The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is the term used to describe the time period in European history beginning with the collapse of the Roman Empire and ending with the beginning of the Renaissance.    Cities became divisive, merchants lost the economic advantages of safe environments for trade, and developments in learning suffered from the loss of a unified Roman Empire. The Church remained a powerful institution at the end of the Roman Empire.  It was the constant unifying force between the many small kingdoms that appeared after the collapse. The Church preserved many ruins of the ancient world and became a strong center of learning during this time.   The people of the Middle Ages had a rich culture, strong economic advancements and many political achievements that paved the way for the ideas that led to the beginning of the Renaissance.

“The Middle Ages is the period in European history that lasted from about 350 to about 1450” (“Middle Ages Introduction,” par. 1).  Due to this lengthy period of time, it has been further defined into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.  Each period has its own distinct characteristics that mark this period in history.  The Early, High, and Late Middle Ages had different achievements: cultural, economic, and political.

The Early Middle Ages began around 350 A.D. with the gradual fall of Rome.  Remnants of the empire can be seen throughout the early middle ages until at least 1000 A.D.  “Most of the Old Rome magnificence remained – the great stone walls, temples, baths, aqueducts, theatres, and mansions” (Bishop 9).  At this time Europe consisted of a large region divided into smaller culturally, economically, and politically diverse units.  Many of these units preserved Roman forms, language, and government. 

Europeans were diverse during the Early Middle Ages.  Europe was an area of many different ethnicities but Christianity was a strong unifier.   The Church gained secular authority.    Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king’s council and  played leading roles in government. Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes called diocese. Parish priests, on the other hand, came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. The village priest tended to the sick and indigent and, if he was able, taught Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village. (“Religion,” par. 1)