MOHAMMED, CHARLEMAGEN AND THE ORIGINS OF EUROPE
Bookmark this page

PIRENNE

·        Traditional historians focussing on Goths bleakness of Sark Ages and cataclysmic effect of Huns on rich civilisation of Rome. Ancient historians terminated in 5th century and medievalists start with Germanic inundation. Pirenne considers interaction between the two.

·        PIRENNE’S MAIN ARGUMENT

1.      Migrant tribes 4^th and 6^th centuries preserved what institutions they could and di not deliberately destroy classical institutions, Germanic tribes tried t preserve classical culture, as did church.

2.      Muslim invasions able to overthrow Roman mastery of sea-lanes and separate remnants of Western empire from Eastern Empire.

3.      Changes in Med. Isolated Merovingian kings in north-west Europe caused gradual rise Carolingians. Isolation Italy caused Pope to ally himself with aspiring Carolingians – ultimately led to coronation Charlemagne as Emperor in Rome 800.

·        Demise classical world postponed until 7^th century – nexus change 645 two hostile civilisations faced over Med. Isolated West: urban life collapses and political power focussed on land holdings, commercial middle classes disappeared and power focussed in Church. Charlemagne bridged gap between static closed economy and emerging fluid one.

·        Documentary Evidence – that he sues is weak. Was there not a decline in Gaul in 3^rd and 4^th centuries, little Arabian evidence for decline of papyrus, spices textiles etc.

·        Lombard by looking at coin design and deposits in Russia and Scandinavia produce thesis showing economic revival of West due to relationship between Islam and Europe.

·        Grierson – emphasises significance of gift-exchange, not necessarily purely economic, but cultural significance in dark ages.

·        Classical archaeology dominates – only recently attention paid rural dimension of Roman decline and newer layers of cities.

·        New Archaeologist – turn archaeology into a science search for patterns of human behaviour – only archaeology in a position to examine long-term human development.

·        Archaeology is the past tense of anthropology.

·        Archaeologists can make useful judgements on social and economic change if dating accurate.

·        Now easier to see how topography of period and region changed. Essential as settlement patterns reflect socio-economic systems that created them and modified them. For example market economy will show market centre etc, whereas society based on politics or ecology will show differing settlement patterns.

·        Must combine archaeological data with historical and numismatic evidence. Help relight the Pirenne debate Without Mohammed, Charlemagne would indeed have been inconceivable

Decline of the Western Empire

Pirenne’s Sweeping Conclusions

1.      Germanic invasions neither destroyed unity of Mediterranean nor truly essential features of Roman culture in 5^th century.

2.      Cause of break with antiquity as rapid and unexpected advance of Islam.

·        Pirenne’s first conclusion that Mediterranean world same in 400 as in 600. Trade intense as commodities moved length and breadth of Mediterranean.

·        Pirenne uses documentary evidence from Gregory of tours and Salvian – show there was trade, not volume. By describing trade and traders perhaps implies exception as opposed to norm. Archaeological evidence can hep show volume and distribution.

Archaeological Evidence

Rome

·        Continuing existence of amphorae from Schola Praeconum indicate continuing existence of large-scale sea borne trade between Rome, North Africa and the eastern Med in about 430-40.

Carthage

·        Oil and grain traditionally pass through Carthage. Argued Gaiseric’s capture in curtailed Rome’s access to the granary and alternative supplies needed until Belisarius recaptured city for Justinian in 534.

·        Fulford argues that once released from obligation to Rome possible to sustain lively relationship with various parts of the Mediterranean. Once Justinian reconquers evidence commercial life diminishes.

·        By 695-8 city was a shadow of its former self.

Luni

·        Based on marble trade. Evidence German like dwellings but that Byzantine copper coinage in use until around 600 evidence Syrian glass and amphorae still being imported. Appears to decline after 600. Port certainly collapsed.

·        Arrival Barbarians late 4^th and 5^th century damaged but did not destroy commerce of central and western Mediterranean – Rome imports wine after Gothic invasions, under Vandals Carthage may have experienced a boom, Luni still receiving foreign products. Changed by 600, Carthage stopped and Luni did not import luxuries.

·        Market economy collapsed in the 6^th century.

Rural Settlement in Italy

·        Classical world: dispersed rural settlement, but medieval times nucleated hilltop settlement. Archaeology help to accurately date change.

·        Ward-Perkins analysis of ARS (African Red Slip) – end of 3^rd century major change rural settlement as much disappeared.

·        Re-examination of pottery and settlement data: holdings and villas occupied in Roman Campagna fell by 80% between late 1^st and mid 5^th centuries.

·        Why possibilities?

1.      Decline use of ARS

2.      Change settlement pattern replacement many small sites with fewer larger ones

3.      Migration from countryside to country towns.

4.      Migration to Rome

5.      Decline in n populations

·        Combination documentary “dole” evidence leads them to believe decline in overall population and top ups to Rome popn. Important.

·        Theodosian Code shows reduction in taxable area, Visgoths exacerbated, similar state in Africa.

·        Classical pattern of dispersed settlement was transformed in the late Imperial Period

·        Debate depopulation: decline ARS may be purely economic issue not necessarily population issue. Wickham suggests 8^th century historical sources give no impression that the countryside had been abandoned.

·        T.S. Brown – beginnings of change to hilltop fortresses law in later 6^th or 7^th century when Albion Lombard overran Italy. Hilltops above roads used as refuges and then into permanent settlements. Dating suggests zone of hilltop sites to north of Rome date from this period – defence in depth strategy. However lowland settlements remain.

·        Late 6^th or 7^th centuries virtually all open classical sites abandoned in favour of hilltop locations. Evidence decline population. Reasons:

1.      Increased taxation of Justinian’s reconquest might account for rural depopulation in 6^th century

2.      Plague 542

3.      More defensible against marauding bands

4.      Change in peasant farming from decline of cities. Replacement Roman political system by German tribal elites diminution of local taxes. Markets and apparatus of government declined – farmers to provide basic necessities and also manufactured goods.

·        Decline Roman population. 367 estimated population of one million with imported grain and small population supplied locally in 8^th century. Ropey evidence suggests population half a million or less in mid 5^th century and after this date it declined very sharply.

Summary

·        Aleric’s invasion of Rome in 410 simply one incident in a long line of problems.

·        Excavations suggests commercial life existed but at declining rate until 6^th century. Rural and urban excavations show final degradation in 6^th century and Arab advance post 630 as consequence rather than cause of catastrophe.

·        Arch. Evidence supports decline, despite 5^th century revival. Size towns and standard housing fell. High Byzantine taxes needed for war, agric and industrial output declined, social unrest, mass movements and maybe plague led to depopulation of countryside. Urban life survived a little longer supported by individual commercial activity – soon dented by Justinian’s taxes.

·        Instability of countryside opportunity for kings and tribal chiefs to carve out new territories in Med, new social and economic systems. Pirenne lays too heavy emphasis on survival Roman institutions. By and 6^th century, conditions Western Med bore little resemblance to those in 2^nd century. Before Arabs arrived, transformation virtually complete.

·        Structure and economy of Roman society undermined and its wealth absorbed by two centuries of intermittent warfare.; ruined towns and wasted countryside suggest it happened in Med and end of Roman period.

The Eastern Mediterranean 500 – 850

·        Procopius: “castles and forts constructed to control his vast territory meant increased taxation for a population suffering from successive waves of barbarian incursions as well as from plagues”.

·        Byzantium in 700 – Constantinople, Asia Minor, coastal fringes, corn lands lost, commercial networks lost. Not aided by political factionalism and religious quarrels. Byzantine government choose to ignore Charlemagne and continue internal disagreement.

·        Archaeological Evidence – dramatic geomorphological change took place at the end of classical antiquity.

·        Vita Finzi – decay once flourishing Mediterranean countries – class geological causes independent f man, direct action of human force (soil erosion etc, Younger Fill) – ignorant disregard laws of nature, incidental consequence of war and ecclesiastical tyranny and misrule.

·        Age of Barbarianism – barbarian groups overran classical cities in Greece in later fourth or 5^th centuries. Corinth, Carthage, Luni – signs of violence – Slavs – possible example of a cataclysmic episode in 580s. Citis survive in 7^th century but smaller and hinterlands lost to Slavs. Yugoslavia coin fns less in 7^th and 8^th, similar pattern to Greece.

·        Asian City – Foss looked at 20 cities – 7^th century “revelation of destruction”

·        Ephesus – 5^th and 6^th century grandeur – plenty mausoleums and chapels – Early Christian funerary arranagements showing wealth.

·        Foss – great changes took place in Dark Ages – major decline, lowest point the and 8^th centuries – urban life, upon which classical Mediterranean culture had been based ended. Richest lands of classical civilisation dominated by villages and fortresses.

·        Ship wreck Yassi Ada Turkey – 625 – Georgios – evident from glassworks, metal works, pottery still some manufacture in latter days. Metcalf still trade in Aegean middle 7^th century

·        Arab raids conclusively ended Early Byzantine trade – even on modest scale we have suggested.

·        Byzantium and the Arabs – Justinian reunited Med. – built fortresses to protect Italy from the Lombards and on Peloponnese. Enhanced efficiency of the Navy as well as fortifying ports.

·        Justinian’s built Justinianic walls around many cities in Africa – despite archaeological evidence showing declining population and less people to defend.

·        Richard Goodchild – looking in Libya – Arabs break through extraordinary defences because they were welcomed by the Copts – thought Arabs allies against orthodox Christian enemies.

·        News of Arab incursions intro Provence frightened Merovingian – Bede of Jarrow found out. By 9^th century Arab empire Sind to Spain inc. southern shore Mediterranean.

·        The Dark Ages – Arabs did not value classical cities, unlike Vandals, dark ages until 10^th century.

·        Byzantium – 8^th and 9^th centuries troubled externally and internally – Peter Brown – “to adjust to the crevasse that had opened between rich Late Antique past and an anxious present overshadowed by the armies of Islam” -

Other Notes in this Category

1. Ancient Cities
2. Carolignian Period
3. Charles the Bald
4. Chronology of Byzantium and Persia
5. Dynasty of Theodosius I and Barbarians in the West
6. French and British Agriculture
7. Islamic Conquests up to 700 a.d. - Islamic Strenghts / Roman Weaknesses?
8. Islamic Conquests up to 700 a.d. - Islamic Strenghts / Roman Weaknesses?
9. MOHAMMED, CHARLEMAGEN AND THE ORIGINS OF EUROPE
10. New Centres of Power in the 8th and Ninth Century
11. Peace and War - Rome and Persia - 5-7th Centuries
12. Practice Questions
13. The Age of Attila
14. The Decline of the Ancient World
15. The Mediterranean and the Dilemma of the Roman Empire in Late antiquity
16. Warfare
17. Was successful Kingship in Merovingian Gaul simply a matter of being an effective and lucky war lead
18. Why did the western empire fall when the east survived?

Didn't find this useful?

• Visit Coursework.Info for over 14,000 GCSE, A-Level and University Essays