Concepts of Humanity

1. The Early Middle Ages

a. Define the Middle Ages and historical epochs.

1) Early Christian: 200 CE - 550 CE

2) Dark Ages: 550 CE - 750 CE

3) Carolingian and Ottonian: 750 CE - 1000 CE

4) Romanesque: 1000 CE - 1150 CE

5) High Gothic: 1150 CE - 1400 CE

6) Late Gothic: 1300 CE - 1500 CE

b. Life in Europe following the collapse of Roman rule

1) The unifying role of the Church and the divisions within it

2) The social structure of feudalism and the roles of knights, lords, women and serfs

3) The importance of the Church as the universal patron of all the arts

c. The influence of barbarian culture and migrations of peoples on the arts of the early Middle Ages

d. The characteristics of the Romanesque style in visual arts, architecture and sculpture

1) The characteristics of painting

2) Illuminated manuscripts

3) Sculpture and small scale art

4) The Romanesque Style in architecture and sculpture

e. The characteristics of period music

1) The Gregorian Chant

2) Changes and additions to the musical style

3) Secular music

4) Musical instruments

f. Literature and its development

g. The Moslem influence

h. Christian literature

i. Epic literature (sagas, poetry, etc.)

j. Theatre: The survival of the Roman tradition

1) Types of theatre and entertainment

2) Tensions between the Church and actors/entertainers

3) Plays of the period. Liturgical drama

k. Dance

1) Condemned by the Church

2) Dancing reflects bitter conflict between paganism and the Church

3) The survival of pagan dance forms

4) The survival of theatrical dance (descended from Roman pantomime)

2. Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance

a. Charlemagne: The Roman