Middle ages and 17th Century - Opere e autori

MIDDLE AGES (FROM THE ORIGINS TO 1485)

THE ORIGINS (700B.C.-409 A.D.)

700 B.C.- 43A.D. THE IBERIANS AND THE CELTS43 A.D.- 409 A.D. ROMAN INVASION OF BRITAIN

THE IBERIANS: Britain was first settled in the Neolithic period by Iberian people who spread slowly from the south. We find out about them from archaeological remains such as grave mounds, pottery and Stonehenge, the most famous structure in South West England.

THE CELTS: Around 700 B.C. The Celts began to arrive from north-west Germany. Today their language remains in “Welsh” in Wales and “Gaelic” in Scotland. The tribal leaders were warriors and people were farmers, fishermen, metal workers, hunters and traders. Their priests, judges, educators and doctors were THE DRUIDS, who held the ceremonies in the heart of the forest and not in temples. Nature was important, it was seen as a Goddess. In general, the Celts worshipped the natural elements like the Sun, the Moon, the trees and the rivers, since water was regarded as the holy element which generates life and as the door to the world after death. They also believed in immortality and transmigration of the soul from one person to another.

THE ROMANS: Britain was invaded by the Romans in 55 B.C., but was not conquered. The Romans conquered Britain in the years 43-47 A.D. Under Emperor Claudius. They brought their language and culture; they built towns and connected them with roads, many of which are still in existence today. There were three different types of towns:

• the coloniae, peopled by Roman settlers;
• the municipia, where the inhabitants were given Roman citizenship;
• the civitates, which were the old Celtic tribal capitals

THE ANGLO-SAXONS (410-871): In the 5^th century, after the Romans had left, a new wave of invaders came by sea. They came from three Germanic tribes, the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. They gave England their name (Land of Angles). We know where they settled because the modern names are still in their language: the ending in -ing meant “folk”, or family; so Reading is the place of the family of “Rada”. In Anglo-Saxons society, after the king there were the eorls, a kind of hereditary aristocracy, and the thengs, high-ranking warriors. The Peasants were the churls, and then there were slaves at the bottom of society. During the period of Anglo-Saxon power, Britain became Christian. Pope Gregory I the Great sent St. Augustine to bring Christianity to England; he became the Archbishop of Canterbury and started building monasteries, libraries, and brought about the Latin language. Treasures and precious manuscripts. Then they had to face the next wave of invasion- that of the Vikings.

THE VIKINGS (871-1066): They were Scandinavian invaders, who left Norway, Sweden and Denmark to trade, raid and farm on new land. They attacked monasteries and small villages and robbed them. They defeated nearly all of Saxon England, but not Wessex. King Alfred of Wessex was the only Saxons to stand against the Vikings; he was not a military leader, but he also made a

MIDDLE AGES (FROM THE ORIGINS TO 1485)

THE ORIGINS (700B.C.-409 A.D.)

700 B.C.- 43A.D. THE IBERIANS AND THE CELTS

43 A.D.- 409 A.D. ROMAN INVASION OF BRITAIN

THE IBERIANS: Britain was first settled in the Neolithic period by Iberian people who spread slowly from the south. We find out about them from archaeological remains such as grave mounds, pottery and Stonehenge, the most famous structure in South West England.

THE CELTS: Around 700 B.C. The Celts began to arrive from north-west Germany. Today their language remains in “Welsh” in Wales and “Gaelic” in Scotland. The tribal leaders were warriors and people were farmers, fishermen, metal workers, hunters and traders. Their priests, judges, educators and doctors were THE DRUIDS, who held the ceremonies in the heart of the forest and not in temples. Nature was important, it was seen as a Goddess. In general, the Celts worshipped the natural elements like the Sun, the Moon, the trees and the rivers, since water was regarded as the holy element which generates life and as the door to the world after death. They also believed in immortality and transmigration of the soul from one person to another.

THE ROMANS: Britain was invaded by the Romans in 55 B.C., but was not conquered. The Romans conquered Britain in the years 43-47 A.D. Under Emperor Claudius. They brought their language and culture; they built towns and connected them with roads, many of which are still in existence today. There were three different types of towns:

• the coloniae, peopled by Roman settlers;
• the municipia, where the inhabitants were given Roman citizenship;
• the civitates, which were the old Celtic tribal capitals

Many of these towns were originally army camps, and the Latin name, castra, has remained in many modern town names ending in “caster”, “chester” or “cester”, such as Lancaster, Manchester.

Emperor Hadrian in 122 A.D. built a wall to mark the borders between Britons and the Scots and Picts and stretches of this wall still exist. The Roman control came to an end with the defence against the barbarian raiders and the Celts were left alone to fight against the Saxons raiders from Germany.

THE ANGLO-SAXONS (410-871): In the 5^th century, after the Romans had left, a new wave of invaders came by sea. They came from three Germanic tribes, the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. They gave England their name (Land of Angles). We know where they settled because the modern names are still in their language: the ending in -ing meant “folk”, or family; so Reading is the place of the family of “Rada”. In Anglo-Saxons society, after the king there were the eorls, a kind of hereditary aristocracy, and the thegns, high-ranking warriors. The Peasants were the churls, and then there were slaves at the bottom of society. During the period of Anglo-Saxon power, Britain became Christian. Pope Gregory I the Great sent St. Augustine to bring Christianity to England; he became the Archbishop of Canterbury and started building monasteries, libraries, and brought about the Latin language. Treasures and precious manuscripts. Then they had to face the next wave of invasion- that of the Vikings.

THE VIKINGS (871-1066): They were Scandinavian invaders, who left Norway, Sweden and Denmark to trade, raid and farm on new land. They attacked monasteries and small villages and robbed them. They defeated nearly all of Saxon England, but not Wessex. King Alfred of Wessex was the only Saxons to stand against the Vikings; he was n