Medieval
Europe - Clovis, founder of the Frankish state, conquers
most of France and Belgium, converting his territories to
Western Catholic Christianity. He founds the Merovingian dynasty
and passes his kingdom on to his sons, who begin fighting
one another for additional territory.
590 CE: Medieval Europe - Pope Gregory, originally
a Benedictine, creates a religious policy for western Europe
by fusing the Roman papacy with Benedictine monasticism. He
creates the Latin church, which serves to counteract the subordination
of the Roman popes to Eastern emperors. As the fourth great
"church father," St. Gregory the Great draws his
theology from Ambrose of Milan, Jerome and AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO.
His concepts of purgatory and penance widen the gulf between
the Eastern and Western Churches. He reigns until his death
in 604 CE.
 600
CE: Medieval Europe - The early Middle Ages begin
in 600 CE and last until 1050 CE.
610
CE: Medieval Europe - Heraclius becomes Emperor in
Constantinople as the Persian Empire is attempting the takeover
of Byzantine civilization. For the sake of convenience, the
rule of Heraclius generally marks the beginning of Byzantine
history, though it can be argued that Byzantine civilization
begins with Diocletian, Constantine or Justinian.
627
CE: Medieval Europe - Persia is conquered by Byzantine
forces. The Jerusalem cross is retrieved from the Persians,
who stole the relic in 614 CE. Heraclius reigns until his
death in 641 CE.
650
CE: Medieval Europe - Arab forces conquer most of
the Byzantine territories, formerly occupied by the Persians.
677
CE: Medieval Europe - The Arabs attempt to conquer
Constantinople but fail.
687
CE: Medieval Europe - Pepin of Heristal, a Merovingian
ruler, unites the Frankish territories and builds the center
of his kingdom in Belgium and other Rhine regions. He is succeeded
by his son, Charles Martel, who forms an alliance with the
Church which helps the Merovingian Dynasty (and Christianity)
to expand into Germany. Pepin the Short succeeds his father,
Charles Martel, and strengthens the alliance between Benedictine
missionaries and Frankish expansion.
 700
CE: Medieval Europe - Benedictine
missionaries complete the conversion of England begun by St.
Gregory the Great.
717
CE: Medieval Europe - The Arabs attempt to conquer
Constantinople for the second time. Byzantine Emperor Leo
the Isaurian, who reigns until 741 CE, counters the Arab attempt
with "Greek Fire" (a liquid mixture of sulfur, naphtha
and quicklime which is released from bronze tubes, situated
on ships and on the walls of Constantinople) and great military
strength. Leo defeats the Arab forces and reconquers most
of Asia Minor. The territory of Asia Minor, together with
Greece, becomes the seat of Byzantine civilization for several
centuries.
735
CE: Medieval Europe - Venerable Bede, an Anglo-Saxon
Benedictine scholar, writes the History of the English Church
and People in Latin, perhaps the best historical writing of
medieval history.
740
CE: Medieval Europe - The Iconoclastic movement is
initiated by Byzantine Emperor Leo the Isaurian, but the movement
flourishes under the reign of his son Constantine V who rules
until 775 CE. The Iconoclasts advocate doing away with paganistic
icon worship (images of Christ or saints). For them, Christ
cannot be manifested or conceived of through human art. The
Iconoclast controversy ends in the ninth century when a new
Byzantine spirituality recognizes that the contemplation of
icons may help someone assend from the material to the immaterial.
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