Oxford University Press Espaa S.A.

, 2013
The Byzantine and Carolingian Empires
Oxford University Press Espaa S.A., 2013
LESSON CONTENTS


1- THE DIVISION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
2- THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
3- THE FRANKS AND CAROLINGIANS

Oxford University Press Espaa S.A., 2013
LESSON OBJECTIVES


1- LEARN ABOUT TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPE AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
2- IDENTIFY THE TERRITORIES IN WHICH THE BYZANTINE AND CAROLINGIAN EMPIRES
WERE LOCATED
3- UNDERSTAND HOW THESE TWO EMPIRES WERE FORMED
4- DESCRIBE THE TERRITORIA DEVELOPMENT AND THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BYZANTINE AND CAROLINGIAN EMPIRES
5- RECOGNISE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF BYZANTINE AND CAROLINGIAN CULTURE,
ARCHITECTURE, ART


Oxford University Press Espaa S.A., 2013
1- The Western Roman Empire fell in 467.
2- The Barbarian tribes founded cities when they occupied the Roman Empire
3- The Frankish Kingdom was one of the most important Barbarian kingdoms.
4- Charlemagne was a Frankish leader who founded the Carolingian Empire.
5- The Byzantine Empire was the Western Roman Empire.
6- The Turks conquered the Eastern Roman Empire in the mid-15th century.
7- In this unit well study the characteristics of the Byzantine and Carolingian
Empires.

Introduction to the Unit: True or false?

THE DIVISION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
TERRITORIAL ORGANISATION
Year 395 Emperor Theodosius into Western and Eastern Roman
Empires:



Western: Disappearance in 476 (Middle Ages)
Barbarian kingdoms (rural way of life agriculture and
livestock)


THE DIVISION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE



Eastern: Byzantine Empire (Constantinople):

6th century Justinian Empire (527-565): Greece, Balkans,
Anatolian Peninsula, Syria, Palestine, Egypt + Italian Peninsula,
north of Africa, southeast of Iberian Peninsula.
11th century: political and religious crises
1453: Ottoman Turks (Islamic) conquered Constantinople


Europe at the start of the 6th century
The Byzantine Empire
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
POLITICAL ORGANISATION
Emperor: absolute power (religious, political, military and legislative)
Territory: into provinces ruled by strategois (troops, justice, taxes)
Efficient administration system (police, post, court, foreign affairs, etc.)
Well-trained army (local troops and mercenaries)

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
ECONOMY
Agriculture main activity
Craftwork in some cities
Trade specially during 11th century (centre in Constantinople: link
between East and West)
Exports: textiles, wine, jewels
Imports: furs, ivory, spices, perfume, etc.

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
SOCIETY
Rural society
Big landowners they had latifundia worked by colonus
(peasants/farmers)
Small landowners (peasants) they disappeared after the 11th
century crisis (debts)
Urban society
Ruling class (big landowners, high officials, rich merchants)
Lower class (small merchants, artisans organized in collegia-
and slaves



Byzantine culture, architecture and art
CULTURE
Official Language: Greek
Roman law
Literary activity: poetry, encyclopaedias, etc.
Architecture: semicircular arches, domes, mosaics
Painting: icons
Emblematic buildings nowadays: Hagia Sophia (Turkey), St. Marks
Basilica (Venice)

Byzantine architecture and art
What features of Byzantine architecture can you see in this image?
How were the interiors of Byzantine churches decorated?
Byzantine art
What type of art is this image?
Describe this work of art.
FROM THE FRANKISH KINGDOM TO THE CAROLINGIAN
EMPIRE
THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT
King Charlemagne (Pippins son): expansion of empires territories
Year 800: Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor (Pope Leo III)
Year 814-840 Louis the Pious succeeded Charlemagne
Pious death Power conflicts to succeed him

TREATY OF VERDUN (843)

Charles the Bald WEST
Lothair MIDDLE
Louis the German EAST
The Carolingian Empire after the Treaty of Verdum
(843)
Which modern-day countries were part of the Carolingian Empire?

The Carolingian Empire: political organisation
What event does this image show?
Who crowned Charlemagne? Why was this important?
THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
POLITICAL ORGANISATION
Central administration EMPERORS COURT (Aachen)
- missi dominici (palace inspector)*
Important officials - the Chancellor (official docs.)
- the seneschal (household provisions)
- the count of the palace (president of
royal tribunal in the emperors name)
There was a chapel in the palace CLERGY
EMPIRES TERRITORY DIVIDED INTO:
Counties: ruled by a count * (chosen by emperor)
collected taxes, administered justice, recruited soldiers, etc
Marches: recently conquered areas near the frontier
governed by a marquis*
The Carolingian Empire: political organisation
Where was the palace shown in this image?
Can you name some of the imperial officials that worked there?
THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
ECONOMY
- Main activity: AGRICULTURE
Large estates PROPERTY OF Emperor, Bishop,
Monastery

SELF-SUFFICIENT
- TRADE not very important
SOCIETY
- HIERARCHICAL
- MANORIAL SYSTEM to get loyalty from his nobles, the emperor gave
them land control over peasants (serfs) FEUDALISM


TOP: Emperor, noblemen, high clergy
BOTTOM: free peasants, slaves
Carolingian architecture
MAIN FEATURES:

Use of ashlar and brick
Semicircular arch, basilica/
octogonal plan
Barrel vault and Groin vault
Different types of buildings:
churches
Monasteries (church+ cloister
and several rooms for monks)
secular (palace)