Revision:New Centres of Power in the 8th and Ninth Century

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·       Pirenne - new N Sea centre C8. New economy credited with own dynamic (not Med decline / rise of Islam); base agrarian wealth of W Europe / exchange system oriented v. N Sea into which rivers drained.

·      

No longer vast Roman wealth -

partitioned but revision / revival poss - increasing resources + competition.

Response from new peoples peripheral to former Roman Empire (A-S, Scandies,

·      

E - still heirs of Rome - probs of

Arab expansion. W - two greatest successor states much changed [Ost kingdom

only partly replaced by Lombards (dependent on warrior aristocracy despite imp

veneer); E / S Italy in Byz hands]. [Visigothic Spain fell in 711 to N African

Muslims - tiny successor state fell in C9. Frankish

·      Carolingian expansion + absorption of

neighbours, then C9 ravaging / converted / borrowed from. Charlemagne’s

accessions in NE Spain tempted successors to intervene further (e.g. 826 F

emperor wrote to men of Mérida urging revolt against amir of Córdoba), but no

territorial gain, and couldn’t prevent damaging territorial raids on Med

·      Reorientation: end of diplomatic

relations with Baghdad (810 - Charlemagne’s elephant - gift from caliph - died

in Westfalia preparing for Danish campaign). Danes greater threat. 805 - 8

frontier posts Saxony - Austria to control export of Frankish arms to Slavic

·      

Papacy legitimised F empire in 800 -

but Latin Christendom had asserted its identity long before this, by sending

competing missions (with E) to convert Slavs. Byz an alien power, but imp style still fascinated - monarchic

symbols and also substance of govt. (Roman law texts ) saw rebirth / reuse by

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