When the Western Roman Empire collapsed, cities declined, trade networks shattered, and entire regions descended into centuries of political chaos. Yet one part of Rome refused to disappear.

Western civilization arose in the 8th century B.C. Greece. Some 1,500 city-states emerged from a murky, illiterate 400-year-old Dark Age. That chaos followed the utter collapse of the palatial culture ...

Yet the term 'Holy Roman Empire' did not enter common use until the 13th Century with the reign of Frederick Barbarossa. In this video, we explore why this was the case, delving into the Empire's long ...