Medieval Europe-Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the most extensive political

and social structure in western civilization. By BRAIN TEASER
285 CE the empire had grown too vast to be Which Roman Emperor made his
ruled effectively. It included West and South horse a Senator?

Europe, Britain, Asia Minor and North Africa

including Egypt. t was divided into Western and
Eastern Empire. The Roman Empire that began Decline in Morals
wth Augustus Caesar in 31 BCE, ended with
The rich upper classes, nobility and the
Romulus Augustulus. Eastern Empire continued
lead a life of immorality.
as the Byzantine Empire until the death of emperors began to
The decline in morals affected the lower classes
Constantine XI and the fall of Constantinople to the
and slaves also. Widespread gambling on the
Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE.
chariot races and gladiatorial combats became
Various theories have been suggested as the cause
popular) There was a massive consumption of
of the fall of the empire. The most popular is that
alcohol.
Christianity led to its fall. Overall, the Roman
Empire collapsed due to the reasons mentioned
below. Fast Expansion of the Empire
The rapid growth in the conquered lands led to the
THE DECLINE OF THE ANCIENT need to defend the borders and territories of Rome.
The people of the conquered lands, most of whom
ROMAN EMPIRE were referred to as barbarians, hated the Romans.
The Feud between the Senate and the Taxes on the non-Romans were high and constantlv
increased. Frequent rebellions arose.
Emperor
The Roman Emperor had the legal power to
regulate Constant Wars and
Rome's religious, civil and military affairs and Heavy Military
life and death. The Senate was just an advisory Spenditure
body. This made the Roman Emperors corrupt. A Constantwarfare requiredheavy military spenditure.
feud betwcen the Emperors and the senate The Roman army became overstretched and needed
began.

feud: a bitter
quarrel

18
 soldiers. Other toreign
mercenaries Romans could rely o n the slave manpower tor
alltheir needs. Ill-treatmentof the slaves led
and more
more the Roman army.
allowed
Here.
tojoin torebellions.

FAeT FILE
'Saturnatio',
Ancient Romans celebrated
their masters would
a festival in which slaves and
switch each other's places

Natural Disasters
famines and
Natural disasters such as plagues,
to decimate
the populatio.
Fall of Rome carthquakes began

Economy and High Inflation Christianity

their future as bleak
to view
thrcatened by The Romans began
The Government was constantly defending the hope. Early death
was almost
bankruptcydueto the rising cost of taxation and life without any
love and compassion
and inevitable. Christianity taught
Empire, the declining economy, heavy
was devalued to to the desperate.
Roman currency and gave hope and courage
highintation. returned
such an extent thatsystem of bartering
a
civilizations the world had
to one of the greatest BARBARIAN INVASIONS
ever known.
enemies. There were
Rome had fierce foreign
warriors
Classes armies consisting of
Unemployment of the Working great Barbarian
Hunas and the Vandals
such as the Visigoths,
unemployment.
Cheap slave labour resulted in
handoutsfrom the
The final death blow to the
Roman Empire was

Peoplebecame dependent on inflicted by these Barbarians.

The city of Rome
the rich Romans
divide between
State. The massive the in AD 410 and by the
Visigoths
increased still further.
was sacked by
and the poor Romans
Vandals in AD 455, thus signalling the disintegration
of the Roman
of Roman authority and the Fall
Decline in Ethics and Values
Empire.
more cruelty.
Lifebecamecheap. Bloodshed led to
traditions and-
Thevalues, theideals, customs, The total
institutions of the Romans declined. resulted in a
BRAIN TEASER
disregard for human and animal life
lack of ethics.
The Vandals were basically East
Germanic group of tribes and Visigoths
were of West Germanic groups
of
Slave Labour tribes. From which geographical
section does the Hunas belong to?
The number.ofslavesincreased dramaticallyduring
the tirst wo centuries-of the Roman Empire.
decimate : destroy
mercenarics: hired soldiers
bankruptcy: unable to repay loan inficted: cause suttering
inflation: increase
 Barbarians '

(The Romans referred to people groups outside the

Roman Empire as barbarians. The barbarians had a
different culture different from that of the Romans.
They dressed differently, ate different foods and
had ditterent religion. They did not have the same
level of government, education or eng1neering as
the Romans

Goths

Vandals
The Vandals migrated from East Germany to the
Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and eventually to North
Africa where they established a powerful kingdom.

Barbarians sacking Rome

The word barbarian comes from the Greek word

barbaros. The Romans often talked ill about the
Greeks and looked down upon them, but they
did not consider them barbarians. The barbarians
weren't just one people group. It was a term used
Vandals sacking Rome
to describe a wide variery of peoples who had litle
to do with each other. Many of the groups that They established a peace treaty with Rome in
AD 442, but attacked Rome in AD 455 and
attacked and invaded the Roman Empire were
mainly Germanic tribes trom Northern Europe.
plundered the city for two weeks.

