Middle Ages

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The Middle Ages were a period of about 1000 years in European history that started around the year 476 CE, when the Western Roman Empire ended.^[1] Some historians prefer 337, when Constantine the Great became a Christian. The Middle Ages continued until around the time that Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. Sometimes, 1453 is used instead for the end since the Byzantine Empire fell that year. The period is called the "Middle Ages" because it took place between the fall of Rome and the rise of early modern Europe, and it is often separated into the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages.

People also use other names like the "Medieval Age” to describe the Middle Ages. Another term is “the Age of Faith” because Christianity and Islam then became much more popular. The early Middle Ages have also been called the “Dark Ages” because past scholars wrongly believed that there was very little culture, good literature, art or progress during the period.

Very few people in the Middle Ages could read and so there are not many records from the period. Historians, therefore, do not know as much about the Middle Ages as about other times.

During the Middle Ages, many people’s lives were short, difficult and poor. The fall of the Western Roman Empire and the invasions of barbarian tribes devastated Europe. The Romans had made progress in science, technology, engineering, medicine and literature, but during the Middle Ages, much of their knowledge was lost. There were mass migrations, wars and plagues. For around 300 years, there was continuous violence. Then, the development of feudalism decreased some of the violence.

In 800, Charlemagne became Emperor of the Romans. He promoted order, education, and civilization. Slowly, Europe began to regain what it had lost. Still, the Late Middle Ages were a difficult time. Wars and the bubonic plague killed millions of people in Europe and Asia.

Europe changed a lot during the Middle Ages. Independent unified nation-states formed across the old Western Roman Empire. The new nations included England, Scotland, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Norway and France (the last which evolved from the realm of the Franks).

1. ↑ "Middle Ages", The History Channel website, http://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages (accessed Jan 4, 2014)