The Dark Ages:
Early Medieval
Europe
Entry 8
Objective
• Explain whether the term “Dark Ages” is
an appropriate term to describe the early
medieval period.
The early medieval period or “The
Dark Ages”
• Term first appears from the Renaissance poet
Petrarch in the 1330’s
• Roughly the time between 500 and 1000 CE/AD
• The argument for the term lies in the early
medieval period’s lack of intellectual
progression, education, rise in violence, and
loss of self worth.
Europe after the fall of Rome in 476 CE
Why is it called the Dark Ages?
1. Collapse of Rome
2. Barbarian Invasions
3. Loss of Greek and
Roman culture
Reason 1: Collapse of Rome
• No single authority
saves Rome
• Roman cities
abandoned
• Christian Church is
only institution left
standing, becomes
more powerful
Reason 2: Barbarian Invasions
• Barbarian tribes flood
the lands of the
Roman Empire
• Known as the
“Migration of Nations”
– Franks France
– Anglo-Saxons
England
– Visigoths Spain
Barbarians
• Angles, Saxons, Jutes combine their
kingdom into one “England” (land of the
Angles)
• In Gaul, Franks and Lombards take over
due to invasion by Clovis
• Clovis names land in honor of the Franks
(France) in 510 CE
Reason 3: Loss of Greek and
Roman culture
• NO EMPHASIS on education or learning
outside of the Christian Church
– No schools/academies exist outside Church
• All of life’s questions were answered by the Church
– Monasteries-places where upper class
individuals sent people to read and write
Question
• Explain the reasons why Europe fell into
the “Dark Ages”