government philosophy.
- They were forced west because of dry weather.
- They were able to dominate because they invaded in a time of weakness.
- The Black Death was a plague that killed about 75 million, which was carried by bacteria in rats.
- It spread to Europe after Mongols spread it to the Arabs.
Notes Decline of the Medieval Synthesis