Middle Ages

1. UNIT 1. THE MIDDLE AGES:
THE THREE CIVILISATIONS
BYZANTINE CIVILISATION
GERMANIC KINGDOMS
ISLAMIC CIVILISATION

2. MIDDLE AGES: DEFINITION
• The Middle Ages is the historical period that
lasted from the fall of the Roman Empire (476)
to the 15th century (1492 or 1453).
– The event that marked the end of this age was the
discovery of America in 1492.
– Other historians believe that the end of this
period is in 1453, when the Byzantine Empire
disappeared.

3. Important event:
THE DIVISION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• The eastern half was inherited by
Arcadius, who established the
capital in Constantinople (present-
day Istanbul).
– This city had been built over the
Greek city of Byzantium. Therefore,
the Eastern Roman Empire was
known by the name of the Byzantine
Empire (UNTIL 1453).
• The western half of the Empire
was inherited by Honorius, who
kept the capital in Rome.
– The Western Roman Empire
continued to suffer pressure
from Germanic tribes.
– In 476, the tribes conquered the
West Roman Empire and established
their own kingdoms in the territory.
Emperor Theodosius divided the Roman empire (after his death) in 395.
ARCADIUS
HONORIUS
BYIZANTINE EMPIRE
GERMANIC KINGDOMS

4. THREE CIVILISATIONS:
The period of three important civilisations
1. Byzantine civilization
2. Western Christian civilization
3. Islamic Civilization
After the end of the Roman Empire, three civilisations occupied
the area of the former Empire during the Middle Ages.

5. 1. BYZANTINE EMPIRE (476-1453)
• The period of greatest splendour of the Byzantine Empire took
place during the reign of Emperor Justinian I (527-565).
Justinian wanted to
reconquer the territory of
the Roman Empire.
He managed to occupy the
entire Italian Peninsula
and some isolated areas in
the south of the Iberian
Peninsula and North of
Africa.

6. • After the death of Justinian, the Empire underwent a period
of crisis, as it began to lose territories, until the Ottoman Turks
(Mehmed II) occupied the capital in 1453. This marked the
end of the Byzantine Empire.

7. MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS
• Political organisation.
– The empire was led by an emperor, also called Basileus.
• Exercised absolute power: political power (he managed the administration
and the army) and religious power (intervened in the matters of the Church).
– There was a highly organised administration and legislation
system based on Roman law. An example, the set of laws of
Justinian I: Corpus Iuris Civilis (Compilation of laws to give
uniformity to the right).
– The territorial administration was organized into provinces
(themes) controlled by strategos (military leaders).
• The economy.
– The main economic activities: agriculture, craft activity in cities and
trade.
– Constantinople became an important intermediary in routes carrying
products from the East and West. For instance, silk route.

8. Society
• Hierarchical society.
– Most important people:
• Emperor and his family, Aristocracy (owners of
large piece of lands with important charges in the
government) and high positions in the Church.
– Middle level of society:
• Clergy, civil servants, traders and free peasants.
– Lowest level:
• Servants, slaves and beggars.

9. Culture.
• Hellenistic culture had a very
important role.
– This meant that the Latin was
replaced by Greek as the
official language of the
Empire.
– The most important tradition
was Christianity, so Byzantine
art was mainly religious.
– The main buildings were
churches decorated with
paintings and mosaics with
religious themes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLtGmWkShXI Hagia SofiaSanta Sofía:

10. IMPORTANT:
Oriental Schism (1054)
• The Christian Church gained great influence
in the Byzantine Empire.
• Its main representative, the patriarch of
Constantinople, was chosen by the emperor,
causing tensions with the head of the
Western Church, who was the Pope of Rome.
• This fact led the Byzantine Church to split
from Rome.
• This separation, known as the Oriental
Schism, took place in 1054 and marked the
start of the Orthodox Christian Church.
Patriarch of
Constantinople

