Late Antiquity

Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. 300-700/800 AD) used by historians and other scholars to describe the interval between high Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Europe and the Mediterranean world - between the decline of the western Roman Empire from the 3rd century AD onward, to the re-forming of the West under Charlemagne, of the Middle East under the Baghdad caliphate, and of Eastern Europe under the Byzantine Empire. The term, used in German history (Spätantike) since the early 20th century , was made famous in part by the writings of Peter Brown.

Related Topics:
Periodization - Classical Antiquity - Middle Ages - Europe - Mediterranean - Decline of the western Roman Empire - 3rd century AD - West - Charlemagne - Middle East - Eastern Europe - Byzantine Empire - Peter Brown

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The continuities between imperial Rome and the Early Middle Ages are stressed by writers who wish to emphasise that the seeds of medieval culture were already developing in the Christianized empire, and indeed continued to do so in the Eastern, or "Byzantine" Empire, while Germanic tribes such as the Ostrogoths and Visigoths saw themselves as perpetuating the Roman tradition. While the usage "Late Antiquity" suggests that the social and cultural priorities of Classical Antiquity endured throughout Europe into the Middle Ages, the usage "Early Middle Ages" emphasizes a break with the classical past, and the term "Migrations Period" emphasizes the disruptions in the same period of time.

Related Topics:
Byzantine - Ostrogoth - Visigoth - Classical Antiquity - Europe - Middle Ages - Early Middle Ages - Migrations Period

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