The Middle Ages is a vast period in the development of European society, covering the 5th-15th century AD. The era began after the fall of the great Roman Empire, ended with the beginning of the industrial revolution in England. Over these ten centuries, Europe has come a long way of development, characterized by the great migration of peoples, the formation of major European states and the appearance of the most beautiful monuments of history - Gothic cathedrals.
What is characteristic of medieval society
Each historical era has its own unique features. The historical period under consideration is no exception.
The Middle Ages is:
- agricultural economy - most people worked in agriculture;
- predominance of the rural population over the urban (especially in the early period);
- the huge role of the church;
- observance of Christian commandments;
- crusades;
- feudalism;
- the rise of nation-states;
- culture: gothic cathedrals, folklore, poetry.
The Middle Ages - what are the centuries?
The era is divided into three large periods:
- Early - 5th-10th centuries. n. e.
- High – 10th-14th centuries n. e.
- Later - 14th-15th (16th) centuries. n. e.
Question "The Middle Ages - what are the centuries?" does not have an unambiguous answer, there are only approximate figures - the points of view of one or another group of historians.
Three periods are seriously different from each other: at the very beginning of a new era, Europe experienced a troubled time - a time of instability and fragmentation, at the end of the 15th century a society with its characteristic cultural and traditional values was formed.
The eternal dispute between official science and alternative science
Sometimes you can hear the statement: "Antiquity is the Middle Ages." An educated person will grab his head when he hears such a delusion. Official science believes that the Middle Ages is an era that began after the capture of the Western Roman Empire by barbarians in the 5th century. n. e.
However, alternative historians (Fomenko) do not share the point of view of official science. In their circle one can hear the statement: "Antiquity is the Middle Ages." This will be said not from ignorance, but from a different point of view. Who to believe and who not is up to you. We share the point of view of the official story.
How it all began: the collapse of the great Roman Empire
The capture of Rome by the barbarians is a serious historical event that marked the beginning of an eramedieval Europe.
The Empire existed for 12 centuries, during this time invaluable experience and knowledge of people was accumulated, which sunk into oblivion after the wild tribes of the Ostrogoths, Huns and Gauls captured its western part (476 AD).
The process was gradual: first, the captured provinces came out of the control of Rome, and then the center fell. The eastern part of the empire, with its capital in Constantinople (now Istanbul), lasted until the 15th century.
After the capture and sack of Rome by the barbarians, Europe plunged into the dark ages. Despite a significant setback and turmoil, the tribes were able to reunite, create separate states and a unique culture.
Early Middle Ages is the era of the "dark ages": 5th-10th centuries. n. e
During this period, the provinces of the former Roman Empire became sovereign states; the leaders of the Huns, Goths and Franks declared themselves dukes, counts and other serious titles. Surprisingly, people believed the most authoritative personalities and accepted their power.
As it turned out, the barbarian tribes were not as wild as one might imagine: they had the beginnings of statehood and knew metallurgy at a primitive level.
This period is also notable for the fact that three estates were formed:
- clergy;
- nobility;
- people.
The people included peasants, artisans and merchants. More than 90% of people lived in villages and worked in the fields. Type of farmingwas agrarian.
High Middle Ages - 10th-14th centuries n. e
The heyday of culture. First of all, it is characterized by the formation of a certain worldview, characteristic of a medieval person. The outlook has expanded: an idea of beauty has appeared, that there is a meaning in being, and the world is beautiful and harmonious.
Religion played a huge role - people revered God, went to church and tried to follow biblical values.
A stable trade relationship was established between West and East: merchants and travelers returned from distant countries, bringing porcelain, carpets, spices and new impressions of exotic Asian countries. All this contributed to the general increase in the education of Europeans.
It was during this period that the image of a male knight appeared, which to this day is the ideal of most girls. However, there are certain nuances that show the ambiguity of his figure. On the one hand, the knight was a brave and courageous warrior who swore allegiance to the bishop to protect his country. At the same time, he was quite cruel and unprincipled - the only way to fight hordes of wild barbarians.
He definitely had a "lady of the heart" for whom he fought. Summing up, we can say that a knight is a very controversial figure, consisting of virtues and vices.
Late Middle Ages - 14th-15th (16th) centuries n. e
Western historians consider the discovery of America by Columbus (October 12, 1492) as the end of the Middle Ages. Russian historians adhere to a differentopinions - the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 16th century.
