civil law, politics and literature, the collective willpower of the Roman Empire would eventually degrade over time and give way to new ideas andd

influences. The empire of Rome did not fall- it fizzled. The Western Roman Empire gave way to the Middle Ages around 476, when the Barbarian,,

Odoacer, overthrew the emperor Romulus Augustulus. Other historians give the year 410, when Alaric, king of the Visigoths, sacked Rome. Still,,

others say about 500 or even later. In any event this early medieval period is often referred to as the Dark Ages because of the apparent collapse off

Greco Roman culture. During this time their was no effective government and no sense of state, just small autonomous tribes and peasantt

communities. Local life was isolated, fragmented, dreary, illiterate and superstitious..

For various reasons, Germanic people to the North had long desired to expand into Roman territories perhaps because of pressures from

overpopulation, wars, or food shortages. These Barbarians were semi-nomadic tribes led by warrior chiefs. They advanced for

In conclusion, the culture that formed between 732 and 843 can be considered the "first" European civilization, sculpted from numerous cultures and

sixth century the "Barbarian Takeover" was complete. They divided Western Europe into six major Germanic tribes. In terms of modern regions the

Information from class lecture notes, and last but not least Mckay, Hill, Buckler, Ebrey's A History of World Societies Volume I to 1715, 2000. (Our course textbook).

with Constantinople as its capital. The eastern half differed from the western in many respects: it carried on the traditions of the Hellenistic civilization,

their own people. For example, the Franks developed the "Wergeld Value System" where a certain value was placed on every person. Fines were

medicine and education for the young. Monasticism gained favor from Gregory the Great[2], and later popes, and still later, the encouragement of

Encyclopedia information: (www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/0/0,5716,108790+1+106128,00.html).

Some common words found in the essay are:
Feudal System, Roman Empire, Middle Ages, Greco Roman, Christianity Christianity, Europe Germanic, Christians East, Carolingians4 Clovis, Europe Charlemagne, Byzantine Western, roman empire, middle ages, germanic people, germanic tribes, roman culture, sixth century, pepin ii, eastern half, christian culture, byzantine empire,
Approximate Word count = 2272
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)