What parts does the Roman Empire split into in 395?
East: Byzantine Empire
West: Roman Empire
Why did Rome break up?
- lack of law and order led to an economic breakdown
- disease and declining birth rates led to a declining population
- Germanic invaders
- Weak rulers and administration (many child emperors)
- international trade rapid decline
The list points to everything from taxes to hypothermia to public baths, but most likely there were many causes.
Internally the empire was failing economically. It had lost its tax base and long-distance trade was cut off. The people of the Western Roman Empire became disconnected from the emperor, living in small, localized, self-
sufficient communities. They could no longer rely upon their emperor to care for and protect them. Externally, outsiders like those Germanic tribes were crossing into the empire in ever larger numbers. Many probably just
wanted to join Rome, not invade or destroy it, but the Romans continued to despise them.
Who were the invaders of Rome?
Attila the Hun, the Vandals, the Visigoths,
mr. martirone also said the “goths” but i couldn’t find that in article
What was happening in the East part of Rome after the breakup?
Called the Byzantine Empire
successful for some centuries while the west enters middle ages
carry on Roman traditions
lost control to the Ottomans in 1453
The Eastern Roman Empire survived this
difficult period and continued on as the Byzantine Empire until its fall in 1453 to the Ottomans. It survived where the
West did not for a variety of reasons. Its society was more cohesive, its tax base was stronger and its location
provided it with better protection against German attacks.
What was the middle ages?
the era that bridges the classical period with the modern era/renaissance
500 BCE - 1400 CE
What were the characteristics of the Middle Ages
decline in trade and cities(left urban cities for the safety of the countryside)
no law and order
common person doesn’t travel
life was limited to the village/manor
decentralized gov
regionalized trade*
inefficient agricultural production
dominance of the church
- people are only trading within their own villages and manors; no long distance trade because of the breakdown of the Silk Road
What were the powers that the Catholic Church held in the Middle Ages?
most dominant organization in the Middle Ages
church organization (way for people to come tg and be organized) made it very powerful
most towns had a church
while few people knew how to read/write, the church taught both skills through the Bible
the only source of international authority and organization
What were the Crusades?
the Catholic Church’s attempt to retake the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Muslim Turks
several wars over several centuries
late middle ages (1096-1291 CE)
UNSUCCESSFUL
What did Crusaders bring back from the Crusades?
silk, spices, new ideas on how to live
they got all of this from the Islamic Golden Age, since they traveled to that part of the world for the war
these new things will help kick off the italian renaissance
What was a major negative result of trade and the Crusades?
the Black Death/bubonic plague
hit most of europe
worst epidemic humanity ever experienced
led to a complete breakdown of trade
Kills 1/3 of europe pop
What did the plague result in?
Social restructuring in Europe
1/3 of europe killed
cracks in the catholic church
new opportunities for survivors
What was the role of women in the Middle Ages?
opressed by religious laws
considered property of their nearest male relative
ran the household, produced boys, ran the family business if educated in math and basic writing
elite women could buy luxury goods
christian women attended church, but were audience
feudalism
a type of governmental and economic system of loyalties and protection in which land was the main source of wealth
very stagnant
How did feudalism come to be?
after charlemagne’s empire broke apart, there was no central gov for protection/help
europe (specifically western roman empire) breaks apart
manorial/manor system
the relationship of the lord to the peasant who worked on his land
heart of the self-sufficient farming town
Describe the Feudal hierarchy/pyramid.
land ⬇️King
land and protection⬇️Nobles⬆️loyalty
protection⬇️Knights⬆️loyality and military service
Peasants ⬆️labor
How did Feudalism decline?
lasted from 800s to 1200s
fades out bc economy begins to change (paper and coin money were used to pay instead of land)
changes in warfare
the crusades
What were the themes of Renaissance Art?
humanism (human body and human achievement as opposed to religious themes)
classical mythology (throwbacks to ancient greece and rome)
secularism(less/non-religious)
What were the characteristics of Renaissance art?
realism
anatomical correctness
depth and distance
Compare art of the Middle Ages to art of the Renaissance.
middle ages: focused on religion, 2D, no linear perspective/focal point, no sculptures, blues golds reds were usually used
renaissance: shows a variety of topics, 3D, focal points, freestanding sculptures, shading + bright colors
What is a Caliphate?
elected political/spiritual leader of Islam
Who was the first caliphate and how did they become that?
close friend and father in law of Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr took the title after Muhammad died
What did caliphates accomplish across the world?
600s: united arabian peninsula and defeated the Persian empire
711: carried Islam into Europe(Spain) and got as far as France but were defeated
750: Muslim empire as at its greatest extent stretching from Europe to India
How was Baghdad formed?
in 762, the Abbasid family (caliphate) moved the capital of Islam from Damascus to Baghdad
