Monday-Notes
The Chruch
- The Chruch established monasteries and convents were monks and nuns lived
- One monk, Benedict, wrote strict rules for monasteries adn how monks were to live
- Monks opened schools, maintained libaries, and copied books
Clovis
- Clovis deafeated other germanic tribes and unfified gaul into one large state and became allied with the Church in rome
- Clovis brought Christianity to the Franks in Gaul
- His wife was christian and during the battle which the franks were losing, Clovis prayed to the Christian god and ended up winning the battle
Pope Gregory
- Pope from 590 to 604 CE
- Expanded the Pope’s role to just spiritual but also secular( worldly, non-religious)
- Gregory used church revenues to raise armies, repair roads and help the poor
- The idea of a churchly kingdom, ruled by a Pope, would be a central theme of the Middle Ages
The Franks
- By 700, though, the king served mainly a ceremonial fucntion and the real political power lay with the major domo
- In 719 the major domo was Charles Martel, aka charles “ The Hammer”
- Martel led armies, made policy, and basically ran the kingdom
Tuesday-Notes
- The Muslims were unable to break into eastern europe due to the Byzantine Empire, so they went in another way through spain
- At this point, Muslims held Spain and one Muslism leader sent a raiding pary across the Pyrenees Mountains into France
- 80,000 Muslims engaged 30,000 franks under Charles the Hammer
- The Muslims relied on heavy cavalry charges, armed with lances and scrimitars
- The Franks were mainly infantry armed with axes, swords and javelins
- The Franks established a defensive square and dared the Muslims to attack, which they died
- After Tours, the Muslims never again make a serious invasion across the Pyreness(mountains between France and Spain)
Pepin the Short
- Pepin is Charles Martel’s son and he becomes major domo in 741
- Pepin thought he should be king so asked the pope to decide who should be king: the guy with the title or the guy with the power
- Since the pope depended on the Franks for defense against the Lombards, he sided with Pepin and declared him” king by the grace of God’
- The frankish nobles made it official by making him king
- Pepin becomes the first king of the Carolingian
Wednesday-Notes
- After Charlemagne’s Death, his son, Louis the Pious, became Emperor
- Louis was very religious but not a good leader
- He had three sons- Lothair, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German
- After Louis the Pious died, his three sons fought for control of the empire and eventually signed the Treaty of Verduam.
Thursday-
Friday-Notes
- Riding Horseback came about under the reign of Charles Martel
- Learned from Muslim cavalry when they fought
- Horseback soldiers changed the tide of battle
Technology of Warfare Changes
- Saddles adn stirrups
- Saddles- kept the warrior firmly seated
- Stirrups Handle heavier weapons
- War horses played a key military role
The Warrior’s role in a Feudal Society
- Europe ws a battleground of nobles who wanted power
- To defend their territories, Lords raised private armies-knights
- Knights devoted their lives to war
Roles of Knights
- Defended the territories
- Service for land
- Was only held to 40 days of combat a year
- In time off, trained for war by wrestling and hunting
- Gained experience fighting in local wars and tournaments
Knighthood
- Knights were expected to show courage in battle, loyalty to their lord, and to protect the weak and poor
- Ideal knights were loyal, brave, and courteous
- Most knights failed to meet these standards
- In reality, treated the poor brutally
The Code of Chivalry
- The Code of Chivalry stated that a knight must flight bravely in defense of three masters.
- Earthly feudal lord, heavenly lord, chosen lady
- Code of Chivalry- a complex set of ideals
Knight of Training
- Praced fighting with skills with other pages using wooden shields and swords
- At 14 the page became a squire
- Squires are people who take care of knight’s horses, clear armor, and accompany knights to the battlefield
- Had to be ready to fight with real weapons and war skill
- Around age 21 the squire becomes a knight
- After being dubbed a knight, many men travel for a year or two
Dubbing Ceremony
- Squires would kneel before a knight, lord or king who would tap the squire’s shoulders
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