The European Middle Ages (Part 1 of 2)
3/2/202658 min
The period known as the Middle Ages was defined by more than knights and warfare. It began centuries before the First Crusade was called, in the confusion that followed the end of Roman rule in western Europe. And it persisted for a thousand years, until the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the discovery of the so-called New World ushered in the beginnings of modernity.
But just how important was the fall of Rome for people across the continent? What political and religious institutions sprang up to fill the power vacuum left behind? And who were t...
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[upbeat music] It's time to refresh your yard during Spring Backyard Days at The Home Depot. Get low prices guaranteed on propane grills, starting at $179, like the Nexgrill three-burner gas grill. Or get $50 off a select Weber Spirit grill and bring big flavor to your backyard. Then set the scene with Hampton Bay string lights that bring it all together. Shop Spring Backyard Days for seven days at The Home Depot, now through May 6th. Exclusions apply, see homedepot.com/pricematch for details.
John Hopkins· Host0:29
[waves crashing] It is Easter Sunday, 1097. Under a clear, ultramarine sky, the southeastern Italian port of Brindisi is a hive of activity. Hundreds of men and women line the seafront. Among them is a young priest named Fulcher. Like the others, he is waiting to board the fleet of single-masted wooden ships that float at anchor, their snowy white sails snapping in the breeze. Fulcher watches as crates of supplies are heaved onto the ships via creaking wooden gang planks. Horses are led aboard one boat, the sound of their agitation mingling with the cries of the seabirds wheeling overhead. The crowd parts as a mounted lord rides through, shouting instructions at the servants carrying his weapons. One ship unfurls its sails,