Question: What was the importance of Christianity spreading to Northern Europe during the early years of the Middle Ages?
Facts:
Facts:
- Missionaries from the Byzantine Empire brought Orthodox Christianity to Russia
- By the time Rome fell in 476 c.e., much of Europe was Christian
- Catholic monks carried Christianity to central and northern Europe
- Missionaries followed the European conquerors, traders, and colonists when they traveled on the sea
- Your life was dominated by the church even if you were whether you were a peasant, a serf, a noble, a lord, or a King.
- Christianity was seen as a threat to the Roman Empire since the Christians refused to worship the Roman gods or the Emperor
- Christianity was the only accepted religion
- Communities of monks were monasteries
- Monks were religious men who lived apart from society in isolated communities
- Most European monasteries followed a set of rules created in the early 500s by an Italian monk named Benedict.
- This code was called the Benedictine Rule
- Some groups of monks created their own rules- monks in Ireland were very different from monks in France or Germany
- Monks did many services for their community
- St.Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland
- People believed Christianity gave them hope they would have a better life. Christianity was important, because many monks and missionaries helped spread Christianity. These people were given many opportunities in their community; the Monks did this for them.