The Middle Ages
Wikimedia Commons · Ronan Reinart · CC BY-SA 3.0The Fall of Rome and Byzantium
The end of the Western Roman Empire, the Germanic kingdoms, and the enduring Byzantine Empire.
60-Second Review
Express reviewA condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.
- The Third-Century Crisis and the Reforms of Diocletian and Constantine. The Third-Century Crisis gave way to Diocletian's Tetrarchy and Constantine's founding of Constantinople.
- The Final Division of the Empire and the Germanic Peoples. Theodosius's death in 395 CE split the empire permanently as Germanic societies pressed on its frontiers.
- The Huns, the Great Migrations, and the Disaster at Adrianople. Hunnic pressure triggered the great migrations and, in 378 CE, Rome's catastrophic defeat at Adrianople.
- Rome Sacked: Alaric and the Vandals. Alaric's Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 CE, and Genseric's Vandals sacked it again in 455 CE.
- The Deposition of Romulus Augustulus and the Causes of Rome's Fall. In 476 CE Odoacer deposed the last Western emperor; historians still debate the causes of Rome's fall.
- Germanic Successor Kingdoms and Roman Continuities. The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Franks built new kingdoms that preserved much of Rome's law and culture.
- Justinian I and the Byzantine Golden Age. Justinian I codified Roman law, rebuilt Hagia Sophia, and reconquered western territory amid plague and war.
- From Crisis to Conquest: Byzantium's Medieval Centuries and the Fall of Constantinople. Byzantium survived Persian and Arab onslaughts, flourished under the Macedonians, then fell to the Ottomans in 1453.
This is the starting point of The Middle Ages: you don't need any prior knowledge of this subject to begin.
Key points
11. The Third-Century Crisis and the Reforms of Diocletian and Constantine22. The Final Division of the Empire and the Germanic Peoples33. The Huns, the Great Migrations, and the Disaster at Adrianople44. Rome Sacked: Alaric and the Vandals55. The Deposition of Romulus Augustulus and the Causes of Rome's Fall66. Germanic Successor Kingdoms and Roman Continuities77. Justinian I and the Byzantine Golden Age88. From Crisis to Conquest: Byzantium's Medieval Centuries and the Fall of Constantinople
Visual module map
1The Third-Century Crisis and the Reforms of Diocletian and Constantine
2The Huns, the Great Migrations, and the Disaster at Adrianople
3The Deposition of Romulus Augustulus and the Causes of Rome's Fall
4Germanic Successor Kingdoms and Roman Continuities
5From Crisis to Conquest: Byzantium's Medieval Centuries and the Fall of Constantinople
Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.
Your module mastery
0% (overall measurement) Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%
A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.
Final test
You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.
Optional mini-games
Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.
Further reading
Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.
- Peter Heather, The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians.
- Bryan Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization.
- Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
- Judith Herrin, Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire.
- Procopius of Caesarea, History of the Wars.
- Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae.
- Jordanes, Getica (De origine actibusque Getarum).
- Gregory of Tours, Historiae (History of the Franks).