The Dark Ages of European History. From the Fall of Rome to the Renaissance

In 476, the Western Roman Empire fell. Vast territories of the Western Mediterranean fell into the hands of the Vandals, Visigoths, Franks, and other tribes whom the Romans had previously called barbarians. The Roman Empire, as known to the Ancient World, was no more. However, even in the conditions of declining power, Europe did not descend into darkness. The Eastern Roman Empire still existed, and under the patronage of emperors, the arts, sciences, and crafts flourished, and the legal system improved. On the ruins of the Western Roman Empire, new powerful states arose - the kingdoms of the Franks, Ostrogoths, and Visigoths. British military historian Charles Oman sheds light on the period known as the Dark Ages, thoroughly describing the personalities and revealing the character of rulers - from Theodoric the Great, who reigned in Italy in the early 6th century, to Charlemagne, the first emperor of the Franks. The historian vividly shows how the conflicts of the early Middle Ages laid the foundation for modern Europe.