HIST 107 Introduction to Medieval History Lecture 4 Politics and Society of Dark Age Europe c 500 c 750 Main Questions 1 What were the main features of the politics and social organization of western Europe in the period after the end of Roman rule 2 Why is this period important for an understanding of later medieval conditions Preliminary Remarks What are the Dark Ages Don t underestimate the variety between places even if we generalize NB See useful map in Rosenwein Short History p 79 Key Points Four key questions to address A What sort of world emerges from the debris of the Roman West B What are the main contours of early medieval society C In terms of public political life what is new and what remains D What images do we have of barbarian culture A What sort of world emerges from the debris of the Roman West Signs of discontinuity i contraction of towns ii decline in long distance trade Signs of continuity i majority of population Romani still there barbarian identity fluid ethnogenesis removal of Arianism as badge of difference ii Latin survives see modern language boundaries in Europe iii Church acts as social glue in absence of imperial governance iv incoming barbarians already adapting to Roman culture anyway B What are the main contours of early medieval society Predominantly agricultural small scale nucleated self sufficient Compare Roman ability to move large amounts of food around annona Knowledge of peasant majority limited but archaeology now growing Where sources most informative is aristocratic minority maybe 5 So what are the principal features of aristocratic culture Militaristic and violent Militarization of society deeper than in late Roman world Key grouping war bands around leader importance of oaths and group cohesion fideles leudes Gift giving as social bonding communal behaviour eating hunting Not all rough tough Bede s story of Imma Women less served in sources but high status women could exercise real power C In terms of public political life what is new and what remains Tax survives into 6th century but gradually changes into periodic tribute Wealth therefore based on land Roman law influences barbarian codes e g Salic Law Visigothic codes Eastern Roman empire now Byzantium continues to exert influence e g Visigothic mimicking of imperial coronation ritual Church councils continue under royal aegis esp in Spain development of Toledo and Pavia as capitals attention to ritual long hair of Merovingian reges criniti Intellectual life still Romanized e g Isidore of Seville d 636 Etymologies Consciousness of Rome as a model Trojan descent myths of the Franks to rival Virgil s Aeneid Survival of written history to protect against the fragility of oral memory Stars are Gregory of Tours d 594 for Francia Bede d 735 for Anglo Saxons D What images do we have of barbarian culture Don t underestimate skills of craftsmanship and sophistication of culture e g Lindisfarne Gospels ring of Childeric and his other grave goods from Tournai Sutton Hoo votive crown of Recceswinth from the Guarrazar Treasure Conclusions The darkness of the Dark Ages is only relative Avoid judgements based on nostalgia for Roman culture Much of the political and cultural forms that emerge in this period will continue to dominate later medieval life esp kingship the militarization of aristocratic culture and wealth based on land Proper Nouns and Technical Terms ethnogenesis cingulum Clovis fideles leudes reges criniti Jarrow Wearmouth Lindisfarne Childeric Sutton Hoo Key Images 1 Reconstruction of the Sutton Hoo helmet original sixth century 2 Ring of Childeric 5th century discovered at Tournai Belgium in 1653 3 Page from the Lindisfarne Gospels 8th century 4 Ceremonial crown of Visigothic king Recceswinth 7th century