The Early Middle Ages

Shed light on the Dark Ages with this absorbing course that relates the often surprising true story of how Rome ended and Western civilization began.

Overview

Course No. 8267

Professor Daileader’s 24-lecture course examines the transformative period (650-1000 AD) through:

• The fall of Rome and rise of Christianity
• Charlemagne’s Carolingian Renaissance
• Viking expansions and Islamic Spain
• Competing theories of Gibbon vs. Pirenne

From Augustine’s theology to Arthurian legends, discover how Europe transitioned from antiquity to medieval society.

Video Lectures

Part 1: Roman Twilight

1-4. Empire in Transition (30-32 min)
Diocletian’s reforms, Constantine’s conversion, pagan twilight.

5-8. New World Order (31 min each)
Barbarian migrations, Frankish kingdoms, Arthur’s Britain.

Part 2: Medieval Dawn

9-16. Carolingian Europe (31 min each)
Charlemagne’s empire, Viking raids, intellectual revival.

17-21. Regional Transformations (30-31 min)
Capetian France, Alfred’s England, Islamic al-Andalus.

Part 3: Lasting Legacies

22-24. Societal Foundations (31-32 min)
Family structures, historical debates, medieval birth.