Texts in Context:
Timeline of
the Early Middle Ages
By Gabriel Blanchard
This timeline covers the Early Middle Ages, i.e. the late fifth to mid-eleventh centuries AD. It is not exhaustive: Some dates are approximate or conjectural; a few especially uncertain ones have a question mark. Our previous summary timelines include the Stone and Bronze Ages, the Early Iron Age (or pre-Classical antiquity), and our Classical Antiquity timeline in two parts.
The Early Medieval period covers two somewhat distinct regions, which we have designated as “The Mediterranean” and “Northern Europe.” For a mixture of reasons, these regions and their subdivisions were less interconnected during the Early Middle Ages than the united Roman Empire had been, even in Late Antiquity. To reflect this, we have divided our Early Medieval Timeline into red (Mediterranean) and green (northern) halves, and highlighted events important to both regions alike in yellow. (The columns are not precisely even in every place, since ensuring that they were would have resulted in an excessively long post—i.e., long not in terms of content, but vertically long.)
Late Antiquity
- 432—Mission of St. Patrick to Ireland; foundation of Celtic Church, in limited contact with Great Church native to the Mediterranean.
- 451—Council of Chalcedon; Christians of Roman Empire divided between Chalcedonians (majority), Miaphysites (mainly in Egypt).
- 455—Rome sacked by Vandals.
- ca. 470—Floruit of Riothamus, “King of the Britons” (possible basis of King Arthur).
- ca. 475-500?—Futhorc (Anglo-Saxon runes) introduced in Britain.
- 476—Romulus Augustus, last West Roman Emperor, deposed by Ostrogothic King Odovacer.
The Early Middle Ages
A general introduction to the Medieval period can be found here.
Northern Europe:
The Dark Ages
A discussion of the concept and term “the Dark Ages” can be found here.
- 481-511—Reign of Clovis I, King of the Franks, founder of Merovingian dynasty.
- 496—Clovis converts to Catholicism.
- 563—St. Columba founds monastery on Isle of Iona (in modern Scotland).
- ca. 580-630?—Formation of Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England.
- 595—Gregorian mission to Anglo-Saxons begins to convert English to Roman form of Christianity.
- 664—Synod of Whitby: Kingdom of Northumbria accepts Roman over Celtic ritual; conciliation of Roman, Celtic Churches.
- ca. 700-800: Beowulf composed?
- 731—St. Bede completes Ecclesiastical History of the English.
- 732—Battle of Poitiers: victorious Franks under Charles Martel halt Umayyad advance into Europe.
- 751—Pepin the Short (son of Charles Martel) deposes last Merovingian king, takes Frankish throne, founding Carolingian dynasty.
The Mediterranean:
The Early Byzantine Period
- ca. 524—Boëthius writes The Consolation of Philosophy; is executed this year or next on trumped-up charge of conspiracy.
- 527—Accession of Emperor Justinian I, chronicled by Procopius.
- 529—St. Benedict founds monastery of Monte Cassino.
- 536—Bizarre weather events (dimming, chilling of sun), followed by widespread crop failures, famine.
- 541-542—Plague of Justinian (second known bubonic plague epidemic in Mediterranean, first in recorded history).
- 553—Second Council of Constantinople: Nestorian heresy re-condemned.
- 554—Reconquest of Italy completed.
- 565—Death of Justinian.
- 568—Lombards wrest most of Italy permanently out of East Roman control.
- 587—King Reccared of Spain and his realm convert to Catholicism.
- 590-604—Reign of St. Gregory the Great (Pope Gregory I).
- 610—Heraclius overthrows usurper Phocas, becomes emperor; official language of East Roman Empire changed from Latin to Greek.
- 622—First Hijrah: Prophet Muhammad, early followers flee Mecca for Medina.
- 627—Heraclius defeats Persia, recovers relics of True Cross.
- 632—Death of Prophet Muhammad; Islamic leadership passes to Rashidun Caliphs (Abu Bakr, 632-634; Umar, 634-644; Uthman, 644-656; Ali ibn Abi Talib,1 656-661); conquests of Persia (636), Palestine (638), Egypt (639).
