I. A Land of Great Potential
A. Europe is relatively small and lies on the western end of Eurasia
B. At the dawn of the Middle Ages, Europe had great untapped potential
C. The seas that surrounded much of Europe were important to its growth
II. Germanic Kingdoms
A. The Germanic tribes who migrated across Europe were farmers and herders
B. They had no cities or written law
C. They lived in small communities governed by unwritten customs
III. Islam: A New Mediterranean Power
A. Islam is a religion that emerged in Arabia in 632
B. Christians watched with fear as Muslim armies won victories around the Mediterranean
C. The European Christians, the Muslim presence was a source of anxiety and anger
IV. The Age of Charlemagne
A. The founder of the Empire that reached across France, Germany, and part of Italy was Charlemagne
B. He stood more than 6 feet tall and towered over most people of his time
C. Charlemagne tried to exercise control over his many lands and create a united Christian Europe
V. A Revival of Learning
A. Charlemagne hoped to make his capital at Aachen a �second Rome�
B. To achieve his goal, he made determined efforts to revive Latin learning throughout his Empire
C. Charlemagne himself could read but not write
VI. Charlemagne�s Legacy
A. After Charlemagne died in 814, his empire soon fell apart
B. His heirs battled for power for 30 years
C. The Vikings snapped the last threads of unity in Charlemagne�s empire
Feudalism and the Manor Economy
VII. A New System of Rule
A. In the face of invasions by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars, kings and emperors too weak to maintain law and order
B. People needed to defend their homes and land
C. In response to that basic need for protection, a new system called feudalism, evolved
VIII. Lords, Vassals, and Knights
A. Everyone had a place in Feudal society
B. Below the monarch were the most powerful lords, dukes and counts who held the largest fiefs
C. Each lord had his own vassals and these vassals in turn had their own vassals
IX. The World of Warriors
A. Feudal lords battle constantly for power, and for feudal nobles warfare was a way of life
B. Many nobles trained from boyhood for a future occupation as a knight, or mounted warrior
C. The training to became a knight started at age 7 and ended at age 21
X. The Manor
A. The heart of the medieval economy was the manor, or lord�s estate
B. Most manors included one or more villages and the surrounding lands
C. Peasants, who made up the majority of Medieval society, lived and worked on the manor
XI. Daily Life
A. For most peasants, life was harsh
B. Men, women, and children worked long hours, from sunup to sundown
C. During planting season, a man might guide an ox-drawn plow while his wife goaded the ox into motion with a pointed stick
The Medieval Church
XII. A Spiritual and Worldly Empire
A. After the fall of Rome, the Christian church split into Eastern and Western churches
B. The western church, headed by the pope, became the Roman Catholic Church
C. The Roman Catholic Church grew stronger and wealthier during the middle ages
XIII. The Church and Daily Life
A. Most Christians had no contact with pope or the higher clergy
B. Villagers took pride in the church building, which they decorated with care
C. To support itself, the Church required all Christians to pay a tithe, or tax equal to a tenth of their incomes
XIV. Monks and Nuns
A. Both men and women might withdraw from worldly life to become nuns or monks
B. About 530, a monk named Benedict founded the monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy
C. Monasteries and convents performed a vital function by preserving the writings of the ancient world
XV. Hildegard of Bingen: Advisor to Popes and Kings
A. The very first vision, Hildegard recalled, occurred when she was a child of three
B. Perhaps in response to her visions, Hildegard�s parents placed her in a convent at an early age
C. During 24 years of convent life, Hildegard followed the daily routine reading, singing God�s praises, and keeping busy copying books, weaving cloth, and doing other manual work
XVI. Reform Movements
A. The very success of the medieval Church brought serious problems