• Saint Jerome translates the Scriptures into Latin
330
• Christianity is proclaimed the official religion of the Roman Empire
395
• Roman Empire splits into Eastern (or Byzantine) and Western Empires
400
• Saint Augustine writes influential works of Christian literature
400
• Foundations for modern European languages are laid
451
• Papacy is set up in Rome
476
• Western Roman Empire falls to Germanic invaders
Period: 500 to 1000
• Early Middle Ages; feudalism develops; the Christian church becomes the dominant power in Europe
700
• Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is written down
Period: 711 to 718
• Moors invade and conquer Spain
Period: 800 to 814
• Charlemagne reigns as first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
900
• Beginnings of medieval drama
Period: 1000 to 1300
• High Middle Ages; feudalism is the main system of economy and authority; classical Greek and Roman texts are rediscovered; cathedrals are built as cities grow
1066
• Norman Conquest of England
Period: 1096 to 1270
Crusades
1100
• Song of Roland, French epic
1125
• Geoffrey of Monmouth. History of the Kings of Britain
(c.1100-1154)
1135
• French poet Chretien de Troyes, Perceval
c. 1135-1190
1140
• Poem of My Cid, Spanish epic
1161
• Marie de France perfects Breton lai, a French poetic form
c. 1161-1225
1179
• Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda
(1179-1241)
1200
• Romance of the Rose, French allegory of courtly love
c. 1200
Period: 1214 to 1292
• Work of Roger Bacon, lays foundations for modern scientific method
Period: 1225 to 1274
• Thomas Aquinas, theologian and philosopher, revolutionizes medieval thought
Period: 1300 to 1500
• Late Middle Ages; feudal system begins to weaken; Church has internal divisions
Period: 1305 to 1376
• Popes live in Avignon, France, during the Babylonian Captivity
1308
• Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy
1308-1320
Period: 1330 to 1384
• John Wycliffe urges Church reforms in England
1374
• Black Death begins to ravage Europe
Period: 1378 to 1417
• Rival popes feud over the papacy during the Great Schism