Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What belongs to Medieval history and what belongs to Ancient history?
Tristan Hughes and Matt Lewis (host of 'Gone Medieval') have a lively debate about the blurred boundary between the ancient and medieval worlds. Can Tristan champion Roman Emperor Justinian as an Ancient? What about Charlemagne? Which period can lay claim to the worst year in history? And was there a single moment when people woke up and realised they'd entered a new era?
Check out the Ancients YouTube channel here: youtu.be/bSnPrL1sAdg
0:00 Is it Medieval or Ancient?
3:32 The Battle of Tours and Charles Martel (732 AD)
5:58 Debating the Fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD)
10:45 The Crisis of the Third Century (286 AD)
16:18 The Visigoth Sack of Rome (410 AD)
23:49 Emperor Justinian and the Byzantine Empire
30:52 Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire (c. 800 AD)
36:11 Emperor Constantine and the Rise of Christianity
40:02 The Arab Conquests and the Rise of Islam (630s AD)
44:00 The Challenge of Periodisation in Mesoamerica and Asia
46:40 Final Thoughts on the Ancient/Medieval Divide
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join
What belongs to Medieval history and what belongs to Ancient history?
Tristan Hughes and Matt Lewis (host of 'Gone Medieval') have a lively debate about the blurred boundary between the ancient and medieval worlds. Can Tristan champion Roman Emperor Justinian as an Ancient? What about Charlemagne? Which period can lay claim to the worst year in history? And was there a single moment when people woke up and realised they'd entered a new era?
Check out the Ancients YouTube channel here: youtu.be/bSnPrL1sAdg
0:00 Is it Medieval or Ancient?
3:32 The Battle of Tours and Charles Martel (732 AD)
5:58 Debating the Fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD)
10:45 The Crisis of the Third Century (286 AD)
16:18 The Visigoth Sack of Rome (410 AD)
23:49 Emperor Justinian and the Byzantine Empire
30:52 Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire (c. 800 AD)
36:11 Emperor Constantine and the Rise of Christianity
40:02 The Arab Conquests and the Rise of Islam (630s AD)
44:00 The Challenge of Periodisation in Mesoamerica and Asia
46:40 Final Thoughts on the Ancient/Medieval Divide
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join