- 661—Fourth1 Rashidun caliph, Ali, assassinated; beginning of Umayyad Caliphate.
- 670-ca. 680—Umayyads conquer North Africa.
- 672—Invention of “Greek fire,” thought to be primitive form of napalm.
- 680-681—Third Council of Constantinople condemns monothelete2 heresy.
- 681—Bulgaria recognized as independent by East Roman Empire.
- 711—Umayyad Muslim invasion of Spain; foundation of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain).
- 717-718—New Rome besieged by Umayyad Caliphate. Romans, with Bulgarian aid, eventually throw off siege.
- 726-787—First Byzantine Iconoclasm, initiated by Emperor Leo III.
- 750—Umayyad Caliph Marwan II overthrown; beginning of Abbasid Caliphate. Emirate of Al-Andalus claims to continue legitimate Umayyad lineage.
Northern Europe:
The Carolingian Renaissance
- 768—Accession of Charlemagne to Frankish throne.
- 772-804—Charlemagne conquers, Christianizes Saxony (modern northwestern Germany).
- 793—First recorded Viking raid: abbey of Lindisfarne in Northumbria sacked.
- 800—Charlemagne crowned restored West Roman Emperor (later “Holy Roman Emperor”) by Pope Leo III.
- 814—Death of Charlemagne; his son Louis the Pious succeeds him.
- 840—Death of Louis the Pious leads to Frankish succession crisis.
- 843—Treaty of Verdun divides Holy Roman Empire into East Francia (roughly modern Austria, western Germany), West Francia (most of modern France), Middle Francia3 (Benelux, northern Italy, Burgundy4).
- 865—Great Heathen Army (mostly Danish) invades England.
- 872—Norse settlement of Iceland begins.
- 878—Battle of Edington: Alfred the Great defeats Great Heathen Army. Treaty later establishes formal division between southern, western England (dominated by Wessex) and eastern, central, northern England (“Danelaw”).
- 888—Death of Charles the Fat, last monarch of all Francia.
Northern Europe:
The Long Tenth Century
- ca. 900-950—Beginning of Medieval Warm Period, time of optimal climate conditions in Europe.
- 909—Foundation of Cluny, reformed Benedictine house; Cluniac reforms slowly spread in Europe.
- 911—Rollo the Walker made Count of Rouen: beginning of realm of Normandy.
- 927—Kingdom of England established under King Æthelstan I.
- 962—King Otto III of East Francia revives title of Holy Roman Emperor.
- 966—Duke Mieszko I of Poland (first Duke of Poland) baptized.
- 985—Discovery, colonization of Greenland by Erik the Red.
- 988—Prince Vladimir I of Kievan Rus’ baptized.
- 1000—King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark conquers Norway. Foundation of Kingdom of Hungary.
- 1013-1042—Existence of North Sea Empire (kingdoms of Denmark, England, Norway held in personal union by Cnut the Great).
- 1054—Great Schism: legates of Pope Leo IX excommunicate Patriarch Michael I, beginning permanent schism between Catholic, Orthodox Churches.
- 1066—Battle of Hastings: William the Conqueror defeats Harold Godwinson, becomes King of England; foundation of Norman dynasty.
The Mediterranean:
The Islamic Golden Age
- 786-809—Reign of Abbasid caliph Haroun al-Rashid, widely held to mark beginning of Islamic Golden Age.
- 787—East Roman empress dowager Irene convenes Second Council of Nicæa: Iconoclastic heresy condemned.
- 800—Charlemagne crowned “restored” West Roman Emperor (later Holy Roman Emperor) by Pope Leo III.
- 814-843—Second Byzantine Iconoclasm, again initiated by emperors.
- 830—Foundation of House of Wisdom, a.k.a. Great Library of Baghdad, first headed by al-Khwarezmi, inventor of algebra.
- 846—Rome sacked by Arabic marauders.
- 858-867—Reign of St. Nicholas the Great (Pope Nicholas I).
- 859—Foundation of al-Qawariyyin, now known as University of Fez, Morocco.
- 863-867—Photian Schism strains relations between Rome, New Rome.
