The Middle Ages are Confusing

ROMAN: Diocletian splits Empire

285

The Roman Empire was so stretched out that Diocletian decided to split it into the Western Empire, whose capital remained in Rome, and the Eastern Empire, based in Constantinople, which was also called Byzantium.

ROMAN: Edict of Milan

313

After a victory he believed was a sign from God, the emperor Constantine declared that all religions including Christianity should be tolerated by the Empire.

ROMAN: Nicene Creed

325

Emperor Constantine presides over bishops settling a dispute over the origin of Jesus. The Council of Nicaea produces the Nicene Creed, stating that Christ was always in existence through God.

ROMAN: Theodosius' Edict

380

Emperor Theodosius I bans Roman cults and the old religions, making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

ENGLAND: Romans Leave

407

Rome pulls almost all troops out of the Isle to defend the weakened Empire in Italy.

BYZANTINE: Wall of Constantinople Built

410

When Rome was sacked, Emperor Theodosius II built a powerful wall around the city of Constantinople, signifying that this would be the new capital of the Empire.

ROME: Sacked by Germanic Tribes

410

The Visigoths, in search for safe land, sack the city of Rome.

ROMAN: Death of Hypatia

415

Hypatia, a revered philosopher and teacher in Alexandria, is allegedly killed by a Christian mob, signaling for some the end of the Roman classical age of learning.

ROMAN: Petrine Doctrine

445

The emperor Valentinian III decrees that according to the Nicene Creed, prominence of Rome, and reasoning of the Petrine Doctrine, the bishop of Rome receives papal supremacy.

ENGLAND: Anglo Saxon Invasion

449

The Anglo Saxon tribes invade and settle in England after the Romans leave the area.

FRANCE: Reign of Merovingians

Period: 485 to Apr 22, 750

The Dynasty was a strong force in the region of Gaul and united many factions of the Franks.

FRANCE: Reign of Clovis

Period: 485 to 511

Clovis was a Merovingian ruler who murdered many of his family members to eliminate any challengers of his throne. Clovis converted to Roman Christianity, forming a tie between the Roman church and Germanic tribes.

BYZANTINE: Justinian Becomes Emperor

527

Justinian, born a poor peasant, became emperor when his uncle died. Justinian and his wife, Theodora, rebuilt Constantinople.

BYZANTINE: Hagia Sophia Built

537

The great church was a symbol of the reborn Constantinople, and was later converted into a mosque when the city was capture by Muslims.

ISLAM: Muhammad Goes to Medina

Apr 22, 622

Muhammad left Mecca to spread his religion north in Medina, a journey now called the Hijra. The Muslim calendar is dated from this year, when Islam began to be accepted.

ISLAM: Muhammad Conquers Mecca

Apr 22, 628

Muhammad returns to Mecca with a group of followers and designates the city as a holy pilgrimage site.

ISLAM: Ali is Murdered

Apr 22, 661

Ali, Muhammad's son in law and cousin, is murdered by a political enemy. He believed that all Muslims should receive equal treatment, and followers of this perspective after his death were called Shi'ites. They are a minority to the Sunni group today.

ENGLAND: Writing of Beowulf

Apr 22, 680

Beowulf was mostly likely written by a monk during a time when monasteries became very prevalent in England.

ISLAM: Dome of the Rock

Apr 22, 691

A shrine in Jerusalem built by an Umayyad caliph who wanted to diminish the importance placed on Mecca. Muslims believe the rock is where Muhammad ascended into heaven, and happens to be right in the middle of land that Christians and Jews also consider sacred.

ENGLAND: Writings of the Venerable Bede

Apr 22, 725

During the early eight century, was a prominent scholar who interpreted texts and wrote about English and Germanic histories.

ISLAM: Battle of Tours

Apr 22, 732

The Islamic army led a powerful military campaign up into Frankish territory of the Merovingian kingdom. After destroying the southern region, a general named Charles Martel was sent by the Merovingian court to defeat the Muslim invaders, and he did this in a batte near Tours.

FRANCE: Battle of Tours

Apr 22, 732

Charles Martel, a Carolingian, saved the Merovingian kingdom from Muslim invaders.

FRANCE: Pepin the Short

Apr 22, 747

Charles Martel's son not only wished to rule, but also to hold claim to the title of king. Pope Zachary endorsed his claim, and the last of Merovingian power was shifted to the Carolingian line.

ISLAM: Capital Moves to Baghdad

Apr 22, 750

After upending the Umayyad caliphate, the Abbasids moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad. The new city was perfectly located to tap into trade in the Far East.

FRANCE: Carolingian Dynasty

Period: Apr 22, 750 to Apr 22, 987

Initiated with the coronation of Pepin the Short, the greatest leader of the Dynasty was Charles the Great, and the kingdom deteriorated after his death.

FRANCE: Charlemagne and the Renaissance

Apr 22, 768

Son of Pepin the Short, Charles the Great united a great portion of the Frankish region into one kingdom and brought back the learning and intellectual curiosity of the Romans.

FRANCE: Byzantines Recognize Charlemagne

Apr 22, 813

The Byzantines and Franks agree that Charlemagne is the Emperor of the Franks in the west.

ENGLAND: Alfred the Great

Apr 22, 871

King Alfred the Great expelled the Danes from western England and united this area. Alfred encouraged learning and education, which flourished under him.

FRANCE: Paris Attacked by Vikings

Apr 22, 885

Charles the Fat, a weak Carolingian ruler, tried to make a deal with the Vikings instead of defending the city of Paris from the invaders.

VIKING: Danelaw Pact

Apr 28, 886

Alfred the Great of England and Guthrum, a Danish leader, agree on boundaries on the British Isle separating the two groups and promoting peaceful relations.

FRANCE: Odo Takes Throne, Capetian Time Period

Apr 22, 888

After the death of Charles the Fat, the defender of Paris, Odo, is the first non-Carolingian to ascend to the throne.

ENGLAND: Beginning of House of Wessex

Apr 22, 901

From the death of Alfred the Great in 901, the House of Wessex became the ruling line in England until 1066.

VIKING: Rollo Founds Normandy

Apr 28, 911

Rollo is officially given Frankish territory in 911 through a treaty with Charles the Simple in exchange for fealty. The land he called Normandy had already been conquered by a group of Vikings led by Rollo himself.

VIKING: Erik the Red Discovers Greenland

Apr 28, 985

After being exiled from Iceland, Erik the Red and approximately 500 followers left for Greenland. Christianity would be introduced to the island about 15 years later by Erik's son, Leif Erikson.

VIKING: Viking Ships in Newfoundland Waters

Apr 28, 1000

Erik the Red's son, Leif Eriksson, sails from Greenland to the waters of Newfoundland. He landed on North America and settled there for a time, but the Native Americans proved too harsh an adversary.

VIKINGS: Canute Rules England

Apr 28, 1016

King Swein of Denmark and his son, Canute, continue the invasions in England. They topple the Anglo-Saxon King Edmund Ironside, and Canute becomes the new English KIng.

VIKING: Edward the Confessor Rules England

Apr 28, 1042

Harthacnut, Canute's son, half-brother and successor, gives the throne to Edward of the House of Wessex. Edward's successor in 1066 only ruled a few months before dying in the Battle of Hastings.