HUM 2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Sinbad The Sailor, Barter, Ganelon
Document Summary
What was europe like during the dark ages , who were charlemagne and roland historically? (c. 800, how and why did the song of roland, written 300 yrs later, change the story? (c. 1100) Tales of sindbad and song of roland are both written in about 1100th century about events in the 800th century. Emperors moved out of europe no central government. Tribes that have no relation to the greco-roman cultural tradition. Islamic expansion cuts off mediterranean no trade. No pepper or cinnamon, oil for lamps (candles), gold for currency (barter), papyrus for books (parchment) Some of them are illiterate (some cannot afford a bible) Archbishop stopped paying taxes to the emperor because he could not defend the churches anymore since he was busying protecting what was left of the byzantine empire. Emperor in constantinople was hard pressed by arab expansion, unable to defend european churches. So bishop of rome, independent head of western church pope.
