The true history, however, is best understood through the lives of the people—stories of heroism, courage, intellectual achievement, religious struggles, and personal sacrifice. From the grandest ruler to the poorest peasant, these individuals left their marks, not only on their own times, but on the lives of those who followed. Their legacies are found even today in territorial boundaries, languages, architecture, literature, religion, government,and law. Many of their tales are still told in contemporary movies, television, and novels.

The cast of characters in the Middle Ages includes emperors and knights, Viking raiders and Arab philosophers, pious men and powerful women, barons and peasants. These men and women lived in a time when violence was an accepted means of winning an argument and an honorable death was viewed by some as the greatest good one could achieve. Their individual stories help us to understand the times in which they lived.

The Middle Ages introduces the reader to a cast of memorable characters. They range from leaders such as Constantine, Attila, Theodora, Charlemagne, and England’s King John to religious and intellectual figures such as St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, Muhammad, Joan of Arc, and Avicenna. The daily lives of the people offer a look at what it was like to live in this dynamic, and often tragic, period of history. The Middle Ages strives to present a balanced, yet intriguing look at this often romanticized era.