Dark Age Dbq Essay

Between 500 AD- 1500 AD Europe was said to be in a Dark Age. The term Dark Age came from Petrarch. He was an Italian Scholar who said, talking about Europe through the time 500 AD- 1500 AD, that before Europe was full of ideas and now there was not any at all. Europe witnessed tragic events like the Black Death and The Crusades. Europe has been said to be in both a Dark Age and a Growth Age, but ultimately the evidence proves that it was in more of a Dark Age.

After the fall of Roman Empire, Europe fell under the rule of many different leaders. The eastern side of the empire became the Byzantine Empire, which grew in strength and prospered in the many years after its formation. The western side, on the other hand, did not. The Germanic Kingdoms that formed on that land quickly fell under attack by barbarians. From 400 A.D. to 1400 A.D, this side of Europe fell into a "Dark Age". A lack of government, barbarian attacks, and a decline in education made the "Dark Ages" a time of cultural decay for Europe.

The “Dark ages” was found by an Italian scholar, Petrarch, in the 1300s. The term Dark Age was used to explain the period (movie talk-dark ages).The Dark Age could be in a growth age or a dark age. This is applied to “dark” and “light”. This can be argued by the evidence of what is going on during 500AD-1500AD. The debate between Europe being in a Dark Age or growth age is based off of how well the evidence supports the statement and this judgment is clearly stated that Europe is NOT in a dark age based on all the supported evidence.

Something dark is often described as gloomy, lifeless, and dull. The Middle Ages, however, was the opposite of darkness. Although the beginning of the Middle Ages wasn’t very eventful, it was full of life and new ideas. The term "Dark Ages" doesn’t suggest positive developments of the Middle Ages such as King John signing the Magna Carta to help protect the rights of the nobles, the Japanese expressing themselves through poetry, and the flourishing of trade between Japan and China.

Towards the end of the Middle Ages era Europe made technological advances and continued to grow as a community. Gray C. Boyce in his excerpt from “The Medieval Period” describing the middle ages, argues, “Even at its worst it performed the function of guarding, frequently by accident and chance, the knowledge and treasures of what had come before, but even more it was creative and inventive, and transmitted to later ages great riches of its own,”. The author is proving that although Europe was indeed imperfect like most things, it was exceptional as well. The author is making the point that even during the worst times it was protective, creative, and knowledgeable. All of the attributes the author described are what made Europe so successful, and shows the reader that Europe was a prosperous, creative, and successful community.

The Dark Ages were a time when life for the common people was very hard. This took place in western Europe, in countries like France and Germany. The Dark Ages are officially from 476 AD to 1066 AD. This is a time of no progress and everybody is just trying to survive. Life in the Dark Ages was so dark because of a lack of trade, everybody was scared, people had to serve the church, there was lots of death and disease, and all of the nations were constantly fighting.

For example, Document C discusses that Europe was not in a dark age because food , farmland, and "technological improvements" increased. This document states, "Available farmland, and the food supply increased significantly, bringing up the population". Another example in Document E is how the amount of universities built were taking over the amount of church and monistery schools to provide a more advanced and improved education. According to this document, "However, universities introduced a new system of education, eventually replacing the monistery and church schools". These examples show how Europe was taking place in more of a growth

The Dark Ages occurred right after the fall of the Roman Empire and lasted from about 500 to 900 CE. During this time the population fell in Europe, there were many invasions, towns were constantly robbed, and garbage was left all over fields sometimes destroying the crops that grew there. As historian Frantz Funck-Brentano states in document one, "They burned down the churches and then departed with a crown of captives". People would be taken out of their homes by barbarians and be forced to leave with them. Conditions were so hectic during this time, some believed that society had no government. Which was true in a sense because people were constantly being killed and hurt, and the people attacking others would rarely ever get caught for these crimes or punished. In document three the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells of invasions of England, and how not only churches were burned down, but how, "- Northmen plundered... and burned the town

The middle ages are often identified as the Dark Age because of the Black Death, invasions by the Barbarians, and because of lack of enlightenment for the common people. A plague most likely originating from Asia spread throughout Europe. Towns and even large cities

Europe was in a dark age during 500 AD to 1500 AD because of the Black Death, The Crusades, and the way the government was being functioned at the time in Europe. The debate is about whether Europe in a dark age or a growth age. Based on the evidence below Europe was in a dark age. The term dark ages came from the Italian scholar named Petrarch. He was comparing the Middle Ages to the classical era.

The term Dark Ages relatively defines as when a civilization faces starvation, war, disease, internal struggles, less innovative people, and unvalued education. This term was coined by a famous Petrarch-Italian scholar named Thomas Aquinas,when he compared the dark age to the classical period which was in a Golden age. The term Golden age occurs when a civilization has new inventions, efficiency, education, high literacy, a big population, good health, impressive architecture, peace, surplus of food, and enforced laws. The time period of Medieval Europe was 500 AD-1500 AD with the events of the black death epidemic, the crusades, harsh government, and a small amount of people going to school to get an education. The lapsed events clearly

During the 400-1400 CE, there were barbarians and Vikings that killed many people, plagues that were fatal, and cruelty that was all around. Yet that wasn’t the only things that happened. A dark age is a time of cultural decline. In spite of the cruelty, there were many good things like a judicial system, schools and education, and architectural advancements in gothic cathedrals.

First, “The Dark Ages” was the time that followed the collapse of the Western Roman Empire but before the Renaissance from the 5th to 15th century. Very few writings survived during the Dark Ages, so most believe that people during this time were illiterate;

The word dark ages is referred as Barbaric times and Intellectual Depression. The historians called it intellectual depression because they think that the little knowledge and invention and innovations is why very little came from the Middle Ages. Many historians didn't give it much thought before labeling it because it was only in the beginning of the Middle Ages that not much happened. But they grouped it all and came to the depiction of labeling it the "Dark Age". Over time, "Dark Ages" also lost meaning. When historians first had first used the term, it was meant as a time of darkness where nothing came out.

When I say the dark ages, what comes to mind? No, actually try to think, does a dark and motionless castle come to mind, or is it the Magna Carta, the crusades, and the French revolution. The dark ages are a mixed expression. Some see it as a period of nameless wars and hard times just by the name. others see it as a time of peace and some important activities.