3A - The Collapse of the Roman Empire Flashcards
white martyrdom
Jesus and the apostles admired celibacy, led many to test their faith through solitary living, sometimes called white martyrdombecause it was considered to be martyring or giving your life to Christ without the shedding of blood. Living a solitary existence, as a hermit, was a difficult endeavor–food, shelter and safety were all uncertain
first christian hermit
St. Anthony of Egypt
St. Anthony of Egypt
St. Anthony decided to take up solitary living in accordance with his literal interpretation of Jesus’ advice:
- Anthony gave away all of his possessions to the poor,
- placed his sister in the care of a group of virgins,
- -and moved to increasingly desolate locations. It is said that Anthony’s dedication to his faith, prayer and simple living was even tested through the temptations of devils
significance of st anthony
whilehewastrying to live as a hermit, many people came to visit St. Anthony to learn his wisdom;
- these visits initiated one of the earliest communities of individuals living a common life in the service of God.
- The Lifeof St. Anthonywritten by Bishop (St.) Athanasius of Alexandria is the earliest example of biographical writing about Christian hermits that has survived, and it is useful because it describes how communities of nuns, monks and hermits began
Communities could either live in isolation, meeting occasionally for worship, or live together in a common house, in accordance with a shared schedule. Whatever the size of the community, it was quickly recognized that when a group came together, they needed an_________
bbot (for male communities) – from the Aramaic word, abba, for father – or an abbess (for female communities) to oversee worship and lead, as well as to set rules for the community. They guided the community of monks or nuns: religious people who had taken on solemn vows such as poverty and obedience, and who could even go on to take on more vows and positions in Holy Orders.
Religious communities living in monasteries or abbeys usually determined their own set of rules until the common-sense rules of St. Basil of Caesarea in Asia Minor and St. Benedict of Nursia (or Monte Cassino) in Italy were popularized in the east and west respectively – What concepts can be attributed to them?
he concepts of hospitals, orphanages and care homes for the homeless or elderly can be attributed to these communities w
. Most often religious communities earned their living through copying books and educating children – work, prayers, and dedication to the group were fundamental parts of their daily routine. – critical for our knowledge in modern day
The firstbarbariantribe to enter Roman Empire w
ere the Franks around 250 CE.
what happened when the franks entered the roman empire
he Romans granted the Franks substantial farming lands in what is present day France in order to stop their ongoing plunder and destruction of Roman cities.
(However, the Franks were not to be the only invading tribe. The 4th century saw many other tribes pushing west and south into the Roman Empire.)
the east had financial means to hire mercenaries or pay ff invaders - the west did not — what was the first great blow to the west in 410 CE
the city of Rome fell to a tribe called the Visigoths
- Some attributed their misfortune to corruption or God’s wrath for their lack of faith, while others wondered whether they had chosen the right gods to believe in
- The final blow came in 476 CE, when the barbarian chief Odoacer led a revolt of Gothic tribes and deposed Romulus augustulus
- although Odoacer declared himself King of Italy, he would soon be killed by a rival barbarian chief, Theodoric the Great
The last Roman province in the West to fall was Africa and it was there that St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, provided an explanation for the world turning upside down
St. Augustine of Hippo
St Augustine of Hippo
- Chose a life of leisure
- eventually decides more to life than pleasure
- Met St Ambrose of Milan
- -was baptized
- -augustine felt remorse, spread christianity, was named bishop of hippo
- Stands at juncture of pagan classical roman age and start of christian Middle Ages
- wrote the confessions, explain how traditional philosophical ideas from well-known figures such as Aristotle and Plato could fit into a philosophy of Jesus.
St. Augustine wrote in his book City of God
hat the material world is imperfect and that all societies will fall. He encouraged Christians to look towards the heavenly kingdom of God because no early kingdom or society will outlast it.
-His words brought comfort to many Christians during the uncertain times ahead. St. Augustine died in 430 CE, the year his city, Hippo, fell to the Vandals tribe.
