Major Historical European Events - Influence of the Catholic Church on Western Civilisation 200 CE - 1806 CE

By Tom Macleod
  • 200

    The Fall of the Roman Empire 200 CE - 476 CE

    The Roman Empire controlled a large part of Europe around the Mediterranean Sea for more than a thousand years. It started to fall as the government were corrupt and its empire became to large to effectively control. The rise of Christianity was also a major cause of The Fall of the Roman Empire. The Christian religion began to dominate the Roman Empire and took over from the worship of many gods in the traditional Roman religion.
  • Period: 200 to

    Major European Events

  • 330

    Byzantine Empire 330 CE - 1453 CE

    The Byzantine Empire started just after the time of the Fall Roman Empire. The new empire covered the eastern region of the old Roman Empire and was ended in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks. For over a thousand years the Byzantine Empire was a powerful force in Europe. The Byzantine Empire was responsible for the spread of Christianity using missionaries in Europe and beyond. Christianity was made the official religion of the empire during this era.
  • 962

    Holy Roman Empire 962 CE - 1806 CE

    The Holy Roman Empire was a group of lands that were linked politically and governed by an Emperor, in western and Central Europe (these countries included modern Germany). The majority of its rulers came from a German background and were appointed by the Christian church (the Pope). The Christian Church went through a series of conflicts and changes including a split in the Catholic Church where some of the territories in the empire became Protestant.
  • 1300

    Renaissance 1300 CE - 1618 CE

    The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy just after the Middle Ages, when a new more positive way of thinking developed. Things like art, music and science were celebrated and this movement spread to other parts of Italy and Europe. A new philosophy called Christian Humanism was developed. It was a more positive version of Christianity which moved away from the idea of focusing on people being sinful. The Christian Church supported the creativity in the areas of music and art.

  • Enlightenment 1685 CE - 1800 CE

    The Enlightenment or the Age of Reason was a movement that influenced the worlds thinking in Europe for over more than 200 years. The Enlightenment was a time where there were a number of scientific discoveries and influential thinkers (eg Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes). There were many ideas developed during the period of the Enlightenment, including the separation of the Christian Church from the government. There was a change to a more tolerant style of Christianity.