The Rise Of The Low Middle Ages

Personally, when thinking of the middle Ages, I tend to have the misconception that it is a period of darkness with no progress. However, R.W. Southern’s book, ‘The Making of the Middle Ages’, offers an in depth study of the development of history in the world today. Observing that this book was published during the 1950s, Mr. Southern’s interpretation of the ‘Middle Ages’ was very distinctive in comparison to other historians of his time. He explores the significance of the Middle Ages as a separate sector in the study of history by which the audience will notice that previous categories of studied history is set aside, as we are no longer focusing on the usual ‘Classical Greece’ and ‘Rome’

In the High Middle ages (after 1000 A.D) and beyond there were major political, economic and intellectual changes that happed across Europe. The changes helped bring about new eras to the European landscape. As Europe was brought into these new eras, it thus brought upon the end of the Dark Ages.

During the High Middle Ages, there was no strong, central government that was politically organized enough to meet common needs of the people in Europe. After the fall of Charlemagne’s empire, invasions and anarchy became the societal norm. If they wanted to survive, they had to meet particular needs. The people of the High Middle Ages met their needs of political organization, economic provision, and social aspects through Feudalism, Manorialism, and through the Church.

There are many historical circumstances that led up to the Middle Ages. One historical circumstance that led up to the Middle Ages is corrupt rulers. During the end of the Roman Empire, the rulers became very corrupt and crazy. Most of the rulers killed their own family and made everything worse for the empire. One ruler named Elagabalus and he was one of the worst rulers ever in the Roman Empire. He was good but had no experience in being a ruler. Later in his rule he refused to listen to any of his advisors and he also closed himself off from the public. These rulers were one of the biggest reasons why the Roman Empire fell. Another historical circumstance that led up to the Middle Ages is when the roman empire split into two areas. One of the emperors decided to split the empire in half and move the capital to a different location.

The Middle Ages is associated with the Dark Ages due to the period including social disorder, political turmoil and widespread disease. The Middle Ages was a period between 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. during which Europe experienced many drastic changes following the fall of Rome. Some of these changes were beneficial, but the changes also caused negative effects too. Overall, the Middle Ages was a dark time for Europe.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Europe had very different class systems and practices compared to present day Europe. For most countries the main focus was on the rich and powerful. Ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome were some of the most well known countries during the Middle Ages. There are many similarities and differences in the class systems of Ancient Rome, Greece, Persia, and Europe during the Middle Ages; including practices, beliefs, and everyday life.

The Christian religions rise to supremacy in the middle ages was the result of several factors. Christians had long been persecuted by the Roman Empire because the Romans felt that Christianity challenged and offended the Greco-Roman Gods and the Christians were prone to revolt against Roman rule. Christianity survived because it had many teachings that appealed to the downtrodden in Roman society, these teachings being that even though they were suffering they would gain equality and possibly superiority in the next life, Christianity gave them hope.

The idea of the “Dark Ages” came from historians who were seriously biased toward ancient Rome. This negative opinion of the so-called “Dark Ages” became widespread because most of the printed records of this time had a dominant Rome unfairness. The term refers to the lack of cultural improvement in Europe. Honestly, living in the Early Middle Ages was not really that much darker or more vicious in comparison to any other eras. The era that followed was just as dark with no great leaders appearing, no scientific accomplishments being made, and no great art being produced; therefore, the period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Renaissance should not be considered “The Dark Ages.”

The Middle Ages have been notoriously described as the Dark Ages, where war was unceasing, disease ravaged populations, societal structures collapsed, and growth seemed nowhere to be found. However, this bleak outlook has discounted many of the advancements of this time period, which laid very important foundations to modern education and reason. The Middle Ages was a time of growth for society where universities were born, agricultural and population boomed, and foundations of reason and religion coexisted.