Autumn of the Middle Ages (the second name of the late era) was characterized by the formation of large cities. Large-scale peasant uprisings also took place - as a result, this estate became free.
Europe has suffered serious human losses due to the plague epidemic. This disease has claimed many lives, and the population of some cities has halved.
The Late Middle Ages is the period of the logical conclusion of a rich era in European history, which lasted about a millennium.
The Hundred Years War: the image of Joan of Arc
The Late Middle Ages is also a conflict between England and France that lasted over a hundred years.
The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) was a serious event that set the vector for the development of Europe. It was not quite a war, and not quite a century. It is more logical to call this historical event a confrontation between England and France, sometimes turning into an active phase.
It all started with a dispute over Flanders, when the king of England began to claim the French crown. At first, success accompanied Great Britain: small peasant units of archers defeated the French knights. But then a miracle happened: Joan of Arc was born.
This slender girl with a masculine posture was well brought up and from her youth she was versed in military affairs. She managed to spiritually unite the French and repulse England due to two things:
- she sincerely believed it was possible;
- she called for the unification of all the French beforeopponent's face.
The result of the Hundred Years War was the victory of France, and Joan of Arc went down in history as a national heroine.
The Middle Ages ended with the formation of most European states and the formation of European society.
The results of the era for European civilization
The historical period of the Middle Ages is a thousand of the most interesting years of the development of Western civilization. If the same person had first visited the early Middle Ages and then moved to the 15th century, he would not have recognized the same place, so significant were the changes.
Let's briefly list the main results of the Middle Ages:
- emergence of large cities;
- spread of universities across Europe;
- Christianization by the majority of European residents;
- scholasticism of Aurelius Augustine and Thomas Aquinas;
- the unique culture of the Middle Ages is architecture, literature and painting;
- Western European society is ready for a new stage of development.
Culture of the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is primarily a characteristic culture. It means a broad concept that includes the intangible and material achievements of the people of that era. These include:
- architecture;
- literature;
- painting.
Architecture
It was during this era that many famous European cathedrals were rebuilt. Medieval masters created architectural masterpieces in two characteristic styles: Romanesque andGothic.
The first originated in Western Europe in the 11th-13th centuries. This architectural direction was distinguished by rigor and severity. Temples and castles in the Romanesque style to this day inspire a sense of the gloomy Middle Ages. The most famous is Bamberg Cathedral.
Gothic style does not leave anyone indifferent: the sophistication and sublimity of Gothic buildings surprises.
The birthplace of Gothic is France. Around the 12th century, the first buildings in this style began to appear. They were distinguished by their elegant molding, the direction towards the sky and a large number of glaring stained-glass windows.
The sophisticated traveler will find many gothic cathedrals and town halls in Western Europe. However, let's focus on the most famous:
- Notre Dame;
- Strasbourg Cathedral;
- Cologne Cathedral.
Literature
European literature of the Middle Ages is a symbiosis of Christian lyrics, ancient thought and folk epic. No genre of world literature can be compared with books and ballads written by medieval writers.
Some battle stories are worth something! An interesting phenomenon often turned out: people participating in major medieval battles (for example, the Battle of Gunstings) involuntarily became writers: they were the first eyewitnesses of the events that took place.
Famous medieval authors were:
- Avrelius (Blessed) Augustine is the father of scholasticism. Connected the idea of God withancient philosophy in his work "On the City of God".
- Dante Alighieri is a bright representative of medieval poetry. Wrote The Divine Comedy.
- Jean Marot - wrote prose. A well-known work is the "Textbook of Princesses and Noble Ladies."
The Middle Ages is an era of beautiful and chivalrous literature. You can learn about the way of life, customs and traditions of people from the books of writers.
Painting
Cities grew, cathedrals were built, and accordingly, there was a demand for decorative decoration of buildings. At first, this concerned large city buildings, and then the houses of we althy people.
The Middle Ages is the period of the formation of European painting.
Most of the paintings depicted well-known biblical scenes - the Virgin Mary with a baby, the Whore of Babylon, the "Annunciation" and so on. Triptychs (three small paintings in one) and diptrichs (two paintings in one) spread. Artists painted the walls of chapels, town halls, painted stained-glass windows for churches.
Medieval painting is inextricably linked with Christianity and the worship of the Virgin Mary. The masters depicted her in different ways: but one thing can be said - these paintings are amazing.
The Middle Ages is the time between Antiquity and New History. It was this era that paved the way for the start of the industrial revolution and the great geographical discoveries.