Goths
One of the most powerful and organized groups
of barbarians were the Goths. The Goths were
divided into two major branches: the Visigoths and
the Qstrogoths. The Visigoths took over much of
Western Europe and battled Rome constantly in the
late 300's. Under their leader Alaricd, the
Visigoths
sacked Rome in AD 410.
Hunas
The Hunas were a nomadic warrior people who
came from the Central Asia. Under the
leadership
of their leader Attila, the Hunas defcated the
Ostrogoths and invaded the Eastern Roman
Empire. They then moved to conquer much ot
France. In AD 452, the Hunas invaded
Italy. They
plundered much of Italy, but did not take tthe city
of Rome.

plundered: lootand destroy

20
 FAeT FtLE
France gets its name from the Franks.

Saxons
The Saxons were a Germau tribe. They too engaged
themselves against Rome. As Rome began to
weaken, the Saxons moved from Westernn Europe
and invade Great Britain. They took over
began to
Great Britain as the
many Roman scttlements in
The Hunas was too weak to send the Romans in Grcat
Emperor
Britain's aide.
Franks
There were many other peoples including the
The Franks were a number of Germanic tribes that
Cclts, Thracians, Parthians, Picts, Lombards and
settled in the region that is France today. They began the Burgundians that the Romans refered to as
invading the borders of the Roman Empire around barbarians.
AD 300. The Franks truly becamne powerful after
the fall of the Western Roman Empire and would
eventually become one of the leading empires in
Western Europe.
FAeT FRLE
The name of Saxons is derived from seax,
meaning distinct knife popularly used by the tribe.
a

BYZANTIUM-THE BIRTH OF NEW

EMPIRE
The Byzantine Empire, the greatest of the empires,
existed for nearly 1,125 years. It began its journey as
the capital for the eastern part of the Roman Empire,
the city of Constantinople-later Byzantium,
and Istanbul today. It became the centre of an
extremely vibrant society that preserved Greck and
Roman traditions while much of western Europe
slipped into the Dark Ages. The Byzantine Empire
protected western Europe's legacy. It has been
argued that without Byzantium to protect it, Europe
would have been overrun by the tide of Islamic
Frank soldier invaders.

vibrant full of life and energy egacy: somethingreceived from someone as inheritance on his/her death

21
 The Byzantine Empire

with mystery.
EMERGENCE OF TURKS
The orngns ot Bvzantium are clouded
trom
Around 660 BC. a Greek citizen. Byzas, Turkey is named ater the ethnic group who

the t o n of Megara near Athens. consulted dominate the region during the Medieual Era
to
the oracle of Apollo Delphi. Byzas sought
at
people called the Turks.
advice on where he should found a new colony
Since the mainland of Greece was becoming
overpopulated. The oracle simply whispered,
opposite the biind.)
Bvzas didn't understand the message. but he
sailed northeast across the Aegean Sea. When he
came to the Bosphorus Strait, he realized what

the oracle must have meant. Seeing the Greek city

of Chalcedon. he thought that its founders must
have been blind. because they had not seen the
obviously superior site just half a mile away on the
other side of the strait. So he founded his settlement
on the better site. and called it Byzantium after
himself. Later Constantine build capital, a new

Constantinople by rebuilding Byzantium. This

gave Byzantium two new names, New Rome
and Constantinople. It lay midway between the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The city was, by
virtue ofits location, a natural transit point between
Europe and Asia Minor. The people of Byzantium
continued to refer to themselves as
'Romans' The Turks
oracle: one who gves advice

22
 The Turks were part of a powerful military empire
that followed Islam. They played a major role in the
spread of Muslim culture.
who
/The ancient lurks were nomadic people
Jived near the Altai Mountains bordering
modern-day Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan in the
the end of the ninth century,
sixth century. By
Turkish leaders were gaining significant military
and political power and started forming their own
empires

THECRUSADES
series of Holy Wars launchcd
the Crusades were a
by the Christian states of Europe/against the
expansion of Muslims in the late 11th century.
The Crusades were great military expeditions Crusaders
undertaken by the Christian nations of Europe for after
The Crusades continued for several centuries
the purpose ofrescug the holy places of Palestine
1291, usuallyas campaigns, to slow the
military
from the hands of the Muslims) Approximately
advance of Muslim power. Crusading declined
two-thirds of the ancient ChristiáDn world had been the advent of
the end of the 11th
rapidly during the 16th century with
conquered by Muslims by the Protestant Reformation and the decline of papal
the spread of
century. Their objective was to check authorityyThe Crusades constitute a controversial
Islam and to retake control of the Holy Land in the chapter in the history of Christianity. The Crusades
eastern Mediterranean. initially enjoyed gains and success, founding
Christian states in Palestine and Syria, but the rapid
growth of Islamic states reversed those gains.
The reason for the crusades was a war between
Christians and Muslims which centred around the
city ofJerusalem. The City ofJerusalem held a Holy
significance to the Christian religion. The Church
in Jerusalem commemorated the hill of crucifixion
and the tomb of Christ's burial and was visited by
Pilgrims. In 1065 Jerusalem was taken over by the
Turks and 3000 Christians were massacred starting
a chain of events which contributed to the cause of
the crusade.
There were a total of nine crusades. The first four

