Middle Ages Essay, Research Paper

The thought that the Middle Ages were & # 8220 ; dark ages & # 8221 ; has been exaggerated a batch. In fact the Middle ages are split into three distinguishable clip periods, which were all rather different from each other. There are the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. Despite the repute for being a clip when there were no moves frontward in Europe, there were really many of import accomplishments.

The Middle Ages lasted from about 500-1500, the clip between the terminal of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. The Early Middle Ages were likely the clip that most tantrums the term Dark Ages, even though even they weren t all bad.

Christianity spread a batch throughout Europe during this clip, thanks in portion to swayers like Charlemagne and Clovis who converted whole lands. But while many people were Christian by name, and the heathen faiths were deceasing out, most people didn t pattern it. One ground for this is that barely anyone was literate, so they couldn t read the Bible. Most clergy of the clip were even illiterate, and led really secular lives. It was a scandalous clip for the Church, because there was a batch of corruptness, such as priests who lived with adult females and bought their places.

The economic life for most Western Europeans was non much better than the spiritual and rational quality. There weren Ts truly any great metropoliss and most common people worked in agribusiness to supply what they could to maintain their households alive.

However, in the 8th century Charlemagne succeeded in get downing a little Renaissance and uniting much of the Frankish district. He preserved some of the Latin literature that might ve otherwise been lost and started a few schools to educate monastics. Even though the imperium fell apart after the decease of Charlemagne and Europe one time once more regressed to an unstable period, it had given a sense of integrity to the people and had managed to distribute Christianity and some rational accomplishments that lasted until the High Middle Ages when they were renewed once more.

Around the twelvemonth 1050, Viking invasions stopped and Europe had a opportunity to boom in the peace. The High Middle Ages brought an agricultural revolution thanks to technological promotions and a & # 8220 ; small optimal & # 8221 ; which lengthened the turning season by a few hebdomads. The innovation of the heavy plough, quoitss and harnesses for work Equus caballuss, and the usage of a three field rotary motion system all helped do the husbandman s occupation easier and more efficient. In this manner, the Middle Ages were more advanced than Rome, because the Romans hadn T had to worry about labour salvaging since they had so many slaves. Even though some people of the Middle Ages lived in conditions non much better than slaves, such as helots, they did hold some rights and weren Ts owned by other people.

With the addition in agricultural production, there was besides an addition in population and wealth. Cities started to emerge once more every bit good as a resurgence of trade. There was a new category of merchandisers developing every bit good, many of which were every bit affluent as Lords.

The Middle Ages besides brought spiritual reform. The apostolic monarchy was strengthened and some order was restored within the

Church. The system of cardinals electing the Catholic Pope was developed, which took Church power out of the custodies of affluent secular people.

In 1095 Pope Urban II called the first Crusade. The intent of the Crusade was to take Jerusalem back from the Muslims. The Catholic Pope had the full support of the people and the Crusade was to the full successful. The westerners thought it was their responsibility to acquire rid of all non Christians, and took it upon themselves to kill all the Muslims and Jews. Even though the Christians lost the undermentioned Crusades, they still gave them a stronger religion and sense of intent for their lives.

With the revival of metropoliss, trade, strong authoritiess, and apostolic strength came artistic and literary accomplishments. Many new schools were established, at first merely to educate the clergy, but subsequently for laypersons every bit good. Literacy increased, and people became more interested in deeper instruction and idea.

One really of import achievement of the High Middle Ages was universities. They were the footing for the modern university, concentrating on broad humanistic disciplines. Grecian literature and idea besides became popular once more, and the people besides made originative promotions of their ain, with poesy of folk singers and narrations, like Dante s Divine Comedy. The two most successful were the 1s in Paris and Bologna, in which all medieval universities were modeled after.

Cathedrals came to be an of import portion of every metropolis, with each one seeking to hold the most excessive. The Gothic manner of architecture emerged, with high arches, tonss of Windowss and winging buttresses. Many of these great cathedrals are still in usage today.

The 14th century was a clip of crisis for Europe. The booming agricultural motion was being threatened because the dirt was so overused and the population was really high. And there was a little bead in temperature, doing turning conditions to non be every bit good as before. There was widespread dearth, particularly among provincials. Then the Black Death struck and killed about a 3rd of the population. None of this was peculiarly the mistake of the people, but it had lay waste toing effects, at least at first. But the long term effects turned out to be good, ensuing in a stronger economic system and overall better quality of life.

The Late Middle Ages, even though the were a clip of convulsion, had several of import technological promotions. One of the most of import was the usage of gunpowder in war, which helped the Gallic win the Hundred Years War, and helped all Westerners when they were colonising other lands, like the Americas.

Another of import innovation was the printing imperativeness, which helped to do books more accurate, cheaper, and made it easier to distribute thoughts to big groups of people.

The magnetic compass and other navigational tools besides helped when researching, so that ships could travel further and remain on a planned path. All of these developments helped western Europe become every bit powerful as it subsequently did, and led them into the Renaissance. So, the Middle Ages were non dark ages after all, and without all the parts to believe, engineering, and authorities we wouldn t be so far along today as we are.