- ca. 900-950—Beginning of Medieval Warm Period, time of optimal climate conditions in Europe.
- ca. 905-924—Reign of Count Theophylact I of Tusculum; House of Theophylact occupies or controls papacy for approx. 150 years.
& ;
- ca. 1000-1037—Career of Avicenna.
- 1054—Great Schism: legates of Pope Leo IX excommunicate Patriarch Michael I, beginning permanent schism between Catholic, Orthodox Churches.
- 1059—Process of electing popes reformed to curb corruption, secular influence (procedure substantially unchanged to this day).
Pur sun seignur deit hom susfrir granz mals
E endurer e forz freiz e granz chalz,
Si'n deit hom perdre del sanc e de la char.
A man should suffer greatly for his lord,
Endure the biting cold, the swelt'ring heat,
And sacrifice for him both flesh and blood.
From the mid-eleventh century on—1054, 1059, 1066, and 1073 (the last is the date of the election of Pope St. Gregory VII) are all plausible cutoff dates—we will be entering the High Middle Ages. If you would like to read our posts on the Early Middle Ages chronologically5—we bounced around a bit in terms of our focus!—they are as follows, with date ranges (all approximate) in parentheses, and the two more general posts (on the Early Middle Ages as a whole and on the Muslim faith) inserted at relevant points:
From Antiquity to the Mediævum (N/A): the Early Middle Ages in general
The Song of the Desert (ca. 270-604): The development of monasticism
The Roman Empire After Rome (476-568): The reign of Justinian
The Real Dark Ages (476-ca. 800): Places and times that did have a “Dark Age”
The Surrender (602-732): The beginnings of Islam
An Outline of Islam (N/A): A sketch of Muslim beliefs
The Seven Crowns of Engla-lond (476-927): Anglo-Saxon England
The Great Estrangement (451-1054): The Catholic-Orthodox schism
The Realignment of the Eighth Century (732-800): The rise in importance of the Franks
The Sons of Midgard (ca. 800-985): Norse societies
Varangians and Vinlanders (945-ca. 1000): Norse colonies, especially Greenland and the Rus’
Islamic Civilization in the Early Middle Ages (786-1258): The Islamic Golden Age
1066 and All That (1042-1087): The Norman Conquest
In the Year of Our Lord (1054-1095): Europe on the eve of the First Crusade
1Ali was the fourth caliph according to Sunni Islam. Shia Muslims believe that the caliphate was and is hereditary, and passed directly from Muhammad to Ali, who was his son-in-law.
2The form “Monothelite” is also used, on analogy with other peoples and movements ending in –ite; “Monothelete” hews closer to the original Greek (allowing for transliteration).
3Middle Francia was also called Lotharingia in Latin, after its first ruler, Lothair II. In German the name became Lothringen, while in French, it was eventually worn down into the form Lorraine.
4“Burgundy” had multiple meanings; here it covers eastern and southeastern France and western Switzerland.
5The chronology in question was established by taking the midpoint of each of the date ranges in question. Individual important dates might still appear out of order in this setup.
Gabriel Blanchard, who has to date successfully avoided being crowned Holy Roman Emperor, is a proud uncle to seven nephews, and works as CLT’s editor at large. He lives in Baltimore, MD.
This timeline is a part of our Texts in Context series, which gives historical background to the great works and authors of the CLT Author Bank (a list of the principal sources from which our test passages are drawn). Beginning with remote prehistory as known through archæology and mythography, we proceed through the culture, economy, and eventual collapse of the Bronze Age, into the Mediterranean and world geography of Early Iron Age civilization, the roots of Judaism, and the early chapters of Greek history and philosophy (and the tempers of Athens and Sparta), before embarking on our histories of Classical Antiquity proper (starting with the Græco– and finishing with the Roman half of the civilization).
Published on 10th March, 2025. Page image of a leaf from the Book of Kells, a book of the Gospels probably created ca. 750-815; this leaf contains the emblems associated with the Four Evangelists: the man for Matthew, the ox for Luke, the lion for Mark, and the eagle for John (all winged).