Introduction to the Medieval World: Class 7
Class 7: Formation of the Germanic States
Assigned Reading:
I. Introduction
Church provides continuity in the West with Classical World
but for a long time that was pretty tenuous.
The new factor was the Germanic input.
Modern states often derive names from these tribes
-England, Sweden, France/Frankreich, Germany/Deutschland/
Allemagne, Denmark
Western Middle Ages are a fusion of Roman and Germanic
II. Western Europe
A. Geography and Climate in the Dark Ages
Rivers - Main means of communications
Mountains - Provide Natural Borders
Climate- Probably good btw 400-1200
B. Ethnography
-Lots of empty space
-Original Population - Basques?
-Celts - all over the West, Often romanized
-Italic peoples - Italy
-Greeks in the South
-In the East - Germans, plus a whole mix of others,
e.g.. Vlachs, Albanians
C. Population
1. Demography
-Birthrate
-Mortality - disease/infanticide/war
-Nuptiality - importance of Women
2. Disease - Plague c. 560-750
Bacterial and viral infections untreatable
Medicine in a primitive state
3. Population declined in early middle ages
III. Germans
A. Source: Tacitus' Germania
A moral comparison with roman decadence
Discuss Reading - Tierney
B. Origins -Around the Baltic See
C. Society
-Comitatas/Warband
-Tribes - really loose confederations
-Women
D. Migrations - To the East
The, under pressure of the Huns, to the West
E. Contact with Rome
-The Rhine Frontier
-Barbarian attitudes to Rome
F. Goths - Formed around Crimea
IV. The Germans Move into Roman Empire
A. Rome's need for soldiers - Feodorati
B. Adrianople 378/ Sack of Rome 410 - Alaric
C. Absolute numbers quit small
[recap why Rome so week in the West - decline of cities,
withdrawal of governing classes into Villas.
V. Ostrogoths and Italy
A. Sources: Lots - Byzantine Authors, Papal Documents.
B. Odacavar 476
C. Theodoric 496-526
-Arianism and Catholicism
-Dualistic government
-Preservation of classical civilization
-Boethius
D. Justinian's Attacks 533-48
took advantage of Ostrogothic disunity
E. The Lombards
F. Italian Disunity - Lombards, Papacy, Byzantines
and later the Germans all ruled bits of it.
VI. Visigoths and Spain
A. Sources: Visigoth Law codes, St. Isidore
B. Other Tribes in Spain - Suevi
C. Arianism
D. Kingdom of Toulouse until 507
E. Move into Spain beginning 466 - Toledo
F. Reccared - Conversion to Catholicism 587
Visigothic dress and customs disappeared
G. Visigothic Law - Written in Latin
Uric's Law Code 476 - shows a process of fusion
H. Cooperation with Bishops
Visigoths' status in Spain
I. 711 - Muslim Conquest
J. The Asturias survive
VII. Vandals
-Arians
-Sack of Rome 410
-Take Nth Africa in Early 5th Century
-Move to North Africa - persecution of Catholics
-Defeated by Justinian - Disappeared
VIII. Franks and Gaul
A. Origins of Franks - Unknown
Invented a descent from the Trojans
Based in northern Gaul, Belgium, Rhine
B. Other Tribes in France - Visigoths/Burgundians
C. Other Tribes in Germany
Franks controlled what is now Germany and France
Allemans
D. Merovingians - the first Race of Kings
Mythical founder - Merovechus - Long Haired Kings
E. Clovis 481-
Defeated Kingdom of Soissons (Roman.
Married Clothilde - Conversion 506
Gregory of Tours describes his reign.
Discuss Reading - Tierney
F. Clovis worked with old Gallo-Roman nobility
But Roman Admin. system failed
No trace of Roman taxation in Gregory of Tours
G. Relations with the Church - Tries to define kingship
H. Last great Merovingian was Dagobert 629-30
I. Les Rois fainente - disposed of by the Carolingians
IX. Anglo-Saxons
A. Source: Bede
B. Britain - Romanized Celts but Rome with draws 400
C. Anglo-Saxon Origins
Not Romanized
Not Christian (better than being Arian in the long run.
D. Migrations - Slow migrations
Celts called Welsh - Story of King Arthur
Origin of Brittany
E. Formation of England -Heptarchy by 7th century
Kent
Northumbria - Bernicia/Deira
Wessex
Mercia
F. Conversion to Christianity
From North - Northumbria -
St. Columba/Iona 583, St. Aidan 635
From Rome - Ethelbert King of Kent, had a Frankish wife
called Bertha - St. Augustine 597.
Did Christianity strengthen king or not?
Position of Women - convents provide women with power
e.g.. Abbess Hilda of Whitby - Double Monasteries
Synod of Whitby 633/4 - unites Christianity in England
Canterbury and York
G. Anglo Saxon Culture
-Beowulf
-Venerable Bede 673-735
-St. Boniface 680-755
X. German Effect on Western Europe
Simplification of civilization
A. Law
-Territorial law with personal law
-Replacement of Principle with particular law
Our sources are romanized
Concern with criminal acts - no police force
Wergild, Ordeals
-Discuss Readings on Law - Tierney
B. Idea of the State
-Rome a Res Publica not a Res Privitata
-State as personal property of the Ruler
shown in divisions
-Taxation Issues - Again personal
-Principles of inheritance
-Much of next millennia to be spent in
re-establishing these sort of ideas
One Early attempt was Charlemagne
C. Population's Lifestyle
-End of Roman style farms with slaves
-Move to free peasantry - but with labor dues
XI. The Pirenne Thesis
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