After studying this chapter, students should understand and be able to discuss the following:
The successor civilizations to Rome, their major historical periods, their major accomplishments, their adoption of the Roman heritage, and their similarities and differences
The strengths of Byzantium that allowed it to survive for more than 1,000 years
The characteristics of Orthodox Christianity and how it differed from Western Christianity
The significance of the Iconoclastic Controversy
The Byzantine artistic style, identifying it visually, and major examples of Byzantine art and architecture
Byzantine contributions to the West: the Orthodox Church and religion, elements of Byzantine art and architecture, literature, and technological advancements
The areas in Europe settled by barbarian tribes
The stages of the political history of the Frankish kingdom
The characteristics and achievements of Charlemagne's reign
The social and political role of the Early Medieval church
The accomplishments of the Carolingian Renaissance
The characteristics of Early Medieval architecture, painting, and artwork in books
Historic "firsts" of the Early Medieval West: earliest successful kingdom in western Europe, the first western empire since the fall of Rome, new musical forms, vernacular languages and literature, and the illuminated religious manuscript
The role of the Early Medieval West in transmitting the heritage of the Greco-Roman world: revival of learning and scholarship; modifying the Latin language; retaining the Classical educational ideal; keeping alive Greco-Roman building and artistic techniques; and, in general, fusing Classical, Christian, and Germanic elements into a new civilization
