Blog Post 54: Class was horrible

Today we took a test that we barely reviewed for; which i did terrible on: its cool though. Well for Hw we have to read tonight, Chapter 10 - Europe Takes Shape 700-1000 (LO-1) p. 164 to 173

• After 700 A.D. 
• the renewal of European civ. in the West began with the rise of power of a new dynasty in the Frankish kingdom, the Carolingians 
• Around 800 A.D. 
• the Carolingian warrior-king charlemagne was able to conquer barbarian people in central Europe 

The Carolingians 

• By 700 A.D. 
• the kingdom of the Franks; was seemingly falling apart 
• it was divided among rival kings of the Merovingian dynasty; each controlled by a "mayor of the place" 

The Rise of the Carolingian Dynasty 

• Charles 
• ruthless & warlike ruler 
• went down in history as Charles Martel "Charles the Hammer" 
• Being a Frankish warrior-landowner it was important to reward follower as well as to crush opponents
• In 732
• An Arab army moved out of the occupied territory on a large-scale raid far north into the Frankish kingdom

Charlemagne 

• Charlemagne 
• the french version of "Charles the Great" 
• made his capital at Aachen which was surrounded by a productive crown lands in the heart of the ancient Frankish territories
• His palace chapel was the first important stone building to be made north of the Alps after the fall of Rome  it itself indicates the slow recovery of the West
• Charlemagne was also concerned over the low level of education and scholarship in his realm and issued a decree instructing bishops and abbots to improve the training of clergy

Government: The Church and the State 

The Restoration of the "Roman Empire" 

• The most dramatic event of Charlemagne's rule was his coronation as "Charles Augustus, Emperor of the Romans" 
• this event took place on Christmas Day,800,