Topic: Early middle Ages
Discipline: History
Resources: 7 sources required
Formatting Style: APA 7th edition
This is an analytic essay.
At least 5 sources should be cited from the pdf “hist312.1” (which will be in the uploaded files)
At least 2 sources should be cited from the book Hollister/Bennett, “Medieval Europe
Develope a thesis to prove; do not just describe what happened
The prompt will be uploaded as a picture in the uploaded files
Read the pages containing:
“Gregory of Tours: Clovis As Hero”
“The Death of a Hero: Boniface”
“The Death of a Hero: Beowulf”
“Beowulf”
“Life or Chalaemagne”
Thesis: The Early Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, were a time of political instability, social and economic upheaval, and religious transformation. Despite the challenges, this period saw the rise of heroic figures like Clovis, Boniface, and Charlemagne, who left a lasting impact on European history through their military conquests, religious reforms, and cultural contributions.
Sources:
Bachrach, B. S. (2013). Charlemagne. In J. M. Roberts (Ed.), The New Oxford World History: The Middle Ages (pp. 128-149). Oxford University Press.
Brown, P. (2014). The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity, A.D. 200-1000 (10th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Collins, R. (1999). Early medieval Europe, 300-1000 (2nd ed.). St. Martin’s Press.
Gregory of Tours. (2013). In B. H. Rosenwein (Ed.), Reading the Middle Ages: Sources from Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic World (2nd ed., pp. 32-37). University of Toronto Press.
Hollister, C. W., & Bennett, J. D. (2012). Medieval Europe: A Short History (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
The Anglo-Saxon Poems of Beowulf, The Scôp or Gleeman’s Tale, and The Fight at Finnesburg. (2006). In S. A. Berger (Ed.), A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture (pp. 151-168). Blackwell Publishing.
Wallace-Hadrill, J. M. (1983). The Long-Haired Kings and Other Studies in Frankish History. Methuen.
In the Early Middle Ages, heroic figures played a crucial role in shaping the political, religious, and cultural landscape of Europe. One such figure was Clovis, the first king of the Franks, who is celebrated as a hero in Gregory of Tours’ writings. Clovis was a military leader who expanded his kingdom through conquest and converted to Christianity, laying the foundation for the Carolingian Empire. Boniface, another heroic figure, was a missionary who worked to spread Christianity in Germany and was martyred for his efforts. The story of Beowulf, a legendary hero who slays monsters and protects his people, reflects the values and ideals of the Anglo-Saxon culture of the time. Finally, Charlemagne, the greatest hero of the Early Middle Ages, was a military conqueror who united much of Western Europe under his rule and promoted learning and cultural revival through his support of the Carolingian Renaissance. These heroic figures left a lasting impact on European history and helped to shape the identity of medieval Europe.
