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 +[[Image:Ship of Fools by Jheronimus Bosch.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''[[Ship of Fools (painting)|Ship of Fools]]'' by [[Hieronymus Bosch]]]]
 +[[Image:Hell.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This page '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is part of the [[Middle Ages]] series.<br>
 +Illustration:"[[Hell]]" detail from [[Hieronymus Bosch]]'s ''[[The Garden of Earthly Delights]]'' (c. [[1504]])]]
{{Template}} {{Template}}
-The '''Middle Ages''' was a period of great cultural, political, and economic change in [[Europe]]. The Middle Ages witnessed the first sustained [[urbanization]] of northern and western Europe. Modern European states [[Nationalism|owe their origins]] to the Middle Ages, and their political boundaries as we know them are essentially the result of the military and dynastic achievements in this tumultuous period. Science, technology, agricultural production, and social identity changed drastically during this period. The Middle Ages are commonly dated from the [[5th century]] [[fall of the Roman Empire|fall of the Western Roman Empire]] until the [[Fall of Constantinople|fall of the Eastern Roman Empire]] in the [[15th century]]. These dates are approximate, and based upon nuanced arguments, for other dating schemes and the reasoning behind them, see "[[#Periodisation issues|Periodisation Issues]]", below. 
-== Culture ==+The '''Middle Ages''' (adjectival form: '''medieval''', '''mediaeval''' or '''mediæval''') is a [[periodization]] of [[European history]], encompassing the period from the [[5th century]] to the [[15th century]]. The Middle Ages follows the [[Decline of the Roman Empire|fall of the Western Roman Empire]] in 476 and precedes the [[Early Modern Era]]. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: [[Classical antiquity|Classical]], Medieval and [[Modern history|Modern]]. The term "Middle Ages" first appears in Latin in the 15th century and reflects the view that this period was a deviation from the path of classical learning, a path that was later reconnected by [[Renaissance]] scholarship.
-[[Chivalric romance]]: In the later medieval and early Renaissance period, there was an important European trend towards [[fantastic fiction]]. Works such as ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' (1485) and [[Amadis of Gaul]] (eC14) spawned a large number of imitators. By 1600, the poor quality of many of the romances had led to them being seen as harmful distractions. ''[[Don Quixote]]'' is the story of an elderly man driven insane by reading too many romances of chivalry.+In the [[Early Middle Ages]] the trends of the [[Late Antiquity]] (depopulation, deurbanization, and increased [[barbarian]] invasion) continued. [[North Africa]] and the [[Middle East]], once part of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], became [[Islamic]]. Later in the period, the establishment of the [[feudal system]] allowed a move away from [[subsistence agriculture]]. There was sustained [[urbanization]] in [[Northern Europe|Northern]] and [[Western Europe]].
-===The fantastique===+
-The ''fantastique'' was virtually defined in the [[Middle Ages]]. This was a time when the supernatural was perceived as something to be avoided, but not unbelievable. The old [[Celtic mythology|Celtic]], [[Franks|Frankish]] and [[Germanic Europe|Germanic]] [[Religion and mythology|myths]] were translated from [[religion]] (implying [[belief]] and [[worship]]) into popular [[folklore]] (implying belief but not worship). At first, the [[Roman Catholic Church | Catholic Church]] allowed the telling of the stories as stories. As time went by, the people's practice of worship came to be more closely associated with Christian tradition and less with pagan tradition. In many cases, one prominent example being the [[King Arthur|Arthurian Romances]], this practice is reflected in the telling of the stories, which were also purposefully altered to incorporate Christian tradition as time went by.+During the [[High Middle Ages]] (c. 1000–1300), [[Christian]]-oriented [[art]] and [[architecture]] flourished and [[Crusades]] were mounted to recapture the [[Holy Land]] from [[Muslim]] control. The influence of the emerging [[nation-state]] was tempered by the ideal of an international [[Christendom]]. The codes of [[chivalry]] and [[courtly love]] set rules for proper behavior, while the [[Scholasticism|Scholastic]] [[philosopher]]s attempted to reconcile faith and reason. Outstanding achievement in this period includes the [[Code of Justinian]], the mathematics of [[Fibonacci]] and [[Oresme]], the philosophy of [[Thomas Aquinas]], the paintings of [[Giotto]], the poetry of [[Dante]] and [[Chaucer]], the travels of [[Marco Polo]], and the architecture of [[gothic architecture|Gothic]] cathedrals such as [[Chartres Cathedral|Chartres]].
-The root of modern thought about and artistic depiction of many things which are today often termed 'supernatural' (such as [[angel]]s, [[demon]]s, [[fairies]], [[witches]], et cetera) has its beginnings in the period often called the Middle Ages. Concepts and characters such as [[Melusine]], [[Harlequin]], [[Oberon (Fairy King)|Oberon]], [[Morgan Le Fay]], et cetera, were first given their definitive shapes at this time.+== Art and architecture of the Early Middle Ages==
 +Few large stone buildings were attempted between the Constantinian basilicas of the 4th century, and the 8th century. At this time, the establishment of churches and monasteries, and a comparative political stability, brought about the development of a form of stone architecture loosely based upon Roman forms and hence later named [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]]. Where available, Roman brick and stone buildings were recycled for their materials. From the fairly tentative beginnings known as the [[First Romanesque]], the style flourished and spread across Europe in a remarkably homogeneous form. The features are massive stone walls, openings topped by semi-circular arches, small windows, and, particularly in France, arched stone vaults and arrows
-Significant contributions of the times include:+In the decorative arts, Celtic and Germanic barbarian forms were absorbed into Christian art, although the central impulse remained Roman and Byzantine. High quality jewellery and religious imagery were produced throughout Western Europe; [[Charlemagne]] and other monarchs provided patronage for religious artworks such as [[reliquaries]] and books. Some of the principal artworks of the age were the fabulous [[Illuminated manuscripts]] produced by monks on [[vellum]], using gold, silver, and precious pigments to illustrate biblical narratives. Early examples include the [[Book of Kells]] and many Carolingian and Ottonian Frankish manuscripts.
-* The ''[[Chanson de geste|Chansons de geste]]'' [Songs of Deed] such as ''[[The Song of Roland|La Chanson de Roland]]'' [The Song Of Roland] (c. 1100), ''[[Tristan and Iseult|Le Roman de Tristan et Iseult]]'' [The Novel Of Tristan & Ysolde] (c. 1170), ''[[Lancelot|Lancelot, ou Le Chevalier à la Charette]]'' [Lancelot, or The Knight With A Cart] (c. 1177) and ''[[Percival|Perceