Late Antiquity is a period of Eurasian, Mediterranean and Near Eastern history conventionally placed between the third and seventh centuries CE, developed by historians as an alternative to treating the end of the Western Roman Empire as a sharp break between a classical golden age and a medieval dark age. It covers the political transformation of the Roman world, the Christianization of the Mediterranean, and the rise of Islam in the seventh century, and it overlaps substantially with the conventional end of Classical Antiquity and the start of the Post-Classical and Medieval Period. Its exact geographical and chronological scope remains a matter of debate among contemporary scholars, and it is best understood as a rival periodization of the same centuries rather than a settled period with fixed dates of its own.
Facts
Disputed
Start YearConventionally placed in the third century CE; the exact starting point is disputed and depends on which region and which historian's framework is used. End YearConventionally closed in the seventh century CE; the exact geographical and chronological scope remains a live scholarly debate. Geographic ScopeEurasian, Mediterranean and Near Eastern history, covering the same broad territory as the late Roman and early Byzantine and Islamic worlds. 1 FAQs
What religious changes mark Late Antiquity?
It saw the rise or ascendance of Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism and Islam, and the canonisation of the Bible and the Quran.
Late antiquity is described as an era of massive political and religious transformation. Religiously, it marked the origins or ascendance of three major monotheistic religions: Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism and Islam. It was also the period when both the Bible and the Quran were canonised. Politically, it saw the end of the Western Roman Empire and of the Sasanian Empire, the last Persian empire of antiquity, followed by the beginning of the Arab conquests.
Connections
Includes
Source Ezana of Axum, Wikipedia
General historical classification: Belisarius's Byzantine military career under Justinian I (6th century reconquest of North Africa and Italy) falls within Late Antiquity.
Source New World Encyclopedia: Bodhidharma
Source Galerius (Wikipedia)
Source Yemen (Encyclopedia.com)
Source Wikipedia: Kalidasa
Source Maximian (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Northern Wei
Source Pope Simplicius (Wikipedia)
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
Preceded By
Sequence of periods following the standard historical periodization
Held Differently
Classical Antiquity, Eras Why this is disputed. Late Antiquity offers a rival periodization of the same centuries rather than accepting Classical Antiquity's conventional 476 CE close.
Source Wikipedia
Additional Source Wikipedia: Late antiquityArticle text
The Migration Period, Eras Why this is disputed. Overlapping periodization: the same population movements that end the Western Roman Empire are described by Late Antiquity as continuity and by the Migration Period as rupture.
Source Wikipedia
Additional Source Migration Period (Wikipedia)Migration Period, relation to Late Antiquity
Why this is disputed. Late Antiquity offers a rival periodization of the same centuries rather than accepting a sharp 476 CE break into the medieval period.
Source Wikipedia
Succeeded By
Sequence of periods following the standard historical periodization
In the Other Atlases
Era Of Origin For
Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: originating in this era.
Source Oklahoma State University, Department of Animal and Food Sciences: Pinzgauer Cattle - Breeds of LivestockBreed historyQuote, Breed history
About 500 AD., Alpine herdsmen, who ran their cattle on small, widely scattered, rocky pastures, had begun to develop a breed of red and white cattle from the native red Bavarian cattle.
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
WikipediaRelated To: The Post-Classical and Medieval Period, Late antiquity, Chronological range, vs Post-Classical PeriodQuote, Related To: The Post-Classical and Medieval Period, Late antiquity, Chronological range, vs Post-Classical Period
Late antiquity is a period of Eurasian, Mediterranean, and Near Eastern history conventionally placed between the third and seventh centuries CE.
Wikipedia: Late antiquity
WikipediaArticle textQuote, Article text
Late antiquity represents a cultural sphere covering much of the Mediterranean world, including parts of Europe and the Near East.
Ezana of Axum, Wikipedia
Includes: Aksumite Conquest of Kush, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Aksumite Conquest of Kush, Lead paragraph
was the ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum (320s, c. 360 AD)
Pope Simplicius (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Pope Simplicius, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Pope Simplicius, Lead paragraph
was the bishop of Rome from 468 to his death on 10 March 483
New World Encyclopedia: Bodhidharma
New World EncyclopediaIncludes: Bodhidharma, Article textQuote, Includes: Bodhidharma, Article text
who lived during the fifth and sixth century C.E.
Huns, Wikipedia
Includes: Hunnic Invasions of Europe, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Hunnic Invasions of Europe, Lead paragraph
lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th centuries CE
Wikipedia: Kalidasa
WikipediaIncludes: Kalidasa, LeadQuote, Includes: Kalidasa, Lead
4th-5th century CE
Galerius (Wikipedia)
Includes: Galerius, Lead, first sentenceQuote, Includes: Galerius, Lead, first sentence
was Roman emperor from 305 to 311
Maximian (Wikipedia)
Includes: Maximian, Lead, first sentenceQuote, Includes: Maximian, Lead, first sentence
was Roman emperor from 286 to 305
Migration Period (Wikipedia)
Related To: The Migration Period, Migration Period, relation to Late AntiquityQuote, Related To: The Migration Period, Migration Period, relation to Late Antiquity
a period in European history and late antiquity marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Yemen (Encyclopedia.com)
Includes: Himyarite Kingdom, Yemen, HistoryQuote, Includes: Himyarite Kingdom, Yemen, History
The Himyarite hegemony was ended in 525 by invading Christian Ethiopians, whose rule lasted until 575, when they were driven out by Persian invaders.
Wikipedia: Northern Wei
Includes: Northern Wei, Lead, first paragraphQuote, Includes: Northern Wei, Lead, first paragraph
The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 AD during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties.
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