6 reasons why the Middle Ages weren't as dark a time as is commonly believed

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 and its conquest by the barbarians are often referred to as the "dark ages." Many chroniclers of that time described the Middle Ages as a dark period of ignorance, the fall of education and science. Immediately in the brain there are pictures of religious fanatics burning books, and along with scientists, everywhere there is dirt and, of course, the plague. But was the Middle Ages really as "dark" as everyone used to think?

1. The term "Dark Ages" originated in the late period, thanks to scientists who were too biased towards Ancient Rome

This happened after the Germanic tribes conquered the Roman Empire. Throughout the territory, they destroyed Roman traditions, replacing them with their own. A negative view of this era was formed under the influence of the surviving texts of that time. Authors such as Saint Jerome, Saint Patrick, Gregory of Tours and others were simply fixated on Rome. It was thanks to them that everything began to be viewed in an extremely bad light.

They were partly right, because many innovations were lost. Literacy rates have fallen compared to ancient Rome. But it cannot be said that science and education did not develop. Renaissance scholars such as Petrarch described Rome and Ancient Greece as the pinnacle of human achievement in all areas. They endlessly romanticized this irretrievably gone time and completely rejected the present. Many writers and philosophers of those times simply did not notice the great leaders, scientific achievements and masterpieces of art, living in the past.

2. The Church took the place of the Roman Empire and became the most powerful force in Europe

When Rome fell, there was no centralized political power structure in Europe to replace it. The only exception was the short period of the reign of Charlemagne. But a holy place is never empty. The church has become such an institution of power. She managed to take her dominant place thanks to the development of monasticism. This movement was born in the 3rd century, its ancestor was Anthony of Egypt. The period of the greatest flourishing of monasticism fell on the 10-13th centuries.

All the monarchs of that time had a close relationship with the church. Power relied entirely on religious institutions. At this time, the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in the person of popes grew significantly. Kings and queens could not decide anything without their approval. Unlike the times of the Roman Empire, there was no talk of any monopolization of power by the rulers. The powerful lever of influence in the face of the church had quite positive consequences. The limitation of royal power, and later the adoption of the Magna Carta and the birth of the English Parliament - became important milestones in world history.

3. The rise of monasticism had important implications for later Western views and values

The dominance of the church in the early Middle Ages was the main reason why later scholars branded this period as "unenlightened." This was especially vividly described by researchers of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century and the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. These historians believed that during this period the church had an inhibitory effect on scientific and intellectual progress. They wrote that religious piety completely suppresses science and art. But that was not at all true. Early Christian monasticism encouraged literacy. There were schools at the monasteries where the Lyuli studied various sciences. Many medieval churchmen were not only patrons of various arts, but were themselves talented artists, writers, and scientists.

One of the most influential monks of the early Middle Ages was Benedict of Nursia (480-543). He founded the great Abbey of Montecassino. His main rule, a kind of constitution, was a written code for the Benedictines. He set the standards of existence and organization for the monastery and community. This set of rules limited the power of the abbot. In addition, Benedict said that idleness is the enemy of the soul. The monk believed that all clergy should engage in all types of labor: physical, intellectual and spiritual. Benedict's Codex became the model for most Western monasteries. All of this was centuries ahead of the famous Protestant dogmas of work ethics.

4. The early Middle Ages were the rise of agriculture

Until the early Middle Ages, agricultural prosperity in Europe was largely confined to the south. There were mostly sandy and loose soils. They were easy to cultivate with a simple, primitive plow. The rest of the lands were hard. They were hardly cultivated in any way. The invention of a heavy plow that could plow deeply heavy clay soil changed everything. By the 10th century, agriculture in Northern Europe had completely changed, developing very actively. Another key innovation of the time was the harness that was worn around the horse's neck and shoulders. She helped to properly distribute the load. Horses turned out to be much stronger and more efficient than bulls. The harness made a real revolution both in agriculture and in the development of human movement. At the same time, metal horseshoes began to be used.

In addition, in the Middle Ages, there was such a phenomenon as the "warm period". Then warm good weather prevailed. Scientists believe that, coupled with key advances in agricultural technology, this was a great way to leapfrog agricultural development in those centuries.

5. The Islamic world has made great strides in science and mathematics

Among the most popular myths about the "dark ages" is the idea that the medieval Christian church suppressed natural scientists. Prohibited were such procedures as autopsy, for example, inhibiting all scientific progress. In fact, there is no historical evidence of this. It's just that this process went a little slower in Western Europe than in the east. But he was persistent, resilient and was able to lay a powerful foundation for future discoveries and achievements.

In the Islamic world, on the contrary, progress went by leaps and bounds. They made a great leap forward in the development of mathematics and other sciences. This was mainly due to the fact that in the east they used ancient Greek scientific texts translated into Arabic. Subsequently, the Latin translation of the "Consolidated Book of Calculations by Completion and Balancing" by the 9th century Persian astronomer and mathematician al-Khwarizmi introduced algebra to Europe. Having discovered the first systematic solutions to similar problems, linear and quadratic equations. The al-Khwarizmi system gave science the word "algorithm".

6. The Carolingian Renaissance experienced a rapid flowering of art, literature, architecture and science

Charles, son of Pepin the Short, inherited the Frankish kingdom with his brother Carloman when Pepin died in 768. Carloman died a few years later. On his thirtieth birthday, Karl gained absolute control over the entire kingdom. He is known in history as Charlemagne or the Great. This king fought numerous wars with Muslims in Spain, Bavarians and Saxons in northern Germany, and Lombards in Italy. This, in turn, led to the expansion of the Frankish Empire. As a representative of the first Germanic tribe to profess Catholicism, Charlemagne was serious about spreading the faith. In 800, Charles was crowned by Pope Leo III as "Emperor of the Romans." Eventually, this evolved into the title of Holy Roman Emperor.

Charlemagne was infinitely proud to bear this title. He tried to do everything for the development of a strong state. The king encouraged the revival and development of Roman architecture. The monarch promoted educational reform and ensured the preservation of classical Latin texts.

A key achievement of Charlemagne's reign was the introduction of a standard handwriting known as the Carolingian miniature. With innovations such as punctuation, case and word spacing, it revolutionized reading and writing. The production of books and other documents was simplified.

The Carolingian dynasty lasted too short a time. The invaluable heritage for centuries provided a solid foundation for the late cultural renaissance. Books, schools, curricula and manuals, teaching methods, attitude to science - all these were the achievements of the "dark" ages.

If you are interested in history, read our article on because of what collapsed 6 of the most highly developed ancient civilizations: secrets discovered by recently found artifacts.