The Mediterranean Region

The Mediterranean region had a lot of political strife and cultural changes in the period of 200 – 1000 CE. With several large and powerful empires with borders very close together, there were constant conflicts. From 200-1000 CE, the Mediterranean region changed with the breaking up of the large governments into small feudal systems and continued with a wealthy patriarchal society and Christianity as a main religion. The Mediterranean region changed with the breaking apart of large governments into a feudal system. Around 200 CE, the Roman Empire was a strong empire with a centralized power of the Senate. This elected group of patricians allowed for the control of a vast empire with many cultures. This led to a security that allowed trade to flourish. And soon after the consuls provided a strong head to the empire. But, several attempted coups and revolutions occurred. The Senate was forced to spread out the large Roman army. With its borders already too big, the army was struggling to keep invaders out. When they moved to stop the revolts, they left room for several foreign invaders.

The Germanic people started to claim the outer territories of the Roman Empire. When each Arian Lord claimed his land from battle profits, he set up his manor with its outer lying territories. This started the breaking up of the large political head into the small regional heads that were common in the feudal system. As the Germanic people moved farther into the Roman Empire, more and more of the land up was broken up. Until, around 450 CE, the Roman Empire fell and became the Byzantine Empire. But the same thing that happened to the Roman Empire happened to the Byzantine Empire, with invaders coming in and taking chunks of the land away piece by piece. These feudal systems lasted to well beyond 1000 Ce. The Mediterranean region continued with a wealthy patriarchal society. In the Roman Empire, the Senate ruled. The Senate was comprised of the patricians, who were the rich upper social class.

Because the Roman Empire followed a lot of governing practices used in the Greek Empire, only the wealthy, white men were able to rule. The women were allowed to help with the property but were subservient to first their fathers then their husbands. But they has slight power in that if a women inherited land or business from her father, she could choose which son to give it to. Even when the Roman Empire fell and became mostly feudal lands, the patriarchal society did not change. The feudal system is comprised of the King over the Lords over the knights over the serfs. The ruling class was still male. Women were expected to cook and raise children and not much more. In the feudal system, women were even more subservient to men in that it was very rare for a female to own land or a business. Although there were cases where a women inherited land but then had to give it to her husband as dowry. And the King, who gave out the land, chose Lords who had help fund the war. This ensured that the ruling class was still rich.

The Mediterranean region also continued with Christianity being a main religion. During the late 200 CE, the Roman Emperor Constantine had a vision on the battlefield of a giant cross in the sky. He promised to God that if he won he would spread the word of Christ. After the battle, he legalized Christianity and even made it illegal to worship the pagan gods of the Romans. Before this the Romans had basically worshiped the Greek gods but had different names. Constantine then establish the Catholic Church, who are still powerful today. Christianity spread through the Roman Empire.

When the Germanic people started attacking, the Romans clung to Christianity as a stability. Like the Mongols, the Germanic people adapted to the cultures of the lands they conquered. This allowed Christianity to stay a main religion in the Mediterranean region. As more and more people joined the Germanic feudal system, Christianity was spread. It became a main religion and stayed there. From 200 CE to 1000 CE, The Mediterranean region stayed the same with a male dominated society and with Christianity as a main religion. It changed in the breaking up of the old large government into smaller regional rulers.