European Chaos, Byzantine Security,

Muslim Expansionism and the Viking Invasions.

Movement of Barbarians through Europe 4th-5th Century

Germanization of Europe

Council of Constantinople-381

• Initiated a system of hierarchy• Bishops of Rome, Constantinople,

Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem• All important areas to Church tradition.• Bishop of Rome would be the overseer of

all Bishops—Pope (father or papa, Greek)Why Rome?

Church’s Influence on the Franks Clovis and the MerovingianMerovingian line of kings Charles Martel, Mayor who defeats the Moors at

Tours, 732 and the CarolingianCarolingian line of kings Pepin, son of Charles Martel makes a deal with

the Pope of Rome to become kingAnointed king by the popeRemoves the Lombards from Italy

“Donation of Pepin” –Later these areas became known as the Papal States

CharlemagneCharlemagne

Following the Death of Charlemagne

• Louis (the Pious)– Charlemagne’s only living son inherits the throne, but is weak.

• Quarreling among his sons will lead to war upon their father’s death.

• Eventually, Charlemagne’s empire is divided following the Treaty of Verdun– Lothar Lorraine, Burgundy, and Italy – Louis II the German Germany– Charles the Bald France

Division of Charlemagne’s

Empire

Byzantium

The Eastern Roman Empire becomes its own entity

Justinian and Theodora

– Reinforced the supremacy of an Imperial throne– Conquered Vandals in N. Africa (Tricameron) and

Sicily-- Rome is reclaimed, then lost again to the Lombards

– Barbarians take over in the West--Eastern Roman empire will no longer attempt to reclaim lands of the old Roman Empire.

– last Latin Emperor--successors were Greeks, influenced by Greek language and customs

Justinian and expansions during his reign

Does the defeat of the Vandals create a power vacuum in North Africa?

Byzantine Empire 814By the ninth century, the Empire had lost all of its territories but Asia Minor, Greece, the boot of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.

Spread of IslamSpread of Islam

Land acquired prior to Muhammad’s death

After the death of Muhammad

• First Caliph: Abu Bakr- Father in law of Muhammad (632-634)

• Second Caliph: Umar(634-644)• Third Caliph: Uthman and dissension

– Great Expansion took place under the second and third Caliphs

• Byzantium had lost many strongholds and the Sassanian Empire was destroyed.

Enjoyed widespread support and unity

The First and Second Civil Wars• Question of legitimacyQuestion of legitimacy• Can one rule the entirety of the Muslim world?Can one rule the entirety of the Muslim world?

– Answer: No!!• Result of the First and Second Civil Wars

– Umayyad Caliphate (Capitol Damascus), then Abbasid Caliphate (Capitol Baghdad)

Baghdad• Center of Learning

– Great libraries …until the Mongols

– Great thinkers from throughout the known world invited…along with new concepts/theories etc.

– Preservation of Classical Greek literature– allowed for the Renaissance

Dar al Islam• Definition: the home of Islam• By the end of the 7th century the greatest trade

centers in the world were located in Dar al Islam

The disintegration of the Caliphate by the 10th Century

• Early Islam centered on the caliphate

• However, with no formal hierarchy directing conversion, a multitude of local Islamic communities emerged

• Disunity!!! (Becomes a mantra in the Mid East)

– Spanish Umayyad Caliphate– Egyptian Fatimid Caliphate– Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad)

• Enter the Seljuk Turks (Barbarians Again!)

The Crusades

Eleventh to the Fifteenth CenturyEleventh to the Fifteenth Century

The Environment• Europe

– Feudalism• Townspeople looked to landholding nobles for security• Of course, these nobles were not going to provide protection for

free• Feudal structure develops

– Following the Death of Charlemagne• Squabbling over land and wealth

Seljuk Turks 1100

Alexius I

• After two decades of fighting, Alexius is unable to regain land lost to the Turks

• Appeals for help, fears that the next target is Constantinople

• Sends letter to Robert of Flanders asking for soldiers to ward off the Seljuk Turks

• Letter What kind of help does he seek?

O illustrious count and great consoler of the faith, I am writing to inform Your Prudence that the very saintly empire of the Greek Christians is daily being persecuted by the Pechenegs and the Turks ... The blood of Christians flows in unheard-of scenes of carnage ...Therefore in the name of God and because of the true piety of the generality of Greek Christians, we implore you to bring to this city all the faithful soldiers of Christ ...   Bring me aid and bring aid to the Greek Christians.By coming, you will find your reward in heaven and, if you do not come, God will condemn you.

Crusader States

Effects of the Crusades• Enhanced the prestige of the papacy• Weakening of the Byzantine Empire

– Animosity between east and west

• Weakening of the Islamic World– Don’t look now, but here come the Mongols!– Don’t worry, the Ottomans will strengthen it

again

• Established missionary movements• Hastened the discovery of the New Hastened the discovery of the New

WorldWorld