At its height in the 2nd century AD, the Roman Empire was the beacon of learning, trade, power, and prosperity in the Western world. But success eventually spoiled; the empire, rotten to the core by the 5th century, lay open to barbarian warriors who came in wave upon wave of invasion - slaughtering, stealing, and, ultimately, settling. As chaos replaced culture, Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a state of war that was so persistent it was only rarely interrupted by peace. Those were the Dark Ages - the subject of this captivating A&E Special.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on January 06, 2011. Classroom Video On Demand is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

Eternal City Under Siege (3:52) -- Weak Roman Empire (3:32) -- Dark Ages Begin (2:06) -- Decay of Roman Civilization (2:52) -- Hope for Eternal Peace (2:59) -- Christianity in Roman Empire (1:59) -- Holy Wars and Murdered Relatives (2:42) -- Legacy of Frankish King (2:32) -- The Empire Strikes Back (2:15) -- Byzantine Empire (3:28) -- Saving the Byzantine Empire (2:50) -- Reconquering the West (2:21) -- Bubonic Plague (3:04) -- The Black Plague (3:41) -- Realities of Village Life (2:33) -- Light in the Darkness (3:09) -- Rule of Saint Benedict (3:14) -- Christianity in the Dark Ages (1:44) -- Religious Mission to Conquest (2:10) -- Charles "The Hammer" Martell (2:07) -- Battle of Tours (3:41) -- New Holy Roman Empire (2:04) -- Bloody Verdict of Verdun (2:49) -- New Age of Learning (4:44) -- Vikings Enter the Dark Ages (4:05) -- The Great Heathen Army (3:20) -- Alfred the Great (2:39) -- Medieval Knights (2:08) -- Peace and Truce of God (2:45) -- Out of the Dark Ages (1:51) -- After the Dark Ages (3:16) -- Conclusion & Credits: The Dark Ages (0:51)