Kingdom unite under Charlemagne

a. Invasion trigger changes in western Europe
2. Decline of Learning
a. Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
b. Only priests and church officials could read an write
c. Knowledge of Greek (and lit. science, philosophy) is almost lost
3. Loss of a common language
a. Dialects develop in different regions
b. By the 800s, French, Spanish, other Roman-based language are evolving from Latin

b. Germanic kingdom emerge
1. The concept of gov. changes
a. Roman society: loyal to public gov't
b. Germanic society: loyal to family
1. Germanic cheif led warriors
2. During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live (lord's hall)
3. During wartime, warriors fought for the lord

c. "the king? who's that? You want to collect taxes for me? Who are you?
d. Franks live in the Roman province of Gaul - their leader is Clovis

2. Franks under Clovis
a. Another battlefield conversion! (like Constantine)
b. Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
c. The Church in Rome approves of this alliance
d. Clovis and the Church begin to work together

A simple mathematical equation
Clovis' military expertise
+ Church's support and money

C. Germanic people adopt Christianity
1. 511 AD - Clovis Franks into one kingdom
2. 600 AD - Church + Frankish rulers convert many
3. Fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
4. Monasteries an convents
a. 520 AD - Benedict wrote the rulers for monks and monasteries
i. Poverty, chastity, obedience, study
b. His sister Scholastica did the same for nuns in convents
c. 731 AD - the Venerable Bede wrote a killer history of England
d. Monks opened schools, maintained libraries, and copied books (Bibles, Greek texts)

C. Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
5. (Pope) Gregory 1 expands papal power
a. Papacy = pope's office
b. Secular power = worldly power
c. So... under Gregory the Great

Papal Power (power of the pope) is political power presented from the pope's palace

d. The church can use church money to
raise armies
repair roads
help the poor

e. Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome, and as head of and earthly kingdom (Christendom)