European History 600-1550

Order of the Benedictines

600

While most religious people during this time believed in becoming good, the Benedictine monks believed in doing good. They first needed some skill set with which to do good and therefore educated themselves using artifacts from the Roman Empire consisting of Greek and Latin poems in addition to lessons of science and agriculture. In order to fulfill their ideal of doing good, the monks taught local children and peasants what they had learned.

The Emigration ("Hegira")

Jun 16, 622

Upon experiencing visions of the Archangel Gabriel and receiving God's message through this divine figure, Muhammad knew it was his job to spread the commandments he received (warn followers of hell and honor thy God). After being ostracized from Mecca by guardians of the Kaaba, he preached his doctrine to an enemy tribe and escaped assassin by climbing out of his window to join his new followers in Medina. After describing heaven, Muhammad gained followers and soldiers to defend his belief.

Charlemagne becomes Roman emperor

Dec 24, 800

After years of conquering neighboring lands to unite them under a single Germanic banner, Charlemagne was crowned emperor in 800. Prior to gaining his title, Charlemagne was intent on defending Christianity and still sought to be the defender of Christendom in addition to increasing the importance of education in his empire. As an emperor, he was on good terms with foreign rulers and was closest to restoring the prior glory of the Roman Empire, although his efforts did not last beyond death.

Investiture Controversy

1073

Charlemagne's belief in being the ultimate defender of Christians as an emperor was passed down to those after him. Therefore, when Henry IV became a Frankish king and granted fiefs to priests and bishops, Pope Gregory VII excommunicated him in order to demonstrate his superiority in the Christian ranks. While Henry's trip to Canossa was deemed as a success in the short run, ultimately the pope prevailed and the Church from then on chose the bishops who would then be agreed upon by the King.

The Crusades

1096

Due to the knights' ultimate duty to defend Christendom, they followed a French knight, Godfrey of Bouillon, as well as the pope's orders to liberate the land of Christ from Arab non-believers. After many years of fighting the Arabs, the Crusaders finally reached Jerusalem, yet once there, mistreated and massacred its Muslim inhabitants. While the Crusades created much tension between the Christians and Arabs, it also resulted in cultural diffusion of what the Arabs had learned from conquests.

Magna Carta

1215

After Pope Innocent III achieved what Gregory VII had begun (becoming the sole ruler of Christendom), he was able to exercise his power over world leaders. When King John of Europe did not fulfill the Pope's orders, the Pope had him excommunicated and prohibited any Priest to celebrate Mass in England. After facing opposition from his subjects, King John vowed to not oppose their will and granted them rights. England paid taxes to the Pope, still, due to his great power.

Babylonian Captivity of the Popes

1309

France had magnificent cities and churches before Germany and abandoned the fief system in order to increase the wealth of the French kings. Because these powerful kings also ruled over southern Italy, they forced the Pope to leave Rome and live in France in order to keep watch over him. While the Pope lived in a splendid palace, he was still essentially a prisoner, conjuring a similarity to the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, as well as straining the relationship between Church and State.

The Renaissance

1420

The role of a craftsman or warrior was different from what it had been in the Middle Ages as burghers ignored commands of their emperors; rather than serve God, the citizens instead served, thought, and acted for themselves. Thus began the rise of humanism and a rebirth of the Classical Era, with increasing importance of intelligence, understanding, and one's skills. There was a new appreciation for pagan antiquity, nature, and ruins that aided in the rediscovery of classical works.

Conquer of the Aztecs

1519

Engrossed in the age of ambition and discovery, Hernando Cortez set out to seize all the riches from the land of his imagination as well as to convert its Natives. In the name of Christendom, despite committing horrible atrocities, Cortes conquered this land. Taking advantage of the peace of a religious ceremony, he attacked and killed all the nobility, while King Montezuma was stoned. Rather than enrich themselves in this foreign culture, however, Cortes exterminated it, and this theme spread.

Protestant Reformation

1519

Upset with the sale of indulgences by priests and monks to Christians seeking repentance for their sins, Luther posted his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany denouncing the practice. He believed an individual is merely saved by his faith, and no intermediary is required between oneself and God. After appearing before a panel in 1521, he was excommunicated from the Church, yet through reprinting the Bible in a new language, was able to unite a dissimilar group of followers.