the middle ages: an overview history 476-1300 a.d. period that follows fall of rome and closes with...
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The Middle Ages: An Overview
History 476-1300 A.D. Period that follows fall of Rome and closes
with Renaissance. “Dark Ages” means there was a lack of
cultural development. Associated with chaotic development,
confusion, barbaric wars.
Why do you think Christianity over came Greek religion?
Early Philosophy- St. Augustine(354-430 A.D.)
Doctrine of Original Sin ( born in sin) Only Christ’s grace can redeem you. The best teacher and guide is the Bible. Live as a Christian; your reward lies in
heaven– not on earth
History Makers of Middle Ages
Constantine Converted the empire to Christianity-303 A.D. Took the empire east, Constantinople Church became a civil bureaucracy
Pope Gelasisus
Established the Catholic Church as ruling power over kings
Pope Gregory I, The Great (590-604 A.D.) Rome becomes church center Church reestablishes wealth ( taxes) Churches, schools, and hospitals are
established
Charlemagne (768-814 A.D.)
Reunited much of Spain, Germany, and France- unified government
Lessens horror of feudalism Supported education, church reform, the arts United the church and government, crowned by pope in 800
A.D.
Pope Leo IX (1049-1054)
Reorganized church with cardinals Gave church wide sweeping political
powers Paves way for Crusades
Ways of Living
Feudalism The nobles or rich controlled their
individual territory Common people worked as serfs on the
land Leadership was often despotic
Church
Church practices became associated with a “money value”
Many local priests were undereducated, often crooks
Problems included: unlimited simony or selling of church offices; benefices or appointing of friends to church positions;
Dispensations or pardons ( forgiveness) for sins could be purchased.
Chivalry
Developed as the nobles moral code of manners in war, love, life.
Allowed Christians to stop “turning the cheek” and start killing the enemy in the name of Christ.
Crusades
Gave meaning to life for many, especially the wealthy noble.
Three waves led Europeans to fight Muslims in southern Europe and Middle East to reclaim Holy Lands for Christianity
What is Love? Create your own definition of “love.”
What is Love? HistoryDo NOT copy
Background on “love” Classical Greece:
Classical Greece used at least 16 different terms to designate “love.”
1.Physical love was “Eros”
2. “Agape” was altruistic love
3. “Philia” stood for tender or erotic feelings
4. “Platonic” stood for love of friend
History of love continuedDo NOT copy
Middle Ages Europe: Western Culture of the Middle Ages developed the
notion of Romantic love that we use today. Romantic love based on “courtly love” is selfless
love that is linked to erotic feelings and an altruistic belief that the loved one is “the match” for you in this world.
Romantic love “mixes” ( perhaps confuses) Greek Notions of love
History of love continuedDo NOT copy
According to Denis de Rougemont: “Romantic love is the single greatest
energy system in the Western psyche.”
React to his statement. (Discussion only)
Courtly Love A new form of manners developed with noble men at Crusades A more feminine code of manners came into being based on
courtly love. Love developed “romantic” connotations symbolized by “hearts.” Romantic love was love for love’s sake. Note: it was not physical love, it was associated with
property.Keep in mind that marriage was ‘assigned” and based on wealth.
Examples of Courtly Love
Chanson de Chatelaine King Arthur Tristan and Iseult
Tristan and Iseult (copy 2 things down) This story is the basis for our notions of
romantic love. Worlds first great love stories retold in
many versions. It derives from Celtic tales.
Tristan and Iseult
It begins with the young knight Tristan being assigned by his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, to fetch his bride form Ireland.
Reluctantly Tristan goes to pick up the beautiful Insult
She is nervous about this assigned marriage and her mother secretly mixes up a love potion for her and packs it in her bags telling her to drink it for the wedding celebration.
Tristan and Iseult On the ship back, both Iseult and Tristan
become ill form “la mer” or “l’amour.” To calm them, Iseult fetches wine from her
bags. They drink and fall hopelessly, deliriously in
love. Iseult marries King Mark From this point forth the story varies by
author. ( Mallory, Tennyson, E.A.Robinson, and Updike)
Chatelaine De Coucy ( copy 2 things from the story) The Chatelaine of Castle Renult fell in
love with the Dame de Fayell The Chatelaine writes 8,266 lines of
love verse to his love. He is sent by the jealous husband of the
Dame de Fayell to the crusades where he ( the chatelaine and poet) is killed by a poison arrow.
Chatelaine De Coucy
Before the Chatelaine dies, he writes a final song of love and sends it with his embalmed heart to his lady.
The husband intercepts the heart and has it served to his wife for dinner.
After realizing what she has eaten, the Dame de Fayell swears she will never eat again as she can eat no finer food. She dies.
The husband exiles himself to the Crusades to fight until death.
Lancelot and Guinevere
For background on Lancelot and Guinevere see The Once and Future King.
Why do people get married in today’s society? Respond in a paragraph.
“Why We Do What We Do”
Read the article entitled: “ Why We Do What We Do” List 3 things you found interesting from the
article down in your journal. Be ready to discuss the article in 10 minutes.
Are people rude in today’s society? What is the rudest thing people do?
Respond in a paragraph.
“Rude behavior annoyingly common” Read the article. Answer the questions on the back of the
article. Be ready to discuss in 10-15 minutes.
Education
For wealthy males, at seven Children go unnoticed in art and
literature 50% of children did not reach
adulthood. Females often learned at home when
housework was done.
The Black Death Sanitation was terrible ( dead were stacked in the
streets.) Every five to ten years a bubonic plague would strike. Plague infected blood stream and caused internal
bleeding or hit as a virulent pneumonic type, effecting lungs.
Rats and fleas were the unknown carriers 1/3 to ½ of population could be wiped out
The Universities
By the 1000’s public universities (Oxford) were on the rise education moved beyond church monasteries
A New Philosophy Abelard (1079-1142) was a moderate
scientist Argued for the right to criticize theology Was tolerant of other religions
St. Thomas Aquinas( 1227-74) brought Aristotle back into vogue
His writings will ignite a scientific revolution
A New Literature
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) wrote the first literature using common language for common man, The Divine Comedy a visit to Hell with a happy ending)
Chaucer, first great English writer, wrote The Canterbury Tales ( a religious pilgrimage or journey form stupidity to wisdom)
Out of the Middle Ages Comes:
New laws, especially for sanitation and fair government
Unified governments to protect common people
A rising middle class, the beginning of capitalism
Incredible architectural feats seen in gothic cathedrals
The First coded, preserved music