Western Europe From 400 - 1000 AD Essays - Roman Empire, Superpowers

Western Europe from 400 - 1000 AD Western Europe from 400 - 1000 AD The changes that occurred in Western Europe, from the "Fall of the Roman Empire" until 1000 A.D., transpired in a series of events involving the actions and movements of many peoples across the continent. This period of history following the Fall and preceding the High Middle Ages was a chaotic time in which an aversion to central power became the norm, warfare ran rampant, and yet the foundations for Western civilization were formed. Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the late fifth century, the Mediterranean Sea was still a center of trade and travel. Rome was still considered a prestigious piece of real estate to own, as it had been the seat of power for several centuries in Western Europe. Constantinople's influence and geographic location helped it to remain a huge center of trade for Europe and Asia, and that would continue for centuries to come. (McEvedy, p25, 40) Consequently, this created a surplus in the treasury sufficient for Justinian to attempt a reconquering of the West in the early to mid-sixth century. However, in later centuries, Western Europe became more land based, and the center moved north of the Mediterranean coast. As the Roman Empire had been agrarian based, so was the lifestyle for the myriad of cultures and peoples that had migrated to the West. The land there was well suited for it as, "Northwestern Europe's dependable, year-round rainfall and the fertile soils of its numerous river valleys encourage agricultural productivity." (Hollister, p56-57) The new kingdoms that formed placed their interests in these fertile valleys of the West, and not so much in the Mediterranean. At its height in the second century A.D., the Roman Empire contained around 45 million people. By its Fall, the number had been reduced to around 22 million, and population did not really begin to rise again until the mid-eleventh century. (Hollister, p146) The shrinking of the cities that began in the late fifth century continued unabated. For the next 500 years, there was no city of decent size anywhere in the West. Plagues, which appeared sporadically throughout Europe, killed about one third of the populace each time it made a resurgence. The only possible population expansion was occurring in Scandinavia, and may have been responsible for their invasions in the ninth century. The basis for the economy at the time of the Fall was slave-driven agriculture. The slaves were mostly acquired as booty from Roman conquest, "but as the frontiers jelled and the flow of war captives dwindled, the chief source of slaves was cut off." (Hollister, p13) Thus the turn to coloni, a form of sharecropper who, while technically free, nevertheless evolved into the semi-free serf so prevalent in later centuries. Trade broke down markedly in the West after the Fall, due to the lack of cultural unity between manufacturing centers that had existed under the Empire. In addition, without a central government providing protection for merchants, those transporting goods by land or sea were prone to attacks by pirates. Taxes in turn became tribute, or protection money, paid to a local warlord to prevent lands from being pillaged. Agriculture remained the economic center of life, although the forms it existed in altered. Earlier settlements consisted of, "scattered individual farms, or small clusters of them." (Hollister, p139) And the Germanic tribes practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, which is by nature nomadic. Later settlements became more structured, taking on the more permanent form of villages. The basic type of village consisted of houses set close together, surrounded by great fields, specializing in different crops. This type of grouping became the norm of civilization, as cities were rare. Charlemagne standardized weights and measures which made determining value of goods easier. He also minted coinage, facilitating tax collecting as well as determining wealth. When he seized the Avar treasury, it created an influx of new money to the Western economy. During the Carolingian reign, nobles were granted booty as reward and incentive to support the current king. The problem inherent with this system is that it requires a constant stream of war and victories to appease the nobles. Therefore, "with the flow of lands and booty drying up, many great landholders deserted the monarchy and looked to their own interests." (Hollister, p109) Another issue with this system is that it creates hereditary titles that may not feel allegiance to the monarch. To solve this aspect, lands and titles were granted to members of the clergy, who because of vows of celibacy did not have children. Thus at the demise of the clergyman, the title and lands would