Module Information

The module will provide an additional element of choice for Part II students, particularly important to students on the Medieval and Early Modern degree scheme (V190), but available to single and joint honours students more generally. This module is intended to provide students with an introduction to Frankish history and the extremely important role played by the Franks in shaping Europe after the decline of the Western Roman Empire. From the early Merovingian kings to the Carolingian Empire, this module will trace the history of the Franks and their impact on the European scene. Through a range of primary sources and archaeological evidence, students will be acquainted with developments in kingship, legal structures, economics, religion and culture.

By the end of the fifth century in western Europe, the Roman Empire had ‘fallen’ to the ‘barbarians’, groups from northern Europe who swept south and established themselves as the ‘heirs of Rome’. Among the most important of these barbarians were the Franks. This module examines the rise of Frankish power in Europe and its impact. Beginning with the rise of the Merovingian Franks out of the debris of the Roman Empire, this module will trace the development of Frankish power into the mighty Carolingian Empire. We will use a range of primary sources to interrogate important themes in Frankish history: kingship, law, economics, religion and culture. We will consider the roles of key Frankish monarchs and their relations with other European powers, especially the increasingly powerful papacy in Rome. The module will illuminate a key area of debate: the extent to which early medieval Europe can be said to have undergone a ‘civilising process’ from barbarian Frankia to Holy Roman Empire.