20. The Early Middle Ages, 284--1000: Intellectuals and the Court of Charlemagne

The Early Middle Ages, 284--1000 (HIST 210)

In this lecture, Professor Freedman discusses the Carolingian Renaissance, the revival of learning sponsored by Charlemagne and his successors. The period before the Carolingians saw a decline in learning, evidenced in part by the loss of lay literacy. As literacy became the purview of clerics, monasteries set up scriptoria in order to copy manuscripts on a larger scale. In this context, the Carolingians sponsored a revival of learning both for the sake of bringing educated people into the government and in order to encourage the piety of the people. Professor Freedman ends the lecture by discussing Einhard's writings on Sts Marcellinus and Peter. Their story illustrates how, in this period, the piety of the well-educated was not all that different from that of the common people.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction to the Carolingian Renaissance
04:30 - Chapter 2. The Preservation of Learning before the Carolingians
20:47 - Chapter 3. Charlemagne's Program
34:23 - Chapter 3. Einhard's Life of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter

Complete course materials are available at the Yale Online website: online.yale.edu


This course was recorded in Fall 2011.