TheMiddleAges中世纪.ppt

The Middle Ages (476 – 1463)Chapter 5 pp.87 – 106 Question to consider ~•During this class I want you to think about this question:~ Some view the Middle Ages as a period of limited civilisation, especially when compared with the Roman/Greek civilisations. Do you agree? Why? Why not? PeriodizationPeriodizationDark Ages: 500 – 1000High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500Europe in 600ADEurope in 600ADThe Middle Ages•Part 1: The Dark Ages (AD 476 – AD 1000)~ Began in AD 476 when there was no longer an emperor in Rome & the Western empire collapsed•Part 2: The High Middle Ages (AD 1000 – AD 1463)~ A period of cultural recoveryThe Middle Ages ~•Dominance of Germanic people (the ‘barbarians’); who still lived a relatively primitive (basic) lifestyleBarbarians – from the Latin barbarus meaning ‘strange’The term ‘Middle Ages’•The term ‘Middle Ages’ is a sweeping and often derogatory 贬义 term, first used by Renaissance 文艺复兴 scholars in the 1400s The term ‘Middle Ages’•Idea of a thousand-year period of ignorance between the Greek/Roman civilisations and the ‘enlightened’ 开明 Renaissance•Inventing the Middle Ages to distinguish 区别 themselves from it and highlight their own superior 优越 culture•Similar to how the Romans used the ‘barbarians’ to highlight their own cultural achievementsRecap: what were the Middle Ages?‘The Middle Ages:’ term used by Renaissance scholars to represent a period of ‘darkness’ between the Greek/Roman civilisations and the RenaissanceThe Dark Ages (476 – 1000) and a revival 振兴 of civilisation in the 2) High Middle Ages (1000 – 1463) 1000 year period dominated by the Germanic ‘barbarians’‘Civilisation’ in the Dark Ages (476 – 1000)•Most historians argue that the development of European civilisation was limited or even regressed 倒退 during the ‘Dark Ages’...Comparisons with the Roman Empire...•Unlike the Roman Empire with its one all-powerful emperor, Europe developed into small fiefdoms 封地; each governed by a local lord•This division meant that knowledge spread slowly; as communication was difficult and dangerousComparisons with the Roman Empire...•Many of the improvements introduced by the Romans deteriorated 衰败: roads, water-supplies, shipping routes...•There were regular wars and invasions•Significant knowledge was lost when the Roman empire collapsed & we know little about the Dark Ages because of a lack of written sourcesFeudalismFeudalismA political, economic, and social system based on loyalty and military service.ChivalryChivalry: : A Code of Honour and A Code of Honour and BehaviourBehaviourRecap: from the Roman Empire to the Dark AgesDeterioration 恶化 of much of Rome’s legacy 遗产Many argue that civilisation regressed 倒退after the Roman Empire’s collapseMuch of Europe was organised into small fiefdoms 封地 = lack of communication and limited diffusion 扩散 of knowledge The Vikings 维维京人京人 (AD 700 – AD 1200) The Vikings•When ‘barbarians’ invaded Europe between AD 350 and AD 550, some settled in Scandinavia 斯堪的纳维亚•By AD 700 their descendants – the Vikings – lived in Norway 挪威, Sweden 瑞典 and Denmark 丹麦 Who were the Vikings?•They were not a civilisation in the same sense as the Romans or Greeks...•However they were a farming culture and became rich through trade 贸易 and agriculture 农业•They also developed efficient government where local communities voted to decide laws and judge crimesViking Invasions•As the Viking population grew and farmland grew scarce, the Vikings travelled to new lands•They began to spread out and conquer Europe in around 800 AD... The Vikings vs Ancient Civilisations ~The Colosseum in Ancient Rome (an amphitheatre used for gladiator contests)The Ancient Greek Parthenon 帕台农 used to worship Greek godsViking ships used to invade other countriesWhat is the difference?•When we see symbols of the Roman and Greek civilisations they emphasise culture, human reason and stability ~•In contrast, the Viking ships suggest exploration, constant movement and flux 变化 ~ Viking expansionHowever...•The Vikings were not merely destructive invaders; they had trade routes all over Europe and as far as Central Asia•As a culture they had technical skill and a spirit of adventure – but also a lack of permanence 恒久•By 1200 AD they had been mostly defeated or subsumed 纳入 into other culturesRecap: the Vikings 维维京人京人Did not create a social/political model; not a civilisation in the same way as Rome/Greece Descendants of Scandinavian ‘barbarians:’ began to expand into Europe in 800ADFamous for their ship-building and created a trade network through Europe & Central AsiaWhat else was happening in the Early Middle Ages?Social attitudes•People in the early Middle Ages generally did not question/try to change what was around them: punishment = hell, reward = heaven•They were scared of invasion, war, the plague 鼠疫, the unknown•So... the early Middle Ages (Dark Ages) is often seen as a transitional period in world history with few cultural achievementsThe influence of religion•As barbarians who worshipped their own gods moved began to overrun the Roman empire; Christianity initially struggled to survive•However the barbarians were increasingly converted 皈依 by Christian missionaries 传教士: re-establishing Christianity as the major European religion – a unifying force? Was the Christian Church really a force for good?•Many argue that it had a negative and repressive 压制 influence•It represented a society that was attempting to politically structure itself on a religious basis•It controlled academic knowledge which was held by the monasteries 隐修院; there were no universities and very few common people could read or writeCharlemagne & the Frankish KingdomCharlemagne (742-814)•The Christian Frankish Kingdom was the only kingdom or political structure in the Dark Ages which provided any kind of social stability•Charlemagne’s notion of a united Europe is often seen as crucial in the continuation of Western civilisationCharlemagne (742 – 814)•Charlemagne transformed the Frankish kingdom into a great empire; by AD 800 he had created the largest state in Europe after the fall of Rome•But this unity began to break down after his death in 814Recap: the early Middle AgesCharlemagne and the Frankish Empire: short-term unity based around Christianity in Europe Transitional period? People not wanting to change/question thingsReligion as a unifying force but repressive & key in limiting the spread of knowledge The High Middle Ages (1000 – 1463)The Crusades: 1000 - 1200•War between European Christians and Muslims in Western Asia•They increased European trade and led to the building of new roads1000 AD: the re-emergence of Western Europe•After 1066 Europe’s first universities – Bologna and Paris – were established•Universities were a key legacy 遗产 of the Middle Ages – creating an international community of scholars in EuropeMedieval UniversitiesMedieval UniversitiesOxford UniversityOxford UniversityLate Medieval Town DwellingsLate Medieval Town DwellingsCulture in the Middle Ages•Artistic achievements focused on religious representations such as Gothic 哥特式 cathedrals•Dante’s 但丁 Divine Comedy 神曲•Chaucer’s 加弗里乔叟 Canterbury TalesRecap: the High Middle AgesArtistic and cultural achievements were based mostly around religionThe Crusades & an expansion of trade in Europe; which became united against Islam 伊斯兰The first universities were establishedQuestion•Some view the Middle Ages as a period of limited civilisation; especially when compared with the Roman/Greek civilisations. Based on today’s class do you agree? Why? Why not?Next time•Student presentation on the Middle Ages•Class on The Renaissance文艺复兴。