"Middle Ages" is a term coined much later than the time designated by it. It was introduced initially, in order to determine the time of a strict ban on everything that was connected with Antiquity. This was the period following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and continued until the beginning of the Renaissance, when interest in Ancient Rome and Greece flared up with renewed vigor.
Time frames fluctuate
It is approximately limited to the VI and XVI centuries, and this millennium is commonly called the Middle Ages. But, of course, the exact time frames of the Middle Ages have not been established. There are a lot of opinions. The end of the 17th century is also called, because after the fall of Constantinople in
1453 (one of the borders of the end of the Middle Ages), epoch-making events followed one after another and gave more freedom to humanity. And each of them in a certain group of historians serves as the end date of the "dark times", although this term is more appropriate in relation to the Early and Middle Ages. The milestone dates include the discovery of America (1492) and the beginning of the Reformation (the fight against the abuses of the Catholic Church) in 1517. This was followed by the English Revolution, the end of the Thirty Years' War, the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia and the equalization of the rights of Catholics and Protestants. And each of these fateful events for Europe is considered by the Modivists as a possible final time frame of the Middle Ages.
Different schools - different views
Representatives of Modivist studies studied mainly the history of the European Middle Ages, but similar events took place in Russia, and further, in Asia, Africa, and in the newly discovered America. Among scholars there are supporters of the long Middle Ages. In their theories, they are based on more complete data on radical changes in all absolutely layers of human society. The beginning of the New Age, they consider the beginning of the Great French Revolution. There is no agreement regarding the beginning of this time period. In the "History of Mankind" - an encyclopedic publication of UNESCO - the border between the Ancient World and the Middle Ages is connected with the moment of the emergence of Islam. Obviously, every scientist has the right to his point of view.
Vastness of the concept
So what is the Middle Ages? This, by the standards of human history, is a rather short period, which included a lot. The stages of development of society changed, new religions and countries arose, continents opened and brilliant scientists were born who changed the idea of the world and science as a whole, a "great migration of peoples" took place. Obviously, such a multifaceted concept must be considered in different planes. Indeed, given how the Inquisition was atrocious, how cruelly it suppressed even a hint of dissent, then the end of this time should be considered the equation in the rights of representatives of different faiths, and not the appearance of masterpieces of the geniuses of the Renaissance.
Twin brothers
What is the Middle Ages? Briefly, it sounds like this - the period of the historical development of society between Antiquity (the Ancient World) and the New Time. Another thing is where Antiquity ends, and New Times begin. Each historical stage has its own socio-economic formation: Antiquities - the slave system, the Middle Ages - the feudal system, and the New Time - capitalist. The time frames of the Middle Ages in Europe, and not only coincide with feudalism in full, but, for example, in Russia, its remnants were destroyed only in October 1917. In some countries, the residual effects of feudalism have not yet been overcome. And regarding Europe, the opinions of researchers differ. It is argued that for a long time medieval society was multistructured, and in all areas. Obviously, it was so, because it is not on the team that the formation changes.
The emergence of the concept
A common version is that the emergence, domination, and decay of feudalism is the era of the Middle Ages. And this term itself was introduced by Italian humanists (for example, Flavio Biondo), who directed considerable efforts to the revival of classical Latin.
They marked the period preceding their time and separating them from the antiquity they worshiped, with the phrase medium aevum, sounding like “me imuuim”, which means “middle age”. No matter how short the century of Middle Ages is compared to the existence of the Ancient World, distinctive features were inherent in its various periods, and therefore there is a periodization of the Middle Ages.
The need for periodization
It represents the division of the 12-century domination of this historical segment into three main periods. The first refers to the time, stretching from the end of the V century to the middle of the XI, and it is called the Early Middle Ages. The classical, or High Middle Ages, came immediately after the previous stage (XI century) and ended in the XIV century. Later, the final Middle Ages are also called the Early New Time. Its period is the XIV — XVI centuries. The historiography of the 20th century has changed a lot under the influence of the French school, which formed around the Annals magazine, in whose honor it was named. They put forward the idea of a "long Middle Ages."
