Unit 1 Notes! (Chapter's 4 Through 9)

Chapter 4 (139-147)
Economy and Society in Early Medieval

Europe
● Byzantine was economically and agriculturally prosperous.
● The West was not economically or agriculturally prosperous
○ The 10th Century was when they started to gain some political
stability and were then able to participate in world trade more.
The Two Economies of Early Medieval Europe (140)

1. Economy of the Byzantine Empire
a. Free peasantry was what helped the Byzantine economy
prosper especially when coupled with the theme system
because when the peasants were allowed to cultivate their
own land to their best ability and for their own economic gain
the economy would prosper.
b. This system started to decline after the 11th century when
the wealthy started the garner larger and larger estates.
2. Manufacturing
a. Agriculture-supported manufacturing (ESPECIALLY IN
CONSTANTINOPLE)
b. Some of the key things manufactured
i. Glassware
ii. Linen and Wooden Textiles
iii. Gems
iv. Jewelry
v. Gold and silver works
3. Silk
a. Silkworms were stolen from China by two Christian monks and
then brought to the Byzantine Empire through Persia.
b. 6th century: the Byzantines had the same quality silk as China
c. Byzantine became the main supplier of fashionable fabrics in
the Mediterranean basin.
d. Silk became closely regulated because it became such a huge
part of the Byzantine Econ
i. To prevent monopolies the gov’t closely controlled who
could do what part of the Silk-making process.
4. Byzantine Trade
a. Byzantine pretty much-controlled trade
i. They became so dominant that the bezant (their coin)
became the standard currency in the Mediterranean
basin from the 6th to 12th Century.
b. Constantinople = main clearing house for trade
c. Byzantines got VERY RICH off of TRADE
5. Economy of Western Europe
a. Because of intermittent invasions and political turmoil, the
West wasn’t doing so well when it came to their economy, but
they were able to increase agricultural production due to
innovation.
6. Heavy plows
a. Heavy plows were better than light Mediterranean plows and
could be pulled by oxen and then later horses. This led to bigger
agricultural production.
b. The cultivation of beans/ legumes was increased which led to
better diets in western Europe.
7. Trade in Western Europe
a. Trade did not disappear from Western Europe, but was done on
a smaller scale.
b. Maritime trade still flourished, despite Muslim conquests
c. They (Christian Merchants) traded across religious boundaries
8. Norse Merchant-Mariners
a. Are kinsmen of the Vikings
b. They linked Western Europe to the Islamic world.
c. Participated in the trading Networks of the larger Afro-Eurasian
region.
Social Development in Early Medieval Europe

1. Byzantium: An Urban Society
a. The most urbanized place in the world till the Muslim
conquests of the late 7th and 8th centuries.
b. Constantinople was the most urbanized city in Byzantine and
no other city in Byzantine could compete with it.
2. City Life
a. The Rich = Very spoiled
b. Upper-class women (Just remember the word Patriarchy)=
veiled, and could not be a part of parties or banquets.
c. Less privileged classes = not spoiled
3. Attractions of Constantinople
a. Lots of entertainment
b. City of Baths
c. Hippodrome:
i. Stadium adjacent to the imperial palace
ii. Also for entertainment
d. Even attracted the poor
4. Western Europe: A Rural Society
a. The West used to have lots of entertainment like the East, but
because of Germanic invasions, they disappeared.
b. Agricultural growth could only sustain the local political elite
but could not sustain large urban populations.
c. More economic integration of activities of distant lands
5. The Question of Feudalism (145)
a. The significance of Feudalism is that it created a hierarchical
system of government and influenced the effectiveness of the
military because land was given to those who gave their
services to the military further incentivizing people to join.
b. Lords over retainers
i. Lords incentivized retainers with land, money, etc.
c. Lords and retainers constituted themselves as privileged
political and military elites who dominated local regions
6. Peasants(147)
a. Surplus of agricultural production = support Lords, retainers,
and their families.
b. Peasants were under the control of the Lords
i. Example: They had to pay fees for the right to marry a
peasant who worked for a different lord.
7. Population
a. The population of both Western Europe and Byzantine went
through many fluctuations but then ended up going back to a
high point which allowed for both Byzantium and Western
Europe to build great agricultural economies that sustained
many people and increased populations by the year 1000.

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Unit 1 Notes! (Chapter's 4 Through 9)

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Chapter 4 (139-147)

Economy and Society in Early Medieval

The Two Economies of Early Medieval Europe (140)

Social Development in Early Medieval Europe

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