Introduction. The myth of the 'Dark Ages' / David Talbot Rice -- Beyond the frontiers of Rome: the rise and fall of Sasanian Iran / David Oates -- The empire of the Prophet: Islam and the tide of Arab conquest / R.H. Pinder-Wilson -- Between West and East: Armenia and its divided history / Sirarpie der Nersessian -- The heir of Rome: Byzantium frm Justinian to Theophilus / Cyril Mango -- The Christian citadel: The Byzantine world of the ninth and tenth centuries / J.M. Hussey -- The crucible of peoples: Eastern Europe and the rise of the Slavs / Tamara Talbot Rice -- Germanic Italy: the Ostrogothic and Lombard kingdoms / Donald Bullough -- 'The ends of the Earth': Spain under the Visigoths and Moors / William Culican -- Prelude to empire: The Frankish kingdom from the Merovingians to Pepin / Peter Lasko -- From the vigorous North: the Norsemen and their forerunners / David M. Wilson -- The coveted isles: Celtic Britain and the Anglo-Saxons / Charles Thomas -- The great king: Charlemagne and the Carolingian achievement / Philip Grierson -- After Charlemagne: The empire under the Ottomans / Donald Bullough -- The concept of Christendom: Medieval Europe takes shape / Denys Hay -- Chronological chart -- Select bibliography -- List and sources of illustrations -- Index