An introduction to the study of the Middle Ages, 375-814

by Ephraim Emerton

Roman Empire and the beginning of what may properly be called the Middle A ges. It is a period which has often been passed over lightly by historians or dismissed with a sneer as the Dark A ges of the world. And this was done in spite of the fact that perhaps the greatest historian, all things considered, who has ever written in the English language, chose just this period for his theme. It is not improbable that the very title of Gibbon sgreat work may have done its part toward creating a false impression of the time he describes. If one comes to our period as a time of Decline and Fall merely, one can hardly fail to carry away from the study of it a depressing sense of gloom and wretchedness. Gibbon himself, great historian as he was, did not succeed in avoiding this danger. His splendid narrative is on the whole a mournful one. We feel ourselves to be dealing with the wild movements of men, either half brutal or wholly brutalized. We see a magnificent edifice crumbling to decay, but we are not impressed with the elements of life contained in this very process.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the PublisherForgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org

Genres: History

Nook

First published January 1, 1883

About the author

Ephraim Emerton was an American educator, author, translator, and historian prominent in his field of European medieval history.