Characteristics of the Early Middle Ages
The beginning of the Middle Ages coincides with a significant expansion of the areas on which Western European civilization is emerging. A characteristic feature of the Early Middle Ages is the formation of states on the territory of England, France, Saxony, and Russia. During this period, lasting approximately 5 centuries, there was a “great migration of peoples”, which is based on the invasion of the Huns from Asia into Eastern Europe, which was the periphery of the Western Roman Empire. The peoples displaced by the Huns moved mainly to the territory of Gaul, Spain, Italy and Dacia. Another distinguishing feature of this historical period is the transition from paganism to the Christian religion, taking place under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church, whose role in this time period is difficult to overestimate.
Empire of Francs
The Middle Ages are the rule of the church. It was the core of all Western civilization, it rallied nations around itself, and it was also the center of culture. New production relations are also being laid - feudalism arises, which is based on the dominance of large land ownership. It is impossible not to say about the emergence of the Franks state during this period, ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, whose representative, Charles the Great, united territories that were approaching in size the area occupied by the Western Roman Empire. Save and this empire failed. The Early Middle Ages is generally characterized by the variability of the borders of emerging states. Everything is in the process of education and formation. Certain literary directions begin to develop - the Early Middle Ages became the golden time for the emergence of the Heroic epic. In general, the "Middle Ages" are the "Word about Igor's regiment" and the French "Song of Roland", the Spanish "Poem about Side" and the German "Song of the Nibelungs". So the times were not entirely “dark”.
Wars and revolts as engines of progress
The very name of the next stage - the "high", "classical", "mature" Middle Ages - suggests that everything that began in the previous time was completed and reached its peak (became the most productive).
Feudal relations were finally formed, centralized power strengthened, estate-representative monarchies formed (when representatives of different classes took part in the drafting of laws). This era had only its inherent characteristic features - parliaments and political parties are beginning to emerge. Bloody feuds did not bypass this time. The dynastic war of the Scarlet and White Roses, which took away a quarter of the country's population, when a part of the population devoted to representatives of the Plantagenet-Lancaster families killed the York supporters, that is, the British destroyed the British. Another distinguishing feature of this period is peasant uprisings, such as John Ball and Wat Tyler in England.
Treasures of medieval architecture
What is the Middle Ages? This is a great architecture, combining 4 styles - “Carolingian Renaissance” (after the ruling dynasty in the Frankish state), Otton art (named after the representative of the Saxon dynasty Otto I the Great), Romanesque and Gothic styles. The heyday of the latter, originating in France in the XII century, just happened during the Late Middle Ages. Amazing examples of these architectural trends are scattered throughout Europe. And “Gothic” is generally a decoration of Europe, its business card. Cologne Cathedral (1248-1437), Notre Dame de Paris (1163-1437), Gothic churches and cathedrals of Prague - which can be compared with this incomprehensible beauty. They are not one iota inferior to the masterpieces of the Renaissance.
The horrors of the dark Middle Ages
What is the Middle Ages? This is the Great Famine, the plague pandemic, or the Black Death, this is the Inquisition, the bloody Crusades and Jacquerie - a major anti-feudal uprising of the French peasants (Jacob simpletons) in 1358. However, the Late Middle Ages is also called the Early New Time, that is, rapid growth began in all directions - cities strengthened, crafts developed, manufactories were born, trade was gaining momentum. Huge shifts have taken place in the social, cultural, scientific and political life of Europe. The papacy, the core of the Middle Ages, is declining. The change of formations was prepared by riots of the lower strata of the population, unprecedented in size and power — the Netherlands Uprising and the Great Peasant War in Germany.
Traditional understanding
Nowadays, the periodization of the Middle Ages is determined taking into account the characteristics of each country, but also with the recognition that in one form or another this historical process is inherent in all states of the world. Therefore, there is no specific time frame. The 17th century is a time when feudal relations are becoming obsolete, and the birth of capitalism begins.
But it was precisely the misfortunes that occurred in the 15th century - hunger, terrible diseases, the atrocities of the Inquisition, that create a gloomy picture, as if belonging to the brush of Jerome Bosch, and are associated with the Middle Ages. Therefore, most often the definition of the Middle Ages does not include beautiful works of literature and architecture, the Great Discoveries, but bonfires on which heretics were burned, including Giordano Bruno, scary white masks with a long beak, in which doctors walked along the dirty streets of plagued cities. At that time, the Europeans did not wash themselves yet. Therefore, for a long time the term “medieval” will be synonymous with such concepts as “dense”, “backward”, “clogged”.