11. 2. GERMANIC KINGDOMS
The fall of the Western Roman Empire.
• When Odoacer deposed the last emperor of Rome, Romulus
Augustus, in 476 the western half of the empire disappeared and a
series of kingdoms was formed in its place.
• Some of the most important Germanic kingdoms were:
The Burgundians.
The Ostrogoths.
The Franks
The Visigoths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5pWLP_Eebk

12. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS
• They were monarchies.
• A majority Romanised population was dominated by
a minority Germanic population.
• Some features of Roman culture were imposed:
– This was the case with the language, Latin, which
remained.
– Likewise, Christianity spread among the Germanic tribes.
• The basis of the economy was agriculture practised
by peasants and slaves on large estates that belonged
to an aristocratic minority.
– Meanwhile, cities and trade almost completely
disappeared.

13. TWO IMPORTANT GERMANIC KINGDOMS
• FRANKISH KINGDOM (Carolingian Empire).
• THE VISIGOTH KINGDOM OF TOLEDO.

14. THE FRANKISH KINGDOM AND
THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
• One of the most important Germanic kingdoms was the Frankish
Kingdom and one of the most important dynasties, Carolingian
dynasty, took the French throne in 751.
• The most important figure of the Carolingian dynasty
was CHARLEMAGNE (742-814), who was crowned king in 771.
• Charlemagne defended Christianity. He
promised to convert pagan peoples like
the Saxons to Christianity and defend
the Pope, who needed to establish a
strong power base against Islam and the
Byzantine Empire.
• As a result of these relationships,
Charlemagne was crowned
emperor by the Pope in 800.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=112&v=xfLKNyA750I

15. CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
• Charlemagne conquered
many territories.
• The capital: in Aachen
(Aquisgrán).
• The territory of the Empire
was organised into (p.17 book):
– Counties (condados), led by
counts named by the king.
– Marches (marcas), in the
border areas, led by a military
commander, the marquis.

16. Administration
• Officials like the Chamberlain led the administration in the
name of the emperor.
• Missi dominici (palace inspectors): ensured that the counts
and marquises complied with the capitularies and did not
govern independently.
• Extensive laws (capitularies) were passed throughout the Empire.

17. Culture:
• Study plans were developed in the monastery school, where
students learnt:
– Trivium: Grammar, Rhetoric and logic.
– Quadrivium: arithmetic, astronomy, geometry and music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9AMpIU-JYwVideo about CharleMagne:

18. The division of the Carolingian Empire.
• After the death of Charlemagne in 814, emperor lose power.
• All its territory is for his son, Ludovico Pio; then, for his sons.
• In fact, Charlemagne’s grandsons therefore divided up the
Empire in the Treaty of Verdun in 843.

19. GERMANIC TRIBES ON THE IBERIAN PENISULA (476-711)
• The Germanic tribes reached the Iberian Peninsula in 409.
• These peoples were the Suebi, Vandals and Alans.
• Therefore, in 418 the Romans signed a treaty with another Germanic tribe
that was already inside the Empire as an ally of Rome: the Visigoths. This
pact stipulated that the Visigoths should aim to reduce the influence of
the other Germanic tribes in the area in exchange for being allowed to
settle in certain Hispanic territories.
The Visigoths expelled the
Vandals and Alans from
Hispania. The Suebi, however,
resisted and formed a
kingdom in the northwestern
part of the peninsula, until
Leovigildo occupied this
kingdom in 585

20. • After the fall of Rome in 476, the Visigoths formed
the kingdom that covered Gaul and Hispania.
• Its capital was Tolosa, known today as Toulouse in France.
• However, they were defeated (derrotados) by the Franks in 507,
abandoning almost all of Gaul and forming a kingdom in
Spain.

21. THE VISIGOTH KINGDOM OF TOLEDO
1. This Kingdom controlled
almost all the Iberian
Peninsula until 711:
 the time at which it
crumbled (derrumbarse)
before the Muslim
conquest.
2. The capital is located in
Toledo with King
Leovigildo (572–586).
3. The political system
established by the
Visigoths was an elective
monarchy.
The Visigoths had their own system
of laws. However, in the 7th century,
King Recesvinto issued the Visigoth
Code or Liber Iudiciorum, making it the
only law.

