I.Germanic Kingdoms
     A.Visigoths in Spain & SW Gaul
          1.Weak Kingdom
          2.No alliance between Goths and Hispano-Romans
          3.Goths Arian Christians, then Catholics
          4.Weak alliance between Goths and Catholic Church
     B.Ostrogoths in Italy
          1.Weak Kingdom
          2.No alliance between Goths and Italians
          3.Goths Arian Christians, persecute Catholics
          4.Ostrogoths defeated by Byzantium, Italy
          reoccupied
          5.Byzantine Christians then persecute Catholics
     C.Vandals in Africa
          1.Weak Kingdom
          2.No Alliance between Vandals and Afro-Romans
          3.Vandals Arian Christians, persecute Catholics
          4.Vandals defeated by Byzantium, Africa reoccupied
          5.Byzantine Christians then persecute Catholics
     D.Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms in Britain
          1.Many small warlike kingdoms (Heptarchy)
          2.Mercia, Wessex, Kent, Northumbria most powerful
          3.Anglo-Saxons not Christian, worship Odin
          4.Celtic and Roman populated driven out or enslaved
          5.Some A-S Kingdoms convert to Catholic
          Christianity
          6.A-S Kings maintain trade relationship with
          Scandinavia
     E.Burgundians in SE Gaul
          1.Weak Kingdom
          2.No Alliance between Burgundians and Gauls
          3.Burgundians Arian Christians, then Catholics
          4.Burgundians conquered & absorbed by the Franks

II.Franks in Northern Gaul
     A.Strong, expanding kingdom
          1. 481, Saxony tributary
          2. 491, Thuringia tributary
          3. 506, Alamannia (Swabia) tributary
          4. 507, Aquitaine taken from Goths, Gothic king murdered
          5. 531, Thuringia conquered, Thuringian king murdered
          6. 534, Burgundy conquered
          7. 536, Provence annexed
          8. 536, Raetia annexed
          9. 539, Pavia annexed (lost to Lombards in 568)
        10. 546, Venetia annexed
     B.Gradual alliance with Gallo-Romans
     C.Franks Pagan, better than heretical Christians
     D.King Clovis (ruled 481-511), head of Merovingian
     family, converts to Catholic Christianity, A.D. 500
     E.Franks build strong alliance with Church
     F.Franks see themselves as the protectors of Catholic
     Christianity
          1.Clovis' sons conquer Burgundians
          2.Drive Visigoths out of Toledo, limit them to
          Spain and Narbonne
     G.Strong Kingdom under Clovis gradually declines under
     the later Merovingian kings
          1.Kings divide realm among sons, who then fight for
          supremacy
               a.One son eventually triumphs
               b.Then divides the kingdom among his sons
          2.Usually several competing Merovingian kingdoms
               a.Neustria (west)
               b.Austrasia (east)
               c.Burgundy
               d.Aquitaine
          3.Kings gradually lose effective control of Gaul to
          landed aristocracy
               a.Dagobert I (628-638) was the last effective
               and independent Merovingian king
               b.Later Merovingians dominated by great families
          4.Power resides in "Mayor of the Palace," an
          official who gradually turns the Merovingians into
          puppets
               a.Office controlled by Carolingian family after 714
               b.Pippin II of Herstal mayor of Austrasia, then Neustria
               c.Carolingians do not control Aquitaine until 768
               d.Aquitaine a separate sub-kingdom even under Charlemagne
          5.Yet the Merovingians had a special blood line,
          and the Mayors of the palace could not just make
          themselves king, even though they held actual power
               a.Merovingians descended from the god Merovech
               b.Carolingians are just upstart Austrasians
          6.Charles Martel, Carolingian Mayor of Austrasia
          and Neustria, lead the Franks against the Muslim
          invaders, and by defeating them at Tours (732)
          assured that Central Europe would remain Christian

III.Celtic Fringe: Ireland, Wales, Brittany
          1.Maintain continuity with Celtic past
          2.Catholic Christianity, some differences with Rome
               a.Date of Easter, tonsure, monastic
               organization
          3.Ireland a center of learning
          4.Irish monks still studied Greek

IV.The New Medieval Economy, A.D. 500-900
     A.Agricultural Developments
          1.Heavy Plow
          2.Horse Show & Horse Collar
          3.Three Field System
     B.Manorialism
          1.Self-Sufficient economic unit
          2.Barter/Gift economy
          3.Serfs: linked to land, protected by warrior elite
               a.men: 3 days labor service on Lord's lands
               b.women: 3 days work on Lord's cloth,
               handicrafts

V.Early Medieval Church
     A.Papacy
          1.Slowly extends influence outside of Rome
          2.Leo I
               a. Meets Attila
               b.Respected at Chalcedon
               c.Letters
          3.Gregory I
               a.Negotiates directly with Germanic barbarians
               b.Offers Political leadership in Italy
               c.Offers Leadership & Guidance to missionary
               work
               d.Writings: Pastoral Care; Moralia on Job
               e.Letters to Kings, other Churchmen
          4.Papacy greatly enhances prestige & effectiveness
          by allying itself with the Frankish monarchy of
          Pippin & Charlemagne
     B.Monasticism
          1.Retreat from sinful world, live holy life
          2.Benedictine Rule (c. 500)
               a.Work & Prayer
               b.Poverty, Chastity, Obedience
               c.Work=Farm Work, then Copying Books & Study
          3.Monasteries
               a.Powerful economic units
               b.Technological developments
               c.Cooperative Extension Services
          4.Monasticism & the Preservation of Learning
               a.Scriptoria: Preserve Classical authors
               b.Schools: Preserve literacy & learning
                    (1)Visigothic Spain: Isidore of Seville
                    (2)Anglo-Saxon England: Venerable Bede
                    (3)Carolingian Empire: Alcuin
                    (4)Ireland: John Scotus Eriugena