The Medieval World

A preview of the developments and innovations that make the medieval period exciting. The rise of the university system, manuscript production and the construction of majestic cathedrals.

How the heritage and ideals of the Roman Empire shape the early Middle Ages; how Christianity evolves to its position of power within the Roman Empire; how Germanic peoples from outside the empire "Germanize" both Rome and religion.

Visiting the fourth-century moment when Christianity becomes the dominant religion of the Roman Empire; how the religion changes after Roman rule ends; focusing in particular on the conversion of various communities beyond the borders of the empire.

The societies that develop out of the Roman Empire are really "hybrids" of Roman, Christian and Germanic elements; how examples from Anglo-Saxon England reveal this blending; how the values and ideals of these cultures are combined.

Examining this expression of medieval piety; observing the daily life of a monk following the "Rule of St. Benedict"; comparing this Roman or Benedictine form of monasticism to the very different Celtic model practiced in Ireland.

The empire of the Franks is ruled first by the Merovingians and then by the Carolingian dynasty; Charlemagne changes the face of medieval Europe; how Charlemagne brings about a flowering of art, architecture, literature, music and education.