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Unit 1. The Middle Ages

The Middle Age

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times.  This Age start when Roman Empire falls (476 AD)  and finished when America is discovered (1492). In several countries, among them Spain, another period: Contemporary Times come after Modern Times.

The fall of Roman Empire.

Roman power over northern territories was decreasing little by little. from the third century and Roman Empire was divided by Theodosius in 395 into two parts:
Western Roman Empire  (Rome was its capital ) which extended from Spain to the Balkans
Eastern Roman Empire ( Constantinople was its capital) which extended from Balkanic peninsula to easter border. Egypt belonged to this part.

Roman Empire partition
commons.wikimedia.org. Roman Empire partition (Dominio público)

During the 5th century the invasion of Germanic peoples destroyed the Roman political institutions in the Western part and the last Roman emperor was substituted by a barbarian king in Rome

Germanic peoples

During the 5th and the 6th centuries Germanic migrations end with the Western Roman Empire. As a result , different kingdoms were created.
Germanic peoples came from the North and the East of Europe. They were driven to the west by asiatic people like huns and slaves.

The main Germain kingdoms

The unity of Roman empire was replaced by different Germanic kingdoms . The main of them were:
The Visigoths in Spain
The Franks in France
The Ostrogoths and later Lombards in Italy
The Anglos and the Saxons in Britain
Other important Germanic kingdoms were the Burgundians , Suevi or Vandals kingdoms

Germanic kingdoms 6th century
www.dandebat.dk (CC0)

 

Germanic kingdoms
commons.wikimedia.org. Germanic kingdoms (CC0)


 Germanic kingdoms features.

The king had the power, at first he was chosen by the noblemen ( warrior aristocracy) but afterwards the crown became hereditary  . However power of the king was not absolute, the noblemen, like Dukes, had the military power in their territories and they could help the king to take decisions or to administer justice.
Germany invasions throughout 4th and 5th centuries transform the Roman Empire , an urban civilization, into a rural society . The population of the cities decreased and commercial activity got smaller too . Only agrarian activity increased because Germanic people were peasants and cattle farmers.
Most of the land was in the hand of a few Roman and Germanic families and Church was an important owner too.

True or False questions

Pregunta 1

Theodosius found Constantinople.

Pregunta 2

Theodosius was the first emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Pregunta 3

Rome was the capital of the Western Roman Empire.

Pregunta 4

Germanic peoples came from the North and the West of Europe.

Pregunta 5

Ostrogoths conquered Iberian peninsula.

Pregunta 6

At first, the king was chosen by noblemen in the Germanic kingdoms.

Pregunta 7

Trade increased after Roman Empire fall

Actividad

Read and complete

Roman power over northern territories was decreasing little by little. from the third century and Roman Empire was divided by in into two parts:
Western Roman Empire  ( was its capital ) which extended from to the Balkans
Roman Empire ( was its capital) which extended from peninsula to easter border. Egypt belonged to this part.

The unity of Roman empire was replaced by different Germanic kingdoms . The main of them were:
The in Spain
The in France
The and later in Italy
The Anglos and the in Britain
Other important Germanic kingdoms were the Burgundians , Suevi or Vandals kingdoms

Germany invasions throughout 4th and 5th centuries transform the Roman Empire , an civilization, into a society . The population of the cities decreased and commercial activity got smaller too . Only agrarian activity increased because Germanic people were peasants and cattle farmers.
Most of the land was in the hand of a few Roman and Germanic families and was an important owner too.

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