The Dark Ages

A Definitive History of Europe from the Fall of Rome to the Dawn of the Middle Ages

Charles Oman, Zenith Maple Leaf Press

• Publisher: Zenith Maple Leaf Press
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9791070120170
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European History
• Index: History

From the ashes of an empire, a new world struggles to emerge. In The Dark Ages, eminent historian Charles Oman delivers a vivid and authoritative account of Europe's turbulent centuries between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of medieval civilization. Covering the years 476–918 AD, Oman examines the dramatic shifts in power, culture, religion, and society. From the invasions of Goths, Vandals, and Huns, to the rise of the Frankish Kingdom, the spread of Christianity, and the birth of feudal Europe, this work provides a sweeping yet detailed view of an often-misunderstood era. With a balance of scholarly insight and narrative clarity, Oman separates myth from fact, revealing that the so-called "Dark Ages" were a time not only of conflict and decline, but also of resilience, transformation, and the seeds of modern Europe. "One of the most engaging and readable histories of the early Middle Ages." – History Today "Oman brings clarity to a period too often shrouded in mystery and misconception." – The Times Literary Supplement ? Why Readers Love It: ? Covers politics, warfare, religion, and daily life across early medieval Europe ? Offers a balanced reassessment of the "Dark Ages" as a time of change, not just decline ? Essential reading for students, history enthusiasts, and medieval scholars ? Click 'Buy Now' to journey through the centuries that bridged the fall of Rome and the birth of a new Europe.

Table of contents

• ODOACER AND THEODORIC 476-493
• THEODORIC KING OF ITALY 493-526
• THE EMPERORS AT CONSTANTINOPLE 476-527
• CHLODOVECH AND THE FRANKS IN GAUL 481-511
• JUSTINIAN AND HIS WARS A.D. 528-540
• JUSΤIΝIΑΝ—(CONTINUED)
• THE EARLIER FRANKISH KINGS AND THEIR ORGANISATION OF GAUL 511-561.
• THE VISIGOTHS IN SPAIN
• THE SUCCESSORS OF JUSTINIAN 565-610
• DECLINE AND DECAY OF THE MEROVINGIANS 561-656.
• THE LOMBARDS IN ITALY, AND THE RISE OF THE PAPACY 568-653
• HERACLIUS AND MOHAMMED 610-641
• THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE VISIGOTHS 603-711
• THE CONTEST OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE AND THE CALIPHATE 641-717
• THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT MAYORS OF THE PALACE 656-720
• THE LOMBARDS AND THE PAPACY 653-743
• CHARLES MARTEL AND HIS WARS 720-41
• THE ICONOCLAST EMPERORS—STATE OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY 717-802
• PIPPIN THE SHORT—WARS OF THE FRANKS AND LOMBARDS 741-768
• CHARLES THE GREAT—EARLY YEARS CONQUEST OF LOMBARDY AND SAXONY.
• THE LATER WARS AND CONQUESTS OF CHARLES THE GREAT 785-814
• CHARLES THE GREAT AND THE EMPIRE
• LEWIS THE PIOUS 814-840
• DISRUPTION OF THE FRANKISH EMPIRE—THE COMING OF THE VIKINGS 840-855
• THE DARKEST HOUR—A.D. 855-887 FROM THE DEATH OF LOTHAIR I. TO THE DEPOSITION OF CHARLES THE FAT
• ITALY AND SICILY IN THE NINTH CENTURY (827-924)
• GERMANY 888-918
• THE EASTERN EMPIRE IN THE NINTH CENTURY 802-912
• THE END OF THE NINTH CENTURY IN WESTERN EUROPE. CONCLUSION