MIDDLE AGES

 

WHEN DID THE MIDDLE AGES BEGIN?

In the 3rd century, after many years of splendour, the Roman suffered a period of crisis.

·         Germanic tribes attacked the frontiers.

·         Many people left the cities for the contryside.

The Emperor Theodosius divided it into two:

The Western Roman Empire and the Easter Roman Empire.

In 476, the last Western Roman emperor was defeated. It was the start of the Middle Ages.

THE GERMANIC TRIBES

Romans called them Barbarians or foreigners.

They inhabited the north and east of Europe. They organised in tribes, they had an assembly that elected the chieftain.

The relationship with the Romans was sometimes peaceful and at other times violent.

GERMANIC TRIBES IN THE PENINSULA IBÉRICA

In 409 the Germanic tribes invaded the Península Ibérica.

A.      The Suevi settled in the northwest

B.      The Alans occupied the centre.

C.      The Vandals settled in the south.

In 416, the Romans asked another Germanic tribe, the Visigoths, to help them to defended Hispania.

THE VISIGOTH KINGDOM

At the begining of the 6th century, the Visigoths occupied the Peninsula Ibérica. Toledo was the capital, latin their language.

They used Roman laws and they also converted to Christianity. This kingdom ended when the Muslims invaded the Peninsula in711