Western Civilization Notes – David Underhill

 

Feb 27 (247-255, 283-298)

      The Christianization of Classical Culture in the West (247)

  • The philosophy of pagans was very appealing to Christians still and even Saints had to fight to leave it alone
  • Philosophy of Christianity replaces pagan philosophy by two processes

1) Gradually winnowing out classical texts

2) Understanding the purpose of classical culture – what does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?  Nothing

      Cassiodorus and the Benedictine Tradition of Learning (248)

  • Came from Cassiodorus who wrote a History of the Goths for his overlord barbarian
  • He worked with religion later and wrote his most influential book Institutes
    • It said that the study of classical literature was essential to understanding the Bible and the church’s fathers
    • Led to a practice where monks would first copy classical, pagan works before moving on to a more demanding study of theology
      • Cassiodorus encouraged copying as it was “manual labor” like St. Benedict demanded but was more suitable than field labor
      • As a result, Benedictine monasteries became the most important centers of preservation and study of classical knowledge
  • Cassiodorus and Boethius worked hard to try to preserve Roman society and culture
  • Theodoric aided commerce, repaired public works, advocated religious tolerance, etc
    • Could not prevent the unraveling of Roman society mainly because the Romans believed the Arians heretics
    • Boethius accused of conspiracy and imprisoned and killed

      Eastern Rome and the Western Empire (250)

  • Boethius was the last noteworthy layman philosopher and writer in the West for hundreds of years (after him only monks and priests wrote)

Justinian’s Revival of the Roman Empire (250)

  • Roman Justinian reconquers Italy but ultimately he cannot reconquer all of the West as he desires
  • Justinian speaks Latin, but most of the East now speaks Syriac or Greek

The Codification of Roman Law (250)

  • One of Justinian’s most impressive accomplishments
  • The Code was revised to fix obsolete elements and bring it into harmony with new conditions
  • The Code was a revised version of all the laws since Hadrian … Supplements:
    • Novels – legislation of Justinian and his successors
    • Digest – summary of writings by great jurists
    • Institutes – textbook of legal principles
  • These four things are called the Corpus Juris Civilis or “body of civil law”
  • Corpus had huge influences on later governments
    • Basis of all law in European states excluding England

      Justinian’s Military Conquests (252)

  • His brilliant general Belisarius conquers the Vandals in Northwest Africa and Italy
    • Left most of Italy in shambles
  • Gains did not last as Persia menaced Constantinople
    • The threat was barely staved off, but forces had to be moved away from the West to support the East
    • Primitive German tribes conquered part of Italy
    • Papal states became the authority in other parts of Italy
    • Southern Italy remained in East Rome’s hands
      • These divisions lasted until the 19th century
      • This and Africa lost to Muslims in a few generations due to religious dissension and heavy taxes

 

      Western Christian Civilization in the Early Middle Ages (283)

  • People perceptions changed from living in the Roman Empire under various emperors to wanting to restore the empire

Economic Disintegration and Political Instability (284)

  • Kings and nobles moved to the countryside and made their estates self-sustained
  • Agriculture declined as land remained uncultivated because the maintenance of many slaves became too hard
  • Franks and Goths claimed exemption from land taxes
  • Monetary system of gold broke down (gold too valuable to be spent in market)
    • Silver becomes the dominant form of currency for 1,000 years
    • During the 7th century Europe became a two tier economy – gold, silver, and luxury goods among the rich
      • Barter and currency substitutes among the peasantry
      • Lords collected rents in foodstuffs which were hard to do much with
        • Limited Lords ability to maintain a military
        • Had to get fine goods (weapons, jewelry, silks) through artisans or plundering
      • Lords tried to solve the problems by establishing emporia (merchants gathered here during certain seasons to exchange goods; brought wealth to the lord and safety to the traders)
    • Wars constantly fought, usually for plundering
      • Successful rulers lived near poorly defended but rich countries
      • Caused instability because a few defeats could completely reverse all gains
    • Succession to power also caused instability
      • Hereditary power was problematic because the child was usually not as charismatic
    • Franks the only ones who could set up a dynasty (done by Clovis) that lasted of 250 years
      • Still violent because Gaul was often split into regions each governed by a king
    • Romans horrified by the succession problems and termed them morbus Gothorum (sickness of the Goths)

Monasticism and Conversion (286)

    • Clovis dynasty called Merovingian after Clovis’ grandfather (who was thought to be a sea dragon)
    • Merovingian government had many aspects of Roman administration
      • Literacy important
      • Cultural renaissance associated with Charlemagne began with Merovingian monasteries
    • Monasteries grew a lot under Merovingian due to wealth (which had shifted from south Gaul to the north)
      • Due to the successful effort (finally) to cultivate northern France; done by heavy plows

      The Spread of Monasticism (286)

