Compare And Contrast The Middle Ages Vs Dark Ages

In a time in European history, there was an era from the 5th to the 15th century known as the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages can often be referred to as the “Medieval period”, where buildings looked gloomy as they were made from gray cobblestone, and mankind was still in any idea of innovation, as they had no inspiration. Then during the 14th century, philosophy, art, and music were made exclusive, and became to some degree inspirational. Little did anyone know that was the beginning of a new era known as the Renaissance. Which was slowly but surely building a bridge which would lead the Middle Ages to the Modern Era.

Many labels were used to characterize the Middle Ages, however the best were The Dark Ages, The Age of Feudalism, and The Age of Faith. The Dark Ages accurately identifies the Middle Ages because of all the death, destruction, and plague throughout. The Middle Ages followed the decline of the Roman Empire, which causes very harsh times across Europe. Also this time period consists of the plague which virtually slaughters one-third of Europe.

How did late medieval governments shape life in positive and in negative ways? The government shaped life in a positive way by protecting the kingdom from invaders and keeping people safe. The monarchs had armies and lots of knight at their disposal. The knights had a code of honor so they were nice to women and others.

These relationships were called feudalism (Doc. 1). Feudalism and the Church greatly contributed to the social, economic, and political life in Europe in the Middle Ages. “Feudalism was a political, economic, and social system which included kings, nobles, knights, and serfs (Doc. 1).” Every position or status had a job that benefitted another ranking (Doc. 1). For example, a king grants land to nobles, nobles granted land to knights, and knights grant land to serfs (Doc. 1).

First off, there was a lot of social interaction between certain people. Serfs would provide for knights, knights would provide for nobles, and nobles would provide for kings. Then backwards down that list, everyone would be granted land for their services(Doc.1). Also a big part of the social life was through the Church. “It unified [people] and gave them a sense

Erasmus states, “The world is waking out of a long deep sleep…. Time was when learning was only found in the religious orders. The religious orders nowadays care only for money and sensuality, while learning has passed to secular princes and peers and courtiers.” (Doc. 5) Provided with education, people during the Renaissance were able study math, science, and other subjects.

The main distinction that can be made between the Ancient World and the Middle Ages is the shift from cities to villages, which, influenced by the plagues, the Islamic invasion and the decay of the Mediterranean trade network, changed the lifestyle and ideals of the people. Ruralization proved to be an important factor for the spread of the church, which united people far away from cities. Villages also contributed towards the rising influence of monasteries, which normally could not exist on their own far from big towns, as there would be no one to support them. Ruralization also impacted the production and trade network, which changed drastically during the Middle Ages. Since they lived in the countryside, people were able to produce their

In the 1300's, an Italian scholar named Petrach used the term "dark ages" to describe the medieval period (Movie Talk: The Dark Ages). Petrach applied the "dark" and "light" terms to learning. Petrach believed that the Romans and Ancient Greeks were in the "light" of learning. The following period, the middle ages, was in the "dark''. Ever since he used the term, historians have been debating whether the time period between the 500's and the 1500's were really a "dark age.

Most of the people who died were poor because they could not escape or find protection for themselves. In addition, people lost a lot of money due to the disruption of trade and the downfall of many cities. The Dark Ages had many social and political changes in Europe due to religion, law, and trust/leadership.

Three things that affected these periods were the classical heritage of Rome, Christian beliefs, and Germanic customs (slot notes). The Middle Ages are best described as the Dark Ages, The Age of Feudalism, and the Age of Faith. These three ages best label the middle ages instead of the golden age, because the rise after a decline is more important than a golden age.

The age of Faith couldn't be the best because the church manipulated their followers. The Golden Age also couldn't be the best because all the good things came from something bad. The church acted as a good distraction and form of security from chaos, but it had bad intentions. As a result, the medieval period is also known as the Dark

As Europe exited the Middle Ages, an era known as the Renaissance began, which was the most influential period of European history, and the effects of this era can still be felt today. The Renaissance, which is French for “rebirth,” was a period of prosperity and cultural revival in Europe. As feudalism broke down and learning spread, the main topics strayed away from religion to other ideals. The Renaissance notably changed man’s perspective of both himself and the world around him. As education became more accessible during the Renaissance, people’s lives began to stop revolving around religion, and instead focused on art, literature, and science.

Why did the social, economic, and political life impact Europe so much in the Middle Ages. To start off, in the Middle Ages, people’s social lives were greatly influenced by their ranking in the feudal system. The feudal system greatly impacted how people could get jobs. Nobles were granted land from the Kings and they started their own little manor. The nobles would give knights land as long as they would go to battle with the noble.

“ During the Middle ages much of Europe passed through a time of turmoil and confusion, of ignorance and lawlessness. Europe suffered a decline in commerce and manufacturing, in education, in literature and the arts, and in almost all that makes possible a high civilization. Europe became a a region of poverty-stricken farming communities, each virtually isolated from

Long before the Renaissance, government was based on feudalism, the idea of dividing society based on class. People earned a set wage for their class’ jobs. Children that were born into a family were the same class as their family. Also, thinking was deeply religious and even art and sculpture all were based on religious figures. However, humanists quashed this idea.