The mighty Roman Empire was divided for easier control in 285 CE by emperor Diocletian. The wealthy eastern empire lived on as the Byzantine Empire, while the western half declined into the middle ages from 500-1500 CE. In an attempt to revive the Holy Roman Empire, the Frankish Empire emerges, ruled most importantly by Charlemagne. In this time period, the Church was able to become higher than the state with a partnership between the pope and the emperor. The Frankish Empire lasted 35 years after Charlemagne’s death, but his three grandsons went to war over who the successor of the Frankish empire was. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided the empire into three parts, ending the conflict over the land between the three. Soon, many attacks from …show more content…
The economic situation in the Early Middle Ages consisted of harsh, unfavorable laws regarding economics. Laws on the worth, and exchange of currency, and the penalties for breaking them were very severe and regarded to as unfair. One particular law regarding the legality of coinage states, “If anyone refuses to negotiate a purchase or a sale, they can bring the case before the king….if they are servile and they own a business, let them lose the business, or be stripped and publicly beaten in the presence of people” (Doc E). During this time people would resist the new currency, and chose to barter goods as a form of payment. Without a circulation of currency, there is no strong economy, which is crucial in order to have a modern society. A major reason that Europe began the escape from the Dark Ages by the High Middle Ages was the improvement in their economy. By 1300 there was lots of trading in Europe for example, Italian states trading with northern states and Spanish states trading towards the silk roads (Doc F). Trade changed from being bason on manorial systems to being city-based, widespread trade. The trade routes allowed cities and towns to spring up along them and soon Europe was involved in intra-continental trade, which at long last ended the Dark