Historians first gave the Middle Ages the nickname “Dark Ages” because of the lack of information and evidence the world had on what all had occurred during these times. As time went on, and more information was found, the meaning of the Dark Ages developed into a negative connotation, using dark to describe the overall Middle Ages. I believe the term is outdated in one sense, but in another sense I think the term is perfect. This sense of the term is completely understandable to because of certain events such as the signing of the Magna Carta, and the execution of Joan of Arc.

Europe fell into the Dark Ages in 410 AD, when the Mother of the World fell to economic and social troubles. Rome had supplied food, language, and knowledge of architecture and farming, et cetera. So much, in fact, that Europe was conquered immediately after Rome fell. The Visigoths are a tribe of nomadic barbarians from Germany, who are more commonly referred to as the Goths. They were the ones who conquered Europe after the Mother of the World’s demise.

Upon looking at all the documents presented, medieval Europe was a Dark Age from 476-1100, roughly speaking.The Dark Ages are classified as such due to: a lack of governance, invasion from the barbarian tribes, and due to the lack of intellectuals.According to document A, the semi-barbarian tribes had a greater influence in Europe during this time period, as the preexisting government in 476 was unable to lower crime by enforcing the laws that were established at that time, as shown in Document D. Document C further explains the battles that took place, and how barbarians would attack parts of Europe, killing many people, thus making circumstance even darker. Many people were poor at this time and lacked a proper farm, and a proper education

After the decline of Rome, Europe was divided into many small kingdoms, and these kingdoms marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, or the medieval period, that lasted from about 500 to about 1500. In addition to that, northern Europe became Christian with the help of missionaries and monks, which were religious men who lived apart from society in isolated communities. Missionaries helped introduce Christianity to new lands, and monks helped spread Christian teachings to new areas. Later on, invaders threatened and attacked Europe. Muslim armies invaded southern France and northern Italy. The Magyars swept into eastern Europe. However, the worst has yet to come. The Vikings raided Britain, Ireland, and other parts of western Europe. The Vikings’ attacks were swift and savage, therefore, the Europeans lived in terror of Vikings raids.

The European High Middle Ages, which lasted from about 1050 to 1300, evoke for many people romantic images of knights in shining armor, magnificent castles, and glorious cathedrals. And to many people, the word medieval (Latin medium aevum; "middle age") wrongly suggests a cultural intermission between the classical period of the Greek and Roman civilizations and the Renaissance. On the contrary, the High Middle Ages was a dynamic period that shaped European identity and development, stimulated in part by Europe’s interactions with other cultures in Eurasia and the Mediterranean. Many of the basic social and political patterns and institutions later associated with European history were formed during this era. Clear political boundaries and cultural identities emerged in the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, eastern Europe, Iberia, and Scandinavia. Between 1000 and 1300, a chain reaction of developments in economy, society, and political life contributed to new trends in religion, scholarship, literature, and other arts—trends that shaped European culture to the present day.

The Middle Ages is a medieval time period in Western Europe that lasted from 500 to 1500 C.E. The Middle Ages began as a result from the collapse of the Roman Empire which began in 31 BCE, and fell in 476 C.E. In around 300 C.E. the emperor of the Rome divided the land for easier control. This began the decline of Rome. The Western half of Rome fell to Barbarian invaders, while the eastern half lived on as the Byzantine Empire. The Early Middle Ages began shortly after the western half fell. After the Roman Empire lost its position as the center of power, Western Europe fell into a time of chaos and warfare. There were a lot of attacks by Vikings, Magyars (hungarian nomads), and Muslims. The invasions caused disorder, and suffering, and the government system developed into feudalism.The High Middle Ages followed, the Early Middle Ages, and was the time period in Western Europe from around the 11th century to the 13th. The Middle Ages are referred to as the “Dark Ages” because of the disorder, hopelessness of the time. It is accurate to refer to the Middle Ages (500-1500) as a whole as a” the Dark Ages”.The Early Middle Ages meet the qualities of a dark age due to the, lack of government, education, and dysfunctional economy. However, the high middle ages was a time of improvement for these issues.