The reasons for the crises in the Late Roman Empire and the various solutions applied by the government
The phases in the rise of Christianity
The controversies within early Christian thought
The ideas and contributions of the church fathers
The central role and importance of St. Augustine in early church history
The impact of the new Christian faith on the visual arts, especially in sculpture and painting
The various interpretations regarding the collapse of the Roman Empire
Historic "firsts" achieved by late Roman civilization: the beginnings of the Germanic kingdoms, the rise of the first Christian state, Christianity as the official religion of Rome, the literary genre of church history, the first Latin Bible, and the writings of the church fathers
The role of late Roman civilization in transmitting the heritage of earlier times: synthesizing a new civilization from Greco-Roman and Christian elements, fusing Classical values with Christian beliefs in architecture and music, establishing an official church organization, and originating a conception of society in which the Christian church held a pivotal position
The successor civilizations to Rome, their major historical periods, their major accomplishments, their adoption of the Roman heritage, and their similarities and differences
The strengths of Byzantium that allowed it to survive for more than 1,000 years
The characteristics of Orthodox Christianity and how it differed from Western Christianity
The significance of the Iconoclastic Controversy
To recognize visually the Byzantine artistic style and to identify major examples of Byzantine art and architecture
Byzantine contributions to the West: the Orthodox church and religion, the Code of Justinian, and elements of Byzantine art and architecture
The areas in Europe settled by barbarian tribes
The stages of the political history of the Frankish kingdom
The characteristics and achievements of Charlemagne's reign
The structure and organization of the Early Medieval church
The accomplishments of the Carolingian Renaissance
The characteristics of Early Medieval architecture, painting, and artwork in books
Historic "firsts" of the Early Medieval West: Benedictine monasticism, earliest successful kingdom in western Europe, the first empire since the fall of Rome, new musical forms, vernacular languages and literature, and the illuminated religious manuscript
The role of the Early Medieval West in transmitting the heritage of the Greco-Roman world: revival of learning and scholarship; reshaping the structure of the Christian church; modifying the Latin language; retaining the Classical educational ideal; keeping alive Greco-Roman building and artistic techniques; and, in general, fusing Classical, Christian, and Germanic elements into a new civilization
