The millennium between the "fall" of the Roman Empire and the Voyages of Discovery--the Middle Ages--has often been characterized as brutish and inferior. Yet, this tough, fascinating society offered immeasurable potential for growth and adaptation. The personages and events of the European medieval world spawned many of the ideas and institutions of modernity. Topics for study will include the barbarian invasions, Byzantine Empire, Carolingian Europe, feudalism, medieval technology, Christian Church, medieval warfare, Crusades, rise of universities, crises of the 14th century, growth of monarchical power, and economic and social change.
