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.
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Merchants in the middle ages were business people who participated in retail and trade. The term “merchant” comes from the Latin term “mercer” which means trafficking and from the French term “mercies” which means wares. Thus, the medieval merchant was seen as both a trader and trafficker of wares across countries. The middle ages merchant … Read more
Seen as a period of decline after the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages was characterized by endless wars, the prominence of the Church, and a disparate social structure created by the feudal system. Some parts of Middle Ages life are well-documented granting modern scholars insight, but other aspects, particularly pertaining to the lower classes, that … Read more
When talking about Renaissance almost everyone will think about this period of human history. This was a movement mostly affected by a culture in the Middle Ages, the culture that wanted to go out of the Dark ages and bring the sun into everyday life’s. The Renaissance started in the Italy and it took 2 … Read more
The Middle Ages were a time dominated by numerous kingdoms, each striving to become the wealthiest and the most powerful, and behind each kingdom was a monarch. During this time the monarchs began to consolidate the smaller regional kingdoms in the attempt of creating vast empires. The various wars and alliance amongst kings and nobles … Read more
Serfs in the middle ages were generally peasant farmers who provided manual labor in their master’s land. The peasants would pay the lord some dues (in the form of labor) in exchange for using part of the lord’s land to generate their own food. These farmers would work in the lands at least three times … Read more
There was a very distinctive social class system during the Middle Ages. Most Medieval people were peasants, over 90%, but the divide between peasants and nobility was very clear-cut. Clergy were also an important part of the social order during the Middle Ages, though they were not necessarily considered a separate class. Royalty The Royalty … Read more
The Dark Ages is generally considered as the early medieval period of the European history. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Europe faced a drastic political, economic and social set back. The Dark Ages reflects the ill-consequences of this set back. This dark period started when the last Western Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus was … Read more
Theatre in the Middle ages covered a wide variety of genres and subject matter. Some of the most popular genres of plays in the Middle Ages include morality plays, farces, masques and drama. Medieval drama began with religious and moral themed plays. An early prominent Medieval playwright was Hrotsvit of Gardensheim of the 10th century.Some … Read more
The Middle Ages were a time of passionate warfare, chivalrous gallantry, and intense social entertainment. Tournaments in the Middle Ages were hosted and held on grand scales as displays of power, prowess, and skill. Typically, tournaments would be hosted by wealthy nobles who sought the prestige of backing such affairs. They would arrange battles and … Read more
Transportation in the Middle Ages was very much based on the methods and innovations that came before. While the Romans showed innovation in building a network of roads across their Empire, the Middle Ages saw a decline in ease and access of transportation.The once prevalent interconnected roads and bridges system collapsed with the fall of … Read more
