Mohammed, Charlemagne & Origins of Europe

Abstract: A 7 page essay that analyzes Richard Hodges and David Whitehouse's 1983 text Mohammed, Charlemagne and the Origins of Europe: Archeology and the Pirenne Thesis, which is part of a continuing body of historical scholarship that addresses the nature and validity of Henri Pirenne's famous thesis concerning the origins of the medieval period. This examination demonstrates that, while the fringe elements of Pirenne's thesis can be disputed, the basic premise, which is that Rome did not disappear as a viable political entity quickly, but rather was a victim of gradual decline, is largely substantiated by recent research. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

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Catagory:

Subcatagory: European History

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