The tribes settling within the former Western Empire brought
feudal systemith them their own values and customs. Instead of requiring allegiance to the state, many of the Germanic tribal peoples swore fealty to their lord or chief, usually an accomplished military leader and often a hereditary king. Thus, society in the West was starting to change, away from the unified system under an emperor, and into divided small kingdoms under local rulers.
n return for their lord’s protection and a share in plunder, individuals were required to swear an oath of allegiance and to fight for their lord’s causes. Security was based on this relationship and fealty between kin groups ensured that families would seek revenge for any wrongdoing. Bloody feuds were very common. This structure would later become the basis for the societal __________ that characterized the Middle Ages.
feudal system
under the feudal system When the Empire collapsed in the West, large cities and towns often fell into ruin – who was growing in power during h=these times
the church
In many regions where people were desperate for security in a chaotic era,________represented the only trustworthy, stable system to endure the barbarian invasions.
bishops
Pope Gregory the Great & Stability
organized the city of Rome’s defenses on several occasions to protect it and neighbouring communities from raiding Lombard tribes.
–Even went to meet the invaders himself – shows sense of stability in the church
Pope Gregory the Great & missionaries
Pope Gregory was responsible for sending missionaries further afield to places such as Britain.
- He believed that part of stabilizing society included instilling Christian values in the Germanic tribes and he sought to do so in ways that would be recognized according to the customs that these tribes valued.
- For instance, he encouraged his missionaries to Britain not to destroy pagan temples but instead to recognize them as significant sites that could be transformed into places of Christian worship
Pope Gregory the Great & tribal cultures responsiveness to ‘intercessory powers of saints’
intercessory powers of saints – the fear of punishment for transgressions, or blessings of good fortune for devotion to God, by the saints.
It also meant that many pagan tribes felt that they could pray to a saint much as they could speak to a departed loved one.
-St. Gregory also recognized the value of newcomers to the Catholic Church feeling a physical connection with God and so dispersed many holy relics: the bones or items that had been in contact with a saint in their lifetime.
holy relics
the bones or items that had been in contact with a saint in their lifetime.
In the years after the fall of Roman Empire in West, the Catholic Church more and more became a strong unifying force in the life of Western Europe. The Church preserved ______ as its official language, and as the feudal system of local kings, queens, lords and ladies continued to grow, _____&_____ became increasingly intertwined
Latin, politics and religion
one of the first barbarian tribes to be converted to Christianity was
he Franks because King Clovis I considered it a solution for to diminishing the fighting between his people and neighbouring tribes
king Clovis I did not consider conversion until
his use of a Christian prayer seemingly led to his victory in an important battle
clovis’ wife
with the encouragement of his Christian wife Clotilde, the bishop of Rheims and several nobles, Clovis was baptized on Christmas Day in 496 CE.
King Æthelbert of Kent, is an example of
the Church and the monarchy intertwining
King Æthelbert of Kent, (who had a Christian Frankish wife,
Berthe
king aethelbert relevance
Pope Gregory’s missionaries would approach King Æthelbert of Kent, (who had a Christian Frankish wife, Berthe) to obtain the right to set up a church for preaching.
- The acceptance and baptism of the king would encourage others to join the faith
t was also during this time that monks began to write down the stories of these individuals to serve as reflections and educational resources about the origins of the Catholic faith in their countries. For example, Gregory of Tours’ wrote _______
History of the Franks
It was also during this time that monks began to write down the stories of these individuals to serve as reflections and educational resources about the origins of the Catholic faith in their countries. For example, Bede of Wearmouth- Jarrow’s wrote _____-
The Ecclesiastical history of the English People
Bede’s is especially notable for its
edication to the tribal king, reflecting the important role of kings in the conversion of their peoples.
From the 5th century until the days of Charles the Great (9th century), the most surprising contribution from the early Catholic Church came from
Ireland
popular Irish saints
St. Patrick and St. Brigit
the great numbers of barbarian tribes that has moved across Europe had simply not found their way to Ireland. As such, Irish Christianity continued much as it had before the fall of the Empire and the Christian scholars on the island were able to preserve, teach and even export ideas back to mainland Europe (just read)
peregrinatio
or a journey that had no destination in mind but was determined by God’s will
rish monks and missionaries, who felt a calling for peregrinatio, or a journey that had no destination in mind but was determined by God’s will, took many of these books to distant areas like
Switzerland, Germany and Italy.
