Bishops | The World Around The 1600’s | Essay Topic: Were The Dark Ages Really So Dark? | | Aidan Bizony | 29-Jan-13 |
Were the dark ages really so dark?
It was first used when people began to see a contrast between the brilliance of Europe during the time of Roman Empire, the “light” period, and the sudden deterioration during the centuries after the collapse of Rome. Throughout the time of Roman occupation in Europe, the European economy and culture were thriving. However, when the Empire collapsed in the first millennium AD, Roman influence throughout Europe began to dwindle considerably. The rapid drop in development of Roman ideology was not only limited to their economy, the various fields of science (e.g. mathematics &
…show more content…
And the nursery rhyme Ring-a-ring-a-Rosie derived from the Black Death as people used to carry sweet smelling flowers (e.g. Roses) to mask the ever present scent of death and decay. Although the Yersinia Pestis virus has not been fully eradicated (PubMed.com, 2004) modern medicine has managed to subdue most of the fatal ability of this bacteria.
However, in contrast, Ming Dynasty China was relatively more sophisticated compared to Europe during the early fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Ming sciences (particularly those of mathematics and medicine) were far more advanced than their European counterparts. Unlike some European countries education was widespread for both men and women. During the Ming Dynasty China were also the first develop the woodblock printing press, as a result of this, China was able to publish large amounts of books during this period.
For the Europeans during the ‘Dark Ages’ these times were indeed dark and dreary, things were however, picking up in other parts of the world. For me personally, I believe that had the Dark Ages not occurred, Europe’s standing as a modern superpower would not, and could not have occurred as I believe that the ‘Dark Ages’ was the forerunner of the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution could not have been possible. Europe’s status as a superpower and (at one stage home to three biggest empires throughout history), the world would
Europe was in a Dark Age because they went through tragic and disastrous events. Such as the crusades and the black death. The Crusades shows that Europe was in a dark age because there is war, violence, and chaos. According to Document A, “ Some of our
The dark ages were considered dark because of the countless times Europe’s been invaded. “... the heathen broke in upon the Christians at many points, but more than 12,000 of them died. Another party of invaders devastated Gaul, and more than 600 of them died” (Doc C). This all happened in the same year (845) and just shows how often Europe was invaded and ravaged. This evidence was from the abbey of Xanten records, which was made at the time and is a primary source. “The heathen from the North caused trouble in Christendom as usual and grew greater in strength” (Doc C). The records say that they invaded as usual, which shows how frequently they were invaded and how routine it was. They were so terribly secured and a main cause of this was
There are many factors that one could say to support the theory that Europe was in a dark age such as, the first crusade, the black death, and the government. The black death was the biggest reason that Europe was in a dark age because the black death killed one third of Europe's population. As read in Document A ¨ Frightened people abandoned the house and fled to another.¨ this shows how there were small towns, small population and isolated communities, as you can see since the disease spread so quickly, people would do anything to keep them and their family safe. When the first crusade started many fought to to their deaths. Many Christians, knights, lords, and peasants killed 70,000 muslims so they could have salvation. In document B
From past noted information, it is clear that Europe was in a dark age throughout 500-1500 A.D. This is evident when you look at the events that took place during this time period. For example, there was the Bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death and the Crusades which in together killed about 52 million people. The Black Death alone killed 50 million, one third of Europe's total population. Many people during that time thought that the world was going to end and that God did not care about them anymore.
Europe was in a dark age because of the many events that had killed and affected the European civilization, including the Black Death, invasion of the Franks, and Crusades. According to Black Death document A “[The Black Death] was such a frightful thing that when it got into a house,
There are many good events that occurred in Europe during the middle ages, but there are also many bad events during the 500's-1500's. Even though many good events occurred, Europe had to face bad events like the government unable to keep order then and danger grew out of hand. Along with the black death, this made it to wear Europe had almost fell and the population went down, killing thousands day by day. There were good times in Europe and bad times in the middle ages, but, was it in a period of growth or a Dark Age, one could argue saying it was in a dark
Based on all of those factors that compose a dark age, it is right to say that Europe was in a dark age. In 1347 AD, there was an outbreak of a disease called the Bubonic Plague killing 50 million, or 60% of Europe’s population. According to document B,"There the plague sat like a lion on a throne
The Dark Ages “According to their custom the Northmen plundered…and burned the town of Dordrecht…the Northmen, with their boats filled with immense booty, including both men and goods, returned to their own country “(Document 3). This was from a chronicle of articles written by the Anglo Saxons who inhabited great Britain in the 9th century. The chronicle of Anglo Saxons was a book of their history and what happened during their lives. The Middle Ages was a time period between the 5th and 15th century. The age started after the Western Roman empire fell and ended when the Eastern Roman Empire fell.
Another title that the Middle Ages deserve is the label Dark Ages because during the Middle Ages, there was constant chaos and destruction that plagued Western Europe. After the collapse of Rome, the invasions did not end there. The invasions continued throughout the Middle Ages by different groups and tribes. For example, during the ninth and tenth century, the Moor invasions have taken over the South and the Hungarians invaded the Eastern provinces. Both invasion groups sacked villages, held captives, burned down religious buildings, and left a path of destruction while many citizens that escaped took refuge in the mountains or deep forests (doc 1). Also during the invasions of the Moor and Hungarians, the Northmen struck terror in England. The plundered, burned towns, and returned home with boats filled with gold, people, and resources (doc. 3). However, that was not the end of all the chaos during the Middle Ages. During the 14th century, the black death hit Western Europe, which ended up wiping out 1/3 of the population and a body count of over 25 million by the end of the sixteenth century (OI). Consequently, because of the constant chaos and destruction from invasions and plague, little to no development was possible. This slowed down Western Europe's advancements and growth. The
The dark ages consisted of the Crusades, the Black Death, government, and universities. Medieval Europe could be considered to be in a dark age or in a growth age. However, based on the evidence, Europe was undoubtedly in a dark age. The dark ages consisted of several very violent and very tragic outbreaks.
There is many examples of evidence to support how Europe wasn’t in a dark age. To support this claim there are some examples. The Government ,The Rise of University, and the Gothic Cathedrals shows that Europe was not in a dark age. One reason Europe was not in a dark age was because if it was in a dark age they wouldn't know to stand up for themselves. They also had a lot of money, even though King John took it all proving that they were not in a dark age.They were also beginning to request laws so they can have some rights. According to the Black Death Documents,"To all free men of our kingdom we have also granted, for us and to our heirs for ever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs.”Another
The American Cyclopaedia describes The Dark Ages as a “period of intellectual depression in the history of Europe.” This means that the term The Dark Ages was just another name for the early middle ages in Europe. There wasn’t much evidence about the time available, historians didn’t know much about it and so they say that the period was “in the dark.” Over time, people began using it as a term for all the middle ages. Instead of basing these theories off of their lack of information, historians just assumed that the people and life at the time were “dark” also. Now they have discovered more documents from that time, and so it isn’t seeming as “dark” anymore.
In the year 476 A.D., Rome officially fell as the greatest and most thriving empire at the time. The time period following this downfall was called the Middle Ages, more infamously recalled as the Dark Ages; but were these years truly as dark as historians say? These medieval times lasted for approximately one thousand years, could such a long time period have been all that dreadful? The answer will soon become clear. The Middle Ages deserved to have the alias of the Dark Ages because there were several severe illnesses, the monarchs were cruel, and the crusades brought the death of many.
In the 1300s, Petrarch, an Italian Scholar used the term "dark ages" which applied "dark" and "light" to describe the period. Historians kept wondering " Was Europe really in a dark age from 500 to 1500"? The ongoing argument involves events such as the Crusades, The Black Death, the signing of the Magna Carta, and the building of universities and cathedrals. But although, there was destruction and prosper. While Europe had long lasting improvements, it was still a lot of destruction, during this period.
During the period in Europe commonly known as The Middle Ages, economic reforms took place, as well as social, political, and religious changes. One common theme throughout The Middle Ages was the relationship between the Church and the State. The Catholic church during this era held a prominent role in society, and it had an abundant amount of power and authority. The Catholic Church exercised its authority in many different stages, and the people responded to the way that the Church exercised her power. Bernard Guenee in The Lives of Four French Prelates In the Late Middle Ages reflects on this controversy between church and state power throughout the Middle Ages by focusing on the lives of four distinguished French church authorities: Bernard Gui (1261-1331), Gilles Le Muisit (1272-1353), Pierre D 'Ailly (1351-1420), and Thomas Basin (1412-1490), all of whom rose from modest circumstances to the dignity of office. Guenee argues that the ambition these men displayed may be considered honorable to some, but he sees their advancement in the Church and their participation in the state as counteractive. He fails to distinguish between the good and immoral sides of ambition as a virtue and claims the cause of the separation between the church and the state comes down to an inevitable fight for the acquisition of higher power. His position only deals with the practicalities of the situation, and is