22. The main Royal institutions of the Visigoths:
– The Assembly of Free Men: elect kings.
– The Aula Regia was a council of nobles and bishops
that helped the king in the tasks of government.
– Territorial administration based on:
• dukes and counts.
Religion and council:
• When they reached the peninsula, the Visigoths were Arian
Christians (Arianism was a religious movement condemned by the
Catholic Church). In 589, King Recaredo converted
to Catholicism and with it came the conversion of all his
people. From that moment, the Church increased its power by
intervening in political affairs through the councils.

23. Society
 The dominant group was the warrior nobility. They owned latifundios,
which was the name given to large farms dedicated to agriculture and
livestock rearing.
 Peasants, serfs and slaves were the largest group. They usually worked
the land of the nobles.
Economy
 The Visigothic economy changed from Roman times. Cities declined,
which benefited the countryside, resulting in fewer commercial and craft
activities. Agricultural activity focused on growing cereals, although
rearing livestock later became more important, especially sheep.
Culture
Visigothic jewellery, such as votive crowns
(coronas votivas) and architecture, such as
some small churches: San Juan de Baños
(Palencia), Quintanilla de las Viñas (Burgos)
and San Pedro de la Nave (Zamora).

24. 3. ISLAMIC CIVILISATION
• Islamic civilisation = the religion that gives it its
name: Islam. This religion has its origin in the Arabian
Peninsula in the 7th century.
• Muhammad was born in Mecca in around 570.
• After a period of meditation, he claimed to have received
the call of Allah. From that moment, he began preaching
about a new monotheistic religion (Islam) which means
‘submission to Allah’. His followers were called Muslims,
which means ‘those who submit (to Allah).
• The 5 pillars of Islam:
– Proclaiming faith in Allah: there is no god but Allah and
Muhammad is his prophet.
– Praying five times a day facing Mecca.
– Giving charity to the poor.
– Fasting during the day in the month of Ramadan.
– Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life.

25. THE EXPANSION OF ISLAM
• Muhammad’s preaching was not well accepted in his city, Mecca, mainly
because he opposed polytheism. Therefore, Muhammad was expelled
from Mecca in 622. This date is known as the Hegira and is the date that
starts the Muslim calendar.
• After this, the prophet and his followers took refuge in the city of Medina.
The process of the expansion of Islam began. Eight years after the Hegira,
Muhammad returned triumphantly to Mecca. After this time, Muslims
rapidly gained territory.

26. • Over the period of a century, the Muslims gained
control over a vast territory.
• The key to the religion’s rapid expansion lay in
the warlike zeal (entusiasmo guerrero) of its
followers, who were convinced that paradise
awaited them if they died in combat, or a
large booty (recompensa) if they managed to
survive.
• However, the most effective factor was the
intelligent policy of assimilating non-Arabs who
had been conquered. They gradually submitted to
Islam and contributed to its expansion.

27. POLITICAL ORGANISATION
• After Muhammad’s death (632), the great empire that
was formed was known as a caliphate, because it was
led by a caliph.
• Caliph was the highest political and religious authority,
and was considered the Prophet’s successor.
• The caliph governed, aided by the following officials:
– The vizier (or minister) was in charge of the central
administration: Visir
– Valis were the governors of the provinces of the empire:
Valíes
– The diwan (or royal treasurer) was responsible for
collecting taxes.
– Cadi administered justice according to the rules of the
Koran.

