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476, leaving Constantinople to eventually become the center of the Byzantine Empire, which would last
until it was dismantled by Ottoman Turks in the fifteenth century.

Christianity Branches Out

As Christianity spread, it moved westward from Asia Minor into Europe. Monasteries began sprouting up
in the heretofore Romanesque Frankish kingdoms. By the year 1000, the region now known as Germany
served as the seat of an empire, with the church as its pivot point. It rivaled ancient Rome in authority and
influence. The timeline below shows some of the events that marked Christianity’s rise in Europe.

Timeline of Christianity's rise in Europe

Etymology of "The Dark Ages"

While now out of favor with scholars, the phrase "the Dark Ages" was at one time used to describe what
we're labelling the "medieval era" in this course. Even calling this time frame "medieval" can be construed
as perjorative, as the people living during that time certainly did not think of themselves as living in a time
barren of artistic and intellectual quality.

It's commonly agreed that Petrarch coined the phrase "dark ages." Petrarch was a proponent of the
artistic advancements of the Greeks and thought of their era as a halcyon time of enlightenment,
contrasted with his lifetime, which he saw as degraded. In some senses, Petrarch was engaged in myth
making in hopes of spurring on a time where people valued the arts of antiquity.