The Early Middle Ages

  • 395

    Divison of the Roman Empire

    Divison of the Roman Empire
    In AD 395, the emperor Theodosius divided the Roman Empire into two halves.
  • Period: 395 to 1453

    The Byzantine Empire

    Duration of the Byzantine Empire
  • 476

    Fall of the Western Roman Empire

    Fall of the Western Roman Empire
    In AD 476 the Western Roman Empire fell due to the attacks of the Germanic tribes.
  • Period: 527 to 565

    Reign of Justinian

    During his reign, the empire had its greatest period of glory and the empire conquered many territories.
  • 622

    Hegira

    Hegira
    This is the year when Muhammad fled to Medina. This event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
  • Period: 622 to 1258

    Spread of Islam

    Spread of Islam during the Middle Ages
  • Period: 632 to 661

    Orthodox Caliphate

    This was one of the three caliphates.
  • Period: 661 to 750

    Omeya Caliphate

    This was the second one of the three caliphates. The Islamic Empire reached the Península Ibérica during this caliphate.
  • Period: 750 to 1258

    Abbasid Caliphate

    This is the third one of the three Caliphates. When this Caliphate ended, the spread of Islam during the Middle Ages also ended.
  • 1054

    East-West Schism

    East-West Schism
    In 1054, the East-West Schism took place. This was a split between the Orthodox Church, which recognised the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Roman Catholic Church, which only accepted the authority of the Pope.
  • 1453

    End of the Byzantine Empire

    End of the Byzantine Empire
    In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire's 1,000-year-long history.