The Middle Ages of Europe

Global History

10/13/16

The Middle Ages of Europe:

During the Middle Ages in Europe, a period of time from approximately 500 A.D to 1400 A.D. has been referred to as the Age of Faith, Dark Ages, Age of Feudalism, and the Golden Age. The medieval era began with the destruction of the roman empire in in 476 and the disorder that followed which led to the rise of feudalism. Throughout this period of darkness the Roman Catholic Church provided spiritual direction and numerous non-religious functions for the people of the times. Multiple literary, artistic , and architectural advances occurred. Some of the best ways to refer to the Middle Ages in Europe are as the Dark Ages, Age of Faith and the Golden Age.

The Dark Ages refers to the period of time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Italian Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The term was created by an Italian scholar named Francesco Petrarch. Petrarch used this label to describe what he understood as a lack of quality in the Latin literature of his day. The Middle Ages are often said to be ''dark'' because of a supposed lack of scientific and cultural advancement. During the Dark Ages a disease was spread spread and decreased about 30 percent of the continent’s population. It was especially deadly in cities, where it was impossible to prevent the transmission of the disease from one person to another. This disease was known as the Bubonic Plague or as others call it, “The Black Death”. The Black Death arrived in Europe by sea in October 1347 when 12 Genoese trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after a long journey through the Black Sea. As you can see the conditions during this time period were very harsh. At the time the barbarians broke through the walls sacked the towns and did more cruel things. In The Middle Ages, historian Frank Funck-Brentano reveals to us that the Barbarians burned down the churches and then departed with a crowd of captives. Due to this there was no longer any trade and the peasants of the area have abandoned their fields to avoid the violence of anarchy. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle also tells us of the invasion of England in which the Barbarians slaughtered many in London and Quentovic and in Rochester. The Barbarians also burned down the town of Dordrecht according to the Anglo-Saxon chronicle. The Dark Ages is one of the best ways to label the Middle Ages.

The Middle Ages were a dark period but it was also a period in which religion became highly influential. People had a lot of faith in what they wanted to accomplish but in a very positive way which is why the Middle Ages. According to a Church council in 1083, the churches were trying to accomplish peace by rewarding those for good deeds. In 1083 within the observance

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