This is the period from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west until the conquests of England by Duke William in 1066 AD. It was a time of conquests by the Germanic tribes in Europe and the Arab conquests in Asia Minor and Africa. During this time, the Arabs also penetrated into southern Europe, making conquests in Sicily, Southern Italy, and the Spanish/Iberian Peninsula. It was both the time of the great empire of Karlomagne and the viscious raids of the barbarians, including Slavs, Balts, Norse, and the many nomadic tribes of the steppes. |