Middle Ages
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{fun|Middle Ages}} | {{fun|Middle Ages}} | ||
| − | The '''Middle Ages''' is a nebulously defined period in ([[Europe]]an) history, roughly defined as the time between the fall of [[Rome]] and the discovery of the Americas. They were called "middle" because they were between Antiquity and Modernity, or something like that. | + | The '''Middle Ages''' is a nebulously defined period in ([[Europe]]an) history, roughly defined as the time between the fall of [[Rome]] and the discovery of the Americas. They were called "middle" because they were between Antiquity and Modernity, or something like that. The middle ages were a time of ignorance and want, but by studying them we learn that the more things change, the more they stay the same. |
==Government== | ==Government== | ||
Revision as of 19:32, 2 September 2012
| |
For those of you in the mood, RationalWiki has a fun article about Middle Ages. |
The Middle Ages is a nebulously defined period in (European) history, roughly defined as the time between the fall of Rome and the discovery of the Americas. They were called "middle" because they were between Antiquity and Modernity, or something like that. The middle ages were a time of ignorance and want, but by studying them we learn that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Contents |
Government
The most prevalent system of government in the middle ages was feudalism, though there were experiments with other forms of government (such as republicanism in Florence), they were often short-lived.
Knighthood
One of the most romanticized aspects of the middle ages was the knight. Fiction has often made these warriors out to be paragons of virtue. In reality, knights were typically badly-behaved and well-armed young men. It is likely tales of chivalry were meant to influence knights, and curb their excesses.[1]
The Church
The most powerful political entity in Western Europe was the Roman Catholic Church, it was effectively a theocratic super-state. The Pope had undue influence over the kings of Europe, who curried the favour of the church to legitimize their power over their vassals. This undue deference to religion persists in modern times. In the United States, politicians often invoke the almighty in their speeches, and Presidents, in a show of piety, invite clergy to pray at their inauguration.
The Crusades were a dramatic example of the Pope's temporal power. They were the result of a papal bull declaring "Christendom" at war with Muslims living in the Levant in order to liberate the city of Jerusalem. These wars did not go well for the Christians, though they did help reduce the number of the aforementioned dangerous knights. Ironically, the aftermath of the Crusades led directly to the Renaissance, so things got (marginally) better for Europe.
Knowledge is not power... rather, the suppression of knowledge is power. The Church controlled the flow of information, as monks hand-copied the Bible along with other written materials. The Church's monopoly would not be broken until the invention of the printing press,[2] which became the impetus of the Reformation.
Knowledge
Science was in a poor state at this time. Most texts of the Roman empire were lost. Chemistry as a field was non-existent, instead, there was only Alchemy, which was largely concerned with the impossible dream of turning lead into gold.
And of course, people believed the Sun revolved around the Earth.
Literature
Literacy levels were low in the middle ages. Most scholars and authors in this period wrote in Latin. [3] Noted exceptions to this trend were Geoffrey Chaucer[wp] and Dante Alighieri[wp], who wrote in vernacular.
Medicine
People muddled about with all sorts of Quackery. The germ theory of disease was not understood, so when the Bubonic plague reached Europe, frightened and ignorant people blamed Jews who were not as heavily afflicted.[4]
See also
- Crusades
- European witch-hunts (though the most notorious ones were post-medieval)
- Inquisition (again, some of the most notorious stuff was post-medieval)
External links
- Arms and Armor in Medieval Europe -Metropolitan Museum of Art -Every schoolboy that goes to the MMoA has to go here.
- Terry Jones' Medieval Lives -Yes, a documentary series starring one of the guys from Monty Python.
Footnotes
- ↑ Medieval Chivalry, Dr. Richard Abels, US Naval Academy.
- ↑ The Printing Press, www.historyguide.org.
- ↑ The End of Europe's Middle Ages -Languages and Literature, The University of Calgary.
- ↑ [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/1348-jewsblackdeath.asp Jewish History Sourcebook: The Black Death and the Jews 1348-1349 CE], Fordham University.