28. CALIPHATES

29. SOCIETY
Different religious groups
1. Groups of Muslims could be distinguished:
• An aristocratic minority occupied the highest positions (usually
made up of family members of caliphs or emirs).
• An intermediate group consisted of traders and smallholders
(pequeño agricultor)
• Most of the population was made up of craftsmen and
farmers (They had to pay high taxes).
• There were also slaves, although their situation was less harsh than in
Rome and the Germanic kingdoms.
2. Jews and Christians had their own laws.
• They could follow their religion, but paid special taxes in
return

30. ECONOMY
• The development of agriculture depended on the creation
of irrigation systems, such as ditches and water wheels to
supply water.
• Trade was also important, due to the location of the Islamic
civilization between Africa, Europe and the Far East. For
commercial transactions, merchants used hard currency, such
as the gold dinar and silver dirham.

31. ISLAMIC CITY
• Cities: were walled with and irregular structure and narrow
streets.
• The city-centre: market or souk (zoco), a square where people
traded goods. The muhtasib (almotacén) was in charge of
inspecting and regulating the souk
• There was a fortified palace, the alcazar, in which the ruler
resided.
• Cities also contained mosques (mezquitas), which were the
buildings used for Islamic worship.
• As cities grew, suburbs (arrabales) appeared: these were
group of houses located outside the city walls, usually
designed for the lower classes.
http://digital.bilingualbyme.com/#/visor/secondary/2339

32. CULTURE
• Islam was involved in significant cultural activity during
the Middle Ages. This was based
on Islamisation (spreading the religion)
and Arabisation (spreading use of the Arabic
language).
• The synthesis of influences of Greece, Rome, India
and China contributed to the cultural splendour of
Islam, which is characterised by:
– The development of sciences: mathematics, astronomy,
medicine and geography.
– Philosophical knowledge, with thinkers like Averroes and
Avicenna.
– Literature: love poetry and collections of stories, including
One Thousand and One Nights.

33. AL-ANDALUS
In 711 a Muslim
army entered the Iberian
Peninsula.
In the same year, led by
Tariq and Musa, it
conquered King Rodrigo and
began a rapid conquest of
the Spanish territory.

34. PROCESS MUSLIM INVASION
• Tariq landed in Gibraltar in 711 at the head of an army of
thousands of soldiers who were Berbers from North Africa.
• The Muslims easily defeated the Visigoths in the Battle of
Guadalete (711). Tariq then decided to call Musa, the
governor of North Africa, to complete the conquest of the
Visigothic Kingdom.
• Muslim expansion took place rapidly. In just four years they
dominated most of the Iberian Peninsula, except for the
mountainous areas of the north.
• The conquered territory was called al-Andalus.
• The Muslims tried to continue their conquest of Europe,
but were defeated by the Franks in Poitiers (732). After this
defeat, they withdrew (retiraron) to the Iberian Peninsula.

35. POLITICAL ORGANISATION
• There were three phases in the political evolution of this stage:

36. ECONOMY
• The Muslims owned the richest agricultural areas.
• They developed irrigation systems and crops, such as cereals, vines
and olive trees, or cotton, flax (lino) and fruit trees (for example,
oranges, lemons, almonds, apples, pears).
• Livestock activities included raising sheep for food and breeding
horses.
• Craft activities developed in jewellery, weapons, glass, ceramic and
textile workshops. These included:
the production of silk fabrics;
Tanning (bronceado) and decorating skins
and leather work;
Woodwork (carpintería), especially coffered
ceilings (techos artesonados) and lattices
(celosías) to be placed at windows;
ceramics, which were used both for
decorative tiles (azulejo) and for everyday
objects.

37. SOCIETY
 The most powerful groups were those who professed
Islam: Muslims.
– Muslims descendant of Arab and Syrian conquerors were
at the top of social pyramid.
– Berbers.
– Muladis: Those who convert to Islam.
 Jews and Christians (mozarabs). They could practice
their own religion in exchange for paid taxes.
 Slaves.

38. ACTIVITIES TO REVIEW UNIT 1
PAGE EXERCISE
15 14
17 16
18 19, 20
19 24
24 4-a
31 6
33 8-firts question
37 14
You have to copy all the statements with red pen and the
answer with blue pen
If you have time, click on the following link to do an interactive activity
about the three civilisations:
https://www.students.linguaframe.com/02a-three-empires