What it is like to live during the Middle Ages; a different perspective on this period focused on the experiences of everyday men and women; Professor Dorsey Armstrong draws on history, literature, the arts, technology, science and more.
EPISODE 1
The Medieval World
A preview of the developments and innovations that make the medieval period exciting; the rise of the university system; manuscript production; the construction of majestic cathedrals; medieval and modern people are more alike than different.
EPISODE 2
The Legacy of the Roman World
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.
EPISODE 3
The Christianization of Europe
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.
EPISODE 4
After the Roman Empire - Hybrid Cultures
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.
EPISODE 5
Early Monasticism
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.
EPISODE 6
From Merovingian Gaul to Carolingian France
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.
Dorsey Armstrong
