Most Influential Medieval Europeans

[Hurin_Rules]

The medieval period has generally been reckoned to have lasted from the Fall of Rome to the Reniassance. For the Fall of Rome, any dates between 312 (the Battle of Milvian Bridge) and 476 CE (deposition of the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus) are reasonable. The Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century, and in northern Europe at the end of the 15th.

Augustine could therefore be seen as a medieval figure. I grant that scholars nowadays speak of Late Antiquity as its own distinct and transitional period, but I would have to argue that by the time of his death in 430 CE, the Middle Ages had begun in many areas of Europe.

Your point that he was not really a European, however, is well taken.

[noramis]

Frederick II is listed, but hardly at all. His unique personality, wit and ideas rocked conventional thinking at the time.

[Mount Suribachi]

You definately have to include one or more of Jan Huus/William Tyndale/John Wycliffe as they were the forefathers of the Reformation, and in their own way were just as important as Luther.

[fenir]

Augustus Ceasar Alexius Komnenos,

Just a note, the letter for aid that the vatican has always said came, has never ever been produced, most historians do not believe it was ever sent.
It is now considered to be non exsistant, unless someone can produce the letter, Augustus Ceasar Alexius I did not request any help from the West. In fact they where the source of all his troubles.



NOTE: Medieval is considered to be from ~873AD So Justianian cannot be in this time period.
And while he did produce and code the great laws of the Romans, he was in fact a tyrant.

Though I would say Augustus Ceasar Alexius I would be my choice. Also King John of England, as he signed the first Manga Carta, therefore the English are the fathers of modern Demoracy.
Along with him, Simon de Montfort.

Charlemagne, is also not a medieval period role.


fenir

[Hurin_Rules]

Augustus Ceasar Alexius Komnenos,

Just a note, the letter for aid that the vatican has always said came, has never ever been produced, most historians do not believe it was ever sent.
It is now considered to be non exsistant, unless someone can produce the letter, Augustus Ceasar Alexius I did not request any help from the West. In fact they where the source of all his troubles.



NOTE: Medieval is considered to be from ~873AD So Justianian cannot be in this time period.
And while he did produce and code the great laws of the Romans, he was in fact a tyrant.

Though I would say Augustus Ceasar Alexius I would be my choice. Also King John of England, as he signed the first Manga Carta, therefore the English are the fathers of modern Demoracy.
Along with him, Simon de Montfort.

Charlemagne, is also not a medieval period role.


fenir

The actual letter has not been produced, but there is a later copy that might be genuine. I think the jury is still out.

Where do you get the date of 873 from? No offense, but that is just plain wrong. I am a professor of medieval history at a Canadian university and have never read or heard anyone claiming a start date of 873. You will find that most textbooks have the Middle Ages beginning with the fall of Rome (c. 312-476). Most encyclopedias will as well. Charlemagne is one of the most important medieval figures, and I have never met a single historian who would describe him as anything other than a medieval figure. Justinian perhaps you might consider a late antique figure, but Charlemagne is most assuredly medieval.

[noramis]

We always learned it was 1066 and the battle of hastings...

[fenir]

Encyclopedia Britannica, 8:107:2b
Period ~395AD until ~ 1000AD or UK 395AD -1066AD

Qoute:
This decline, persisted throughout the period of time sometimes called the "Dark Ages", or "The Early Middle Ages".
End Quote:

Mainly because i can't be bothered getting any others, that will have to do as an example, sorry, very lazy today. And you said encyclopedia's.

I guess it depends on which side of the world u are taught? As i know in both New Zealand and when I was in the UK, we were taught, Dark Age --then--->Medieval......Which is the Middle Ages.
Hence Middle Ages

[Hurin_Rules]

Ok, now I understand where you are coming from, but I think you're confusing some things. Note that the encyclopedia said the Dark Ages were synonymous with the EARLY Middle Ages. The Middle Ages therefore includes this period. The EARLY Middle Ages (sometimes referred to as the Dark Ages, although historians don't use that term much anymore) lasted from the fall of Rome to about 1050-1066. Then the High Middle Ages began, and lasted till about 1300. Then, the Late Middle Ages began, and lasted till about 1500 or so. Now, some areas did not have a late Middle Ages-- Italy went right into the Renaissance in 1300. But the central point is that the "Middle Ages" include the Early Middle Ages. 'Medieval' is just an adjective that means exactly the same as the substantive Middle Ages. Medieval comes from the Latin medio (middle) and aevum (age). So the terms Medieval period and Middle Ages are synonyms.

Now, some historians have recently introduced a new periodization, which calls what used to be called the Dark Ages 'Late Antiquity' (actually, they have late antiquity ending slightly earlier than the Dark Ages did, but lets not complicate things). That's why I said you might consider Justinian to be a late antique figure. But even those historians who speak of 'late antiquity' consider Charlemagne's empire to have begun a new age, and a distinctly medieval one.

I know this can be complicated; I usually take the first class of all my courses to explain this in detail, as it trips a lot of people up. Anyway, that's where things stand with historians right now. Charlemagne was a medieval figure any way you slice it.