Course overview
How did the Fall of the Roman Empire affect the political structures and cultures of western Europe? This course examines Late Antiquity in the West as a period of transformation, starting with the responses of the emperors to Germanic settlements within the western provinces and ending with the 'new' Roman Empire of Charlemagne in Frankia. Intellectual and religious tensions within this period will also be studied, especially the role of the Church in society. Evidence will include eyewitness accounts by Gregory of Tours as well as literary and archaeological material. Regions surveyed will include the Frankish, Anglo-Saxon, and Lombardic Italian kingdoms.
Course learning outcomes
- Become familiar with primary sources for understanding early mediaeval history in Gaul, Italy and Britain
- Develop scholarly approach to and methodology for historical interpretation of texts and material evidence
- Become familiar with problems and issues in the study of mediaeval history of Europe