Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800, reviving the title in Western Europe. Otto I became emperor in 962, establishing the Holy Roman Empire. The empire was divided into hundreds of autonomous principalities
Middle Ages spans from Roman Empire's fall in 5th century to Renaissance. Term "Middle Ages" introduced by Italian humanists to distance from Classical learning. Migration period (410-1000 CE) marked decline of Roman Empire's social cohesion
Dante wrote Monarchia between 1312-1313, addressing secular-religious power relationship. Work was banned by Catholic Church in 1585. Title "Monarchia" corrected by Prue Shaw since 1995
Imperium was Roman citizens' authority to control military or governmental entities. Derived from Latin "imperare" meaning "to command". Initially meant absolute power, later limited by collegiality and citizen appeal
Born in 1478 in London to a family tradition of civic service. Studied at St. Anthony's Grammar School and Lambeth Palace. Mastered Greek in three years while pursuing philosophy and theology. Became a prominent London lawyer and politician