  • Convents became more prevalent
  • Women like them because it gives them a degree of power of their lives and protects them from rape, etc
  • Men like them because it controls potentially powerful women, limits reproductions and thereby potential heirs
  • Missionary role expanded
    • Most significant achievement is converting England’s Anglo-Saxons

      The Reign of Pope Gregory I (287)

  • Fourth great Latin father of the church
  • Emphasis on penance for forgiveness of sins and the existence of purgatory where souls were purified before entering heaven
  • These changes affected the West and led to differences of religion in the East and West
  • Expert statesman – good diplomat and manager of papacy’s estates and revenues
  • Encouraged the spread of Benedictine monks

The Rise of the Carolingians (288)

  • Series of civil wars arose in Gaul among the kinds of parts of the country
  • Charles Martel (“the Hammer”) wins and from then on Merovingian kings are largely figureheads ruled by Martel
    • 2nd founder of the Frankish state
    • Turned back a Muslim force from Spain in 733/734 in Tours
    • Aided English Benedictines in the conversion of Frisia and central Germany
      • In return, the papacy helped him reform (control) the Frankish church
    • After Charles’ death a new Merovingian king is put on the throne but withdraws to a monastery
      • Pepin, son of Charles, claims the throne and gets legitimacy from the papacy
      • Papacy is fighting in Italy against Lombard kings in hopes a strong Frankish ruler will help
      • Papal emissary Saint Boniface crowns Pepin as king
    • In 756 Pepin’s pays his debt by launching a military expedition against Lombards
      • It went badly and he returned to Gaul to try and focus on his own country

      The Reign of Charlemagne (289)

  • Gaul was about to split into three countries
  • He led military conquests and annexed the Lombards and tookover Saxony too
  • This gave his dynasty divine legitimacy and healed his country
  • Riches poured in and he appointed counts ( “followers”) to oversee different regions as well as tax collectors, etc
  • Created a new monetary system (1 silver = 240 pennies)
    • Lasted until the French Revolution in France and until 1970s in Britain
  • He traveled around his country to check up on his counts and people
    • A fair amount of abuse, but it was the best system in Europe since the Romans

      Christianity and Kingship (291)

  • King seen as a ruler who was bound to enforce religion as well as politics
  • King supposed to help lead his people to salvation
  • Charlemagne deposed and appointed Bishops, changed liturgy, etc

The Carolingian Renaissance (292)

  • Brought together scholars to promote learning and wisdom
  • Much poetry was produced
  • Versions of the Bible were compared and one new version written
    • New handwriting developed
      • Simplified letters
      • Spaces between words

Charlemagne and the Revival of the Western Roman Empire (292)

  • Crowned the Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas in 800 by Pope Leo III
    • Popes later cite this as their authority over emperors (Leo very much under Charlemagne, however)
  • The title an insult to Byzantines who still claimed the west vaguely as a territory
  • This title survives until the 19th century when Napoleon retires it

The Collapse of the Carolingian Empire (294)

  • On Charlemagne’s death, Louis the Pious given the throne (his only living son)
  • Louis died and divided the empire between his three sons
    • Charles the Bald (Western France)
    • Louis the German (Eastern France, later Germany)
    • Lothair (the Middle Kingdom; also given the imperial title)
      • On Lothair’s death the East and West fought for the land (mostly for the title though)
      • This conflict made France and Germany bitter with each other until the end of World War II
  • Civil War split the empire and created a political map that would lead to modern day Europe

The Legacy of the Carolingians (294)

  • King Alfred the Great (871 – 899)
    • United England; modeled Carolingian examples
    • Country’s prosperity came from wool trade
    • 10th century England had a very effective government with a centralized monetary and judicial system
    • Germany’s power rested not on trade but plunder
  • King Otto I of Germany defeated the pagan Hungarians in 955 using Charlemagne’s sacred lance
    • Made him the dominant central European power
    • Pope John XII crowned him and used him to help quell squabbles
    • Otto deposed the Pope and appointed a new one
    • Otto had to stay in Italy to control the pope
      • This distanced himself from his nobility
      • His grandson passed authority to the Salians dynasty who tried to reassert control over Saxony and ignited a civil war (Henry IV)
  • In 1066 England fell to the Normans
    • At the time 10% of English lived in towns; more urbanized than anywhere else in 11th century Europe
  • New French dynasty arises after successfully defending Paris from Vikings
    • The Capetian dynasty took a century to reverse trends that destroyed earlier generations

      Conclusion (298)

  • By 1000, Europe was still far less powerful than Islam or Byzantium rulers
    • Europe still depended on imports from those countries as well
  • Urbanization increasing and long distance trade begins to grow
  • Western Europe expanded to Poland and all new rulers soon were Christians
  • Europe had become mobilized for war in a way neither Byzantum or Islam could match
    • In later centuries this would prove decisive in the shifting balance of power towards Christian Europe