being sometimes called the Principal Crusades and

theremaining four the Minor (Crusades. In addition
there was a Chiidren's Crusade.
The First Crusade (1096-99)
Peter, the hermit, leading the First Crusade The Second Crusade (1147-49)

show respect for somecone

papal authority pope with supreme power commemorated
 The MONASTERIES
Third Cusade (118992)
The Fouth to the Sivth sades (1198 122) As Christianity sprcacd in
rope, marny
TheSeventh'sadc (123941)
c tobe bult Monasteries becaric the ree monastcie
nonks.Wncn wo devoted their lives tot
The Eaghth Cusade
(1249 (H0) alled s Theylhved inn nunneriescalled
The Ninth 'niade (1271-72) The onkslivcd in solitude a1nd had to
froll,
ules and were govcTncd by an abbt, Or
all Christian monks werC hermit,. Ho Tepnal
nccd for some form of organ nized
owever the
spiritual
led to the establishmncnt of the followers
gqitar
t fo
the first nmonastcry.0On1, Sinilar institution
institutio
established throughout the Roman Empire

The Last Crusader A monastery

For period of two hundred Europe and The

a vears,
Asia werc cngaged in almost constant warfare.
Throughout this period there was a continuous
movement of crusaders to and from the Muslim
possessions in Asa Minor, Syrna. and Egypt. The
crusaders came from both thc Upper and Lower
classes. It was finally with the fall ofJerusalem and
Acre that the Crusades came to an end.
The Crusades also played an integral role in the
cxpansion of medieval Europe. The Crusades,
among other things, influenced the wealth and
power of the Catholic Church, political matters,
commerce, feudalism and intellectual development.
The crusades also prompted the famous voyages of
discovery.
Impact of Monasteries
The monasteries, the monks and the missionaries
all three were linked with each other. These
institutions left their impressions on the lives of
everybody in the following ways.
(a) During the Medieval Period there were ne
schools or colleges. Churches were the onls
places of cducation.(Monks and nuns taugh:
in the Latin language. In the beginning
cducation was limited to theology at
philosophy. As the time went by, monasteries
became the centre of secular education alsa
The important subjects were Grammar
Logic, Astronomy and Musi). No one was
attracted towards education. so the onls
cducated pcople were nmonks and priests.

oltude eng alone abbot head of a

theology study of relbgous faiths religous place

24
 The monks and uns preparcd handwritten
(b)
Greck and Roman
manuscripts for the FACT FILE
classics. These were devotional in character.
Abbey is another name of a monastery
These classics helped in the revivalof
or a convent.
learning after the fall of Constantinople
(AD 1453). The important saints of that
time were St. JeromC,

(c)At first, only monks used to take care of the St. Augustine, St. Benedict
and St. Francis. St.
homeless. In the later medieval the Bible from
poor and the Jerome was the first to translate
called the Vulgate
who did not live in monasteries into Latin. His version is
ages, friars, * Hebrew
Latin Bible used throughout
but moved from one place to
another place, and it was the standard
undertook this work. These monks also the medieval period.
instructed the people
helped the peasants and
Conduct.
to follow the Christian Code of
there limited books to
(d) In those days, were

read. The drama became the

most powerful
There were two types
medium of learning.
the miracle play which
of plays. One was

revolved around the life

of saints. The other
that tells us about the
play
was the morality
Both
the good and the evil.
struggle between churches.
performed in the
the plays were
Cambridge University
saints acted in these plays.
The monks and
an integral
simple and holy life As time went by, the Church became
The monks followed
a
(e) social and
live good and life. It made a code of
part in people's
how to a
andtaught the people the people had to follow.
set an example
before the moral behaviour, which
moral life. They
rigid. The church discouraged
Their codes were

people by their simple

ways. started living
form. The monks
the atmosphere
in the questioning in any
As the time went by, monasteries later developed
a luxurious
life. These
changed. Large pieces of land universities like the
universities
Oxtord and
Oxtord and
monasteries
into famous
famous secular
donated by the richpeople of these
were
material things.
the Cambridge.
the Cambridge.
with other
monasteries along
monasteries. The aim
into
Thus, corruption got monasteries changed
monks and
and motto of the
mankind to greed
and exploitation
from servicc of
of n u n s further changed
of the people. The cntry
scandals started sprcading
and
the atmosphere Rcformation
This led to the
monasteries.
in the
Martin Luther.
The evils within
Movement by efforts were begun
monasteries w e r e exposed and
Oxford University
to remove them.