This course of twenty-four lectures examines the period know as the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). The first eight lectures cover medieval society. Lectures nine through sixteen examine the intellectual and religious history of Europe during this period. The final eight lectures cover the major political developments and events. Lecturer is Philip Daileader from College of William and Mary.

"Between the fall of the Roman Empire and the brief, brilliant cultural phenomenon we call the Renaissance lay the Middle Ages - fully 1,000 years of artistic, philosophical, political, and religious turmoil and treasures. This course offers an interdisciplinary look at medieval society and culture, with an emphasis on literature, the arts, and the tumultuous historical forces at work from A.D. 500 through A.D. 1500. Medieval Europe was the world...

Daily life in the Middle Ages was defined by harsh realities of hunger, cold, the Black Plague, and fearful belief in the supernatural.

The 14th and 15th centuries were an era of war: civil war, town revolts, and heresies within the church. All this contributed to the shaping of a new kind of state as the towns developed wage labor.

The Renaissance created itself as culture, literature, architecture and the visual arts all reflected a trend to glorify man, not necessarily God.

Examines the history and the civilization of medieval Europe, including religion and way of life.

Vivid descriptions and analysis of historical personalities with costumed actors, historical locations, and portraits to visually enliven the story of the English crown from the fall of Rome to the 1660s.