The Middle ages lasted from the 5th all the way to the 15th century in Europe. The beginning of the Middle Ages is marked with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the end of the Middle Ages by the rise of the humanism idea in North Italy, known as Renaissance.
The Middle Ages is usually split into three different periods:
The First period is the end of the Roman Empire and the invasion of the Barbarians who created their own kingdom on the ruins of the Western Roman Empire. At the same time and later during the 7th Century, territories of the formerly Eastern Empire were conquered by the Islamic Empire.
The Second period is known as High Middle Ages which started around 1000 AD. It was marked with the growth of the population in Europe, and with new society form-Feudalism. Also the first ideas of the Crusades were introduced; it was an attempt of the Christians to regain the power over the Middle East and the Holy Land.
The Late Middle Ages was probably the worst period of the Middle Ages regarding the overall health situation in Europe. Indeed, the Black Death, killed a 3rd of the population in Europe. It was one of the reasons the rulers turned their back to the Catholic Church and decided to adopt the new Humanistic ideas of Renaissance. With the end of the Middle Ages came the Early Modern period.
Articles in this section:
After the fall of Roman Empire, the social life and customs of general populace was deeply influenced by tumultuous periods of wars and political changes. As a result, the middle ages customs were basically an amalgamated mixture of Roman, Germanic and Gallic cultures and customs. This fusion of cultures was basically promoted by Kings and … Read more
Crafts in the Middle Ages has a different connotation than crafts today. Largely, Middle Ages crafts were not hobbies or artistic demonstrations, but trades that had been studied and mastered by craftsmen. Craftsmen joined forces and organized in craft guilds that allowed them the opportunity to gain prestige, power, and wealth through the practice of … Read more
Almost all major European cities of current world had their roots in the Middle Ages. However, some of Middle Ages cities weren’t as important as they are now. After the fall of Roman Empire new kingdoms were evolving and to ensure security of the members of nobility against the barbarian invaders and Islamic attackers, kings … Read more
Christianity played a significant role in unifying people and the same religious movement also helped in establishing feudal system in Europe. As a result, the buildings and architecture of this era of Europe were also influenced by the increasing power of Christianity as a mass religion. Buildings and architecture of the Middle Ages: During the … Read more
The Middle Ages saw the emergence of some of the most famous artists throughout history. There is a rather large range in artistic style throughout the Middle Ages, and you can see a strong difference between beginning Middle Ages artists and ones much later on in the time period. The beginning of the Middle Ages … Read more
The life and activities of people during the Middle Ages was quite different from the lifestyle of today. The time of a common man was spent working in the fields growing crops for their sustenance. The sowing and reaping days were celebrated with Church feasts and social activities were very important. Superstitions and culture dictated … Read more
Admittedly, modern day folklore and film seeks to depict middle ages romance and marriage as entirely romantic. Although there was no shortage of ideal love and marriages during this time, the institution of medieval marriage went through some notable evolution. In England, the Council of Westminster issued a decree in 1976 that prohibited fathers and … Read more
On October 1066, the English army under King Harold II was defeated by the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy during the Battle of Hastings. The Normans then established the feudal system in England. All the land which was claimed by William the Conqueror was distributed amongst his fellow Normans as he rewarded … Read more
Lords of the Middle Ages were those who leased land or other property to an individual or many individuals. Usually lords had more than one tenant on their property. In the Middle Ages one had to be of nobility before he could even be considered a lord. Lords leased property to a vassal, who then … Read more
After the collapse of Western Modern Empire, it became very difficult to manage the law and order situations in the smaller kingdoms initiated by the Barbarians. Evolution and spread of religious movements of Christianity and Islamism further complicated the situations. In order to ascertain security of their kingdoms, kings preferred to transfer power to knights … Read more
