Early Middle Ages

The fallen of Rome

The Early Middle Ages

The fallen of the Roman Empire

Germanic Kingdoms

The Byzantinne Empire

Suevis and Visigoths

Islam

Causes of the break up of the Roman Empire The crisis of Rome became for 4 reasons basicly 1- Internal problems. Rome suffered a serious political, social and economic crisis motivated for: - Economic troubles like resources ended, very high taxes and overreliance on slave labor. - Political troubles caused by internal fights to take the power of Rome, military defeats against babarians and the inabilty to control a huge Empire. This situation left to Rome to divide in 395AD the Roman Empire into two parts: Western (whose capital was Rome) and Eastern (whose capital was Constantinople, the future capital of the Byzantine Empire wich lasted for another thounsanb years when the turks invaded it) Look the maps - The barbarians were foreing people who lived outside the Roman Empire. Normally they were tribal society leaded by a chieftain elected by an assembly, like the Huns (nomadic herders from the asian steppe) and the Germanic people ( Also a nomadic and a warriors tribes from the North and East of Europe). Germanic tribes was tradiotionally people who participated in economic trade, in the roman army (The Legion) or like settlers inside the Empire of Rome since the third century AD. In the 5th century, the Empire suffered the germanic invasions after the victory of Rome and their allies (like the visigoths) against Attila and the Huns. In AD 476 Odoacer deposed the last western emperor, named Romulus Augustulus.

The Germanic KingdomsSource by: http://www.gifex.com Rules by a king elected and helped by a council.The monarchy became hereditary.They created a military and politic power controled by dukes, counts and bishops. There weren´t written laws. These laws was passed down orally trough generations.Because germanic formed a social minority they began to mix their traditions with roman laws, customs and religion.Source by: https://www.ancient.eu As a social minority, germanic peoples accepted coexisting with natives with different rules, customs and religion. However they gradually began to form unified societies.In fact, while they did prevail their social, economic a political system in regions not enought romanished (laws not written; english, german and dutch languages; conversion to the Arianism). They conversily asumed latin, compiled and written laws and conversion to Roman Cathoilic Christianity in romanished territories like Gaul or Iberian Peninsula.

In 406 the Ostrogoths attempted to invade Italy, and the efforts to stop them allowed the Vandals, Alans, and Suebi (Suevi) to enter Gaul and then Spain. After ravaging the country for two years, the Suebi and the Asding Vandals settled in the northwestern province of Galicia (Gallaecia). The Siling Vandals occupied Baetica in the south, and the Alans, an Iranian people, settled in the central provinces of Lusitania and Carthaginiensis. For the time being, only Tarraconensis remained entirely under Roman control (Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Iberians#ref587097) . (Source: wikipedia)The Kingdom of the Suebi (Latin: Regnum Suevorum), also called the Kingdom of Gallæcia (Latin: Regnum Gallæciae), was a Germanic post-Roman kingdom, one of the first to separate from the Roman Empire. Based in the former Roman provinces of Gallaecia and northern Lusitania, the de facto kingdom was established by the Suebi about 410 and during the 6th century it became a formally declared kingdom identifying with Gallaecia. It maintained its independence until 585, when it was annexed by the Visigoths, and was turned into the sixth province of the Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania. (source: Wikipedia).Led by Hemeric, the Suevis converted Braga (Bracara Augusta) in the capital of theit kingdom. During the campaingns of Rechila they conquered Lusitan an Betic. However it was Rechiar who expanded the kingdom to Tarraco and was defeated by th evisigoths, as Hidacio related in the Chronicon int the fith Century. The Kingdom of Suevi was christianized thanks to people as San Martin of Braga (or Dumio), native from Panonia, who fought against pagan forms, especially Priscilianism.The intervention of king of visigoths Leovigild in the dynastic conflict between Euric an Andeca triggered eventually the ending of the Kingdom of Suevi and it inclusion in the Kigdom of Visigoths. However this area would continue maintaining a particular and strong personality until the Middle Ages. (Source: wikipedia)The Visigoths were a traditional allies of Romans. These alliances were often broken, as we can chek in the Battle of Adrianopole in 378 or in the Sack of Rome in 410; but in 415 the visigoths made a new agreement with Rome to fight against Vandals, Alans and Suevi in Hispania. In return they received territories in south west Gaul where they founded a Kingdom with captial in Toulouse. In 507 the Franks expelled the Visigoths from Gaul so they returned to Iberian Peninsula and established their capital in Toledo until 711 whe the muslims conquered the Peninsula. The most important rulers in sixth-century Visigothic Spain were Leovigild, who reigned 568–586, and his son Reccared, who reigned 586–601. Leovigild reinvigorated the Visigothic monarchy, defeated the Suevi kingdom of northwestern Spain and incorporated it into the Visigothic kingdom, and drove the Byzantines from all but a few small footholds in the south. He also established a permanent capital at Toledo— previously, Visigothic rulers had traveled through the peninsula rather than having a permanent base. Leovigild was also a lawgiver, promulgating extensive revisions of the earlier code of King Euric.In 587 Reccared solved the problem of the kingdom’s religious divisions by converting to Catholic. He extended this conversion to his kingdom in the Third Council of Toledo in 589. The Catholic Church in Spain, although in communion with Rome, was more subject to the king than to the pope. The Visigothic kingdom was also one of the more peaceful and prosperous areas of the post-Roman West, retaining its links to the Mediterranean economy and a relatively high degree of urbanization.The legal decrees and codes issued by the Visigothic rulers show a progression away from different laws for Visigothic and Roman subjects, toward a single code of law for all peoples in the kingdom. This process of assimilation culminated in the Laws of the Visigoths, issued in 654 by King Recceswinth. (Source: http://earlyworldhistory.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/visigoth-kingdom-of-spain.html )(Source: wikipedia)

Constantinople is a city founded by Constantine I in 330 AD, 4th century, when this roman emperor decided create a new Rome. We call Byzantine Empire the Eastern Roman Empire wich survived the Germanic invasions in 5th century. Opposite the Western Empire, Byzanntine Empire, was extended until the conquest of Constantinople -capital of the Empire- by Turks in 1453 during the reign of Constantine XI.(Source: wikipedia)"One of the most extraordinary aspects of the Byzantine Empire was its longevity: It was the only organized state west of China to survive without interruption from ancient times until the beginning of the modern age".(Source: http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/byzantine-empire )The reasons of its longevity come from different ways: geographic location, located on a strait, internal poltical and economic stabiliy, better military control and also economic resources. So the key of its succes was that the Byzanntine empire was a well organised state.Justinian and Theodora probably representing a great exemple of succedsful governnament:

1. They recovered part of Western Empire, defeating the Vandals in North Africa, Ostrogoths in Italy or Visigoths in southern Hispania.
2. They activated the Mediterranean trade and introduced gold coins which became the main form of painment in Europe.
3. They stimulated culture a arts. Hagia Sophia Church still being one the most beautiful buildings built in the Middle Age.
4. They also allowed to unify laws with the Code of Justinian, a compilation of laws applied throughout the empire. Finally Justinian compiled all his legal work in Corpus Iuris Civilis Romani, a fundamental work for modern juridic systems.

Along the Middel Ages The Byzantine Empire lost control of western territories against Lombards in Italy, visigoths in Hispania and eventually all the Mediterranean Sea against muslims. The Byzatine society was stratified and it had yramid structure. BasileusAs the emperor had all the power: Govern, Army and ReligionHe receive help and advice from State officials and high clergy The Patriarch of ConstatinopleHe was the highest religious authorityWith time the emperor and the Patriarch cased to be the same person Nobilty and clergyArtisans, merchants, soldiers and free peasantsServants and slavesByzantine Empire was essentially urban, like Roman Empire had been before. Cities as Constantinople, Damascus, Alexandria or Thesaloniki developed an important commercial acitivities which improved the byzantine economy. Religion suffered gradually changes. The Byzantine Church (Orthodox) was separated from the Roman Catholic. In 1054 this situation caused the East and West Schism when the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople wanted to impose their authority. The orthodox religion spread into Eastern Europe In addition the Byzantine Church had to resolve the problem of iconoclasm (an official movement that prohibited the workship of images. In fact, many religious icons were destroyed). Greek replaced latin as the main language The Empire was also the conector between diferent cultures cames from Asia, Africa and Europe.

1. What is the Islam?
2. Who did the Islam found?
3. Where did the Islam come up?
4. When did the Islam emerge?

The Islam is one of three great monotheistic religions based in a sacred book, like Judaism and also Christianism. It was Muhammad, a merchant from a wealthy family from Mecca (birthplace of Muhammad), the person who founded the Islam, after to receive the advise of Gabriel. Islam arise on the Arabian Peninsula which was a desert region populated by tribes of nomadic mainly polytheistic. Mecca was the holy capital where the Kaaba, a sacred destination of polytheistic idol-worship by the tribes of Arabia. Islam originated in the 7th century, concretely in 622 when Muhammad fleed from Meca to Medina. This event became known as The Hegira and it marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. Political Organisation How? Who? Hierarchical structure Organizated in Caliphate and provinces (Emirates and Walis). · The caliph held all power. He leaded the army, he was also the ruler and he was also the religious authority. · The viziers: were ministers · The qadis were judges of Islamic law determinate by the Quran. · The walis were provincial rulers · The emirs were princes or nobles who often came from caliph´s family. Islamic Society Estructure Lifestyle Estratified clases – differences between social elites with privileges and lower class. Aristocracy: mainly Arabic nobility who rules. They had political and economic power. Other influencial groups: landowners, merchants and artisans, they could be wealthy but they couldn´t participate in politics. The lower class: little or street merchants, poorer artisans, servants, landless peasants. They live in harsh conditions. Slave without rights. Ethnic mix Arabic was the language Tolerance: Christians and Jews paid taxes Urban World. Cities were the centre of life: political, economic and cultural