The document provides an overview of the Early Middle Ages in Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It discusses the Germanic migrations that led to the empire's fall in 476 CE. The Visigoths established a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula during this period, with Toledo as its capital. The Byzantine Empire adopted Greek customs and separated from the Catholic Church in 1054 CE. Islam was founded by Muhammad in the 7th century and spread across Arabia and beyond. The Carolingian Empire was established by Charlemagne in the late 8th century, though it declined after being divided among his heirs.

1. The Early Middle Ages
Unit 1
2º ESO

2. 1- What were the Germanic migrations?
-They were different tribes from the North
of Europe.
-They invaded the Western Roman
Empire from the 3rd Century to the 5th
Century.
-The Western Roman Empire ended in
476 due to these invasions.

4. The Germanic Kingdoms

5. Homework
Exercises 1 and 2 on page 7.

6. This video will explain you what happened in the Iberian Peninsula during the MIDDLE
AGES.

7. 2- Who were the visigoths?
-The Vandals, Alans and Suevi were tribes from
Northern Europe. They invaded Hispania in 409 A.D.
-To fight against them, Romans asked for help to the
Visigoths, another Germanic Tribe who has invaded
Rome previously.
-They accepted and expelled Suevi, Vandals and
Alans from Hispania. In exchange, Rome gave them
the Gaul.
-But the Franks expelled the Visigoths from the Gaul,
and Visigoths established their own kingdom in the
Iberian peninsula.

9. Visigothic Kingdom
-The Visigothic Kingdom was ruled by a King.
-The made Toledo its capital.
-The main kings were Leovigild and his son
Reccared.
-They unified their new kingdom by changing their
own language (to Latin), religion (from arrianism to
Christianism) and laws (based their laws on Roman
laws).

10. Homework

11. Visigothic Art
The art produced during this period is largely the result of local Roman traditions combined
with Byzantine influences.
Some of the characteristics of their architecture are:
●Generally basilican in layout, sometimes a Greek cross plan.
●The spaces are highly compartmentalised.
●Usually short and wide in elevation.
●Horseshoe arches.
●A rectangular, exterior apse.
●Use of columns and pillars with Corinthian capitals of unique design.
●The architecture was small in scale, but its masonry work was excellent.
●Decoration commonly of animal or plant motifs. Ornamental sculpture was a distinctive
feature of these churches.
●Little and small windows that makes the interior dark.

12. Examples
● Church of San Juan Bautista in Baños de Cerrato (province of Palencia)
● Church of San Pedro de la Nave in San Pedro de la Nave-Almendra (province of
Zamora)
San Juan de Baños
Interior of San Juan de Baños

13. San Pedro de la Nave

14. San Pedro de la Nave

15. REMINDER! - How to interpret a work of art
1- What is it? It is a sculpture, it’s a capital from a column inside a church. It belongs
to San Pedro de la Nave, Zamora.
2- Who did it? or Which civilization? It is from the visigothic style in the Iberian
Peninsula.
3- Which is its approximate date? It was made about the end of the 7th century.
4- How is it? (form, material, decoration, theme...) It is made from stone, it is part
of a column, and the sculpture is on relief, adapted to the architectural element. This is
a scene from the Bible, a religious theme, depicting the sacrifice of Isaac. It is very
clear, designed for the people, who were illiterate in those days, to easily understand
it.
5- What information from the past does it give us? (facts, government,
population...) In the Visigothic kingdom, in the medieval era of history, churches were
small, and used the decoration in order to teach people about christianity.
6- What was it used for? (function) Churches were a place to pray, and capitals
were an element of the architecture, part of the column and therefore a support
element. The real function of the decoration in this capitals was to show people the
scenes of the Bible in a simple form.

16. Homework
Exercises 2 and 3 on page 9.

17. 3- What was the Byzantine Empire like?

18. Justinian
Justinian ruled between 527-565. He
was the most powerful basileus in the
Byzantine Empire.
He tried to reconquer the former
territories of the Roman Empire.
After Justinian the Byzantine Empire started its
slow declined.
They changed their traditions, language and
customs into the greek ones.

19. 4- What were Byzantine religion and art like?
-After Justinian they changed into greek customs.
-Regarding religion, in 1054, after many
confrontations, they separated from Catholicism, and
became the Orthodox Church (East-West Schism).
-In art, they created famous mosaics and greek-cross
plan churches mainly.
-The best example is Hagia Sophia in
Constantinople.

20. Hagia Sophia

21. Exercises 1 and 2 on page 11.

22. 5- What is Islam?
MUHAMMAD
He was the founder of Islam.
He was a merchant who learnt about the monotheistic religions in
his trade travels.
He heard the call of God and founded a new religion.
Before him, Arabia was polytheistic.
In 622 he moved from Mecca to Medina, what it is called
the Hegira, and it is considered the beginning of the
muslim calendar.
Muhammad started spreading Islam through Arabia.

23. Islamic religion
Their sacred book is the
Koran, and they have 5
main pillars in their religion:
1- Allah only god,
Muhammad his prophet.
2- Pray 5 times a day.
3- Give alms to the poor.
4- Ramadan fast.
5- Pilgrimage to Mecca.

25. Islam temple: Mosque
Complete activity 1 on page 12.

26. Kaaba, the most sacred temple

27. 6- How did Islam evolve?

28. Phases of the Islamic Conquest

29. Homework
Activity 1 on page 13.
Web Task 1

30. 7- What was the Carolingian Empire?
-Frankish kingdom (germanic tribe).
-Power in the Mayors of the Palace.
-Charles Martel, the most important mayor of the
palace, was famous for defeating the muslims.

31. Carolingian Empire
Pippin the Short started the Carolingian Empire after the defeat of the Frankish
Kingdom. His son CharleMagne succeeded him and tried to restore the Western Roman
Empire. In 800 he was crowned by the Pope as Emperor of the West.

32. Carolingian Empire
CharleMagne divided his Empire in marches to better control the territory.
Louis the Pious succeeded his father, and when he died, his three sons inherited the
Empire, so it had to be divided in three (Treaty of Verdun, 843).

33. Palace of Aachen
CharleMagne made Aachen its capital,
and built a Palace there.

34. Homework
Activities 1 to 3 on page 15.

35. Exercises
Activities 1, 2 and 3 (a & b) on pages 16-17.