Chronology of the Early Middle Ages (In Europe) Please draw the following timeline in your notebook. 476 C.E.. 486 C.E. 568 C.E. 711 C.E. 732C.E. 751 C.E. 768 C.E. 793 C.E. 800 C.E. 843 C.E. 871 C.E. 874 C.E. 896 C.E. 919 C.E. 936 C.E. 985 C.E.

476 C.E. The Western Roman Empire is officially ended when Emperor Romulus is deposed. The territory of the Western Empire will be carved up and claimed by various Germanic tribes. The first major settlements were the Visigoths in Spain, the Vandals in North Africa, the Franks in Northern Gaul and the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in Britain. 476 C.E..

486 C.E. Clovis, King of the Franks, conquers Gaul. Clovis was the first leader to unite all the Frankish tribes and was the founder of the Merovingian dynasty which ruled for the next 200 years. In 496, he converted to Roman Christianity which set him apart from many other Germanic leaders who had converted to Arian Christianity. 486 C.E.

568 C.E. The Kingdom of the Lombards is founded in Italy. Over the previous decades, Italy had been reconquered by Emperor Justinian from the Ostrogoths. Justinian died in 565, and the Byzantines could now longer hold the peninsula. The kingdom was bought to an end in 774 when it was conquered by Charlemagne. 568 C.E.

Tariq which later became “Gibraltar.” 711 C.E. Muslim armies invade Spain. Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I ordered General Tariq ibn Ziyad to lead the primarily Berber armies across the strait into Europe. This marked the beginning of the end for the Visigothic Kingdom of Spain. The Muslims would remain in the peninsula until 1492. The Rock of Gibraltar shown above gets its name from the Arab General, Tariq ibn Ziyad, who was leading the Moors into Europe. He named it Jebel Tariq which later became “Gibraltar.” 711 C.E.

732 C.E. The Battle of Tours. Charles Martel halts the advancing Muslim armies. The Merovingians were still declaring kings at the time, but had lost all real power. Although Martel never assumed the title of king, he was the de facto king of the Franks and divided France between his sons upon his death. 732C.E.

751 C.E. Pepin the Short is crowned King of the Franks by the Pope which officially ends the Merovingian dynasty and begins the Carolingian dynasty. In exchange, Pepin defended Rome from the Lombards. He was victorious and gave his conquered land to the church. This led to the establishment of the Papal States. Pepin was the son of Charles Martel and the Father of Charlemagne. 751 C.E.

768 C.E. Charlemagne becomes king of the Franks upon the death of his father Pepin. Originally he was co-ruler with his brother Carloman, but assumed full power upon his death in 771. He continued to be the protector of the papacy. 768 C.E.

793 C.E. First Viking invasions of the British Iles. Originally from Scandinavia, these fierce warriors left their homeland to look for economic opportunities and because of population pressures at home. In the following centuries, they would explore, plunder, settle, and trade with the whole of Europe. 793 C.E.

Exploration and settlement during the Viking Age: 793- 1066

Coronation of Charlemagne, Jean Fouquet, 1460 800 C.E. Charlemagne is crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III after he helped the Pope regain control over the nobles of Rome. This coronation effectively nullified the legitimacy of the Byzantine Emperor and widened the gap between east and west. It is marked the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire. Coronation of Charlemagne, Jean Fouquet, 1460 800 C.E.

843 C.E. The Treaty of Verdun. Charlemagne’s empire is divided between his grandsons. Charles the Bald Lothair Louis the German (Papal States) 843 C.E.

871 C.E. Alfred the Great comes to power in the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. He was the only king in the British Iles to fend off the attacks of the Vikings which enabled his successors to unify all of Anglo-Saxon England. 871 C.E.

874 C.E. Iceland is settled by Norsemen. Iceland was much different than other lands the Vikings had encountered because it was not inhabited. The Norse quickly settled the Island and had established a government by 930 C.E.. The Althing (National Parliament of Iceland) is one of the world’s first parliaments and still exists today. 874 C.E.

896 C.E. The Magyars settle in modern day Hungary and begin to raid parts of Germany, France, and Italy. These raids, along with those of the Vikings and the Muslims help lead to the establishment of feudalism in Europe. 896 C.E.

German Duchies: Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Bavaria, Lorraine 919 C.E. Henry the Fowler is elected the first King of Germany by the nobles of Saxony and Franconia. Germany was the eastern half of the former Carolingian Empire (East Francia). He acted as primus inter pares among the Dukes of five German Duchies. German Duchies: Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Bavaria, Lorraine 919 C.E.

936 C.E. Otto I, son of Henry the Fowler succeeds his father as King of the Germans. By appointing Dukes and high ranking clergy, he consolidated his power. He defeated the Magyars in 955 and the Kingdom of Italy in 961. In 962, the Pope crowned him “Emperor or the Romans” and began the Holy Roman Empire. 936 C.E.

985 C.E. Eric the Red begins the Norse colonization of Greenland. His son would be the first European to reach North America. The Oseberg is a well-preserved Viking ship discovered in a burial mound in Southern Norway. It dates from the early 9th century and is now stored in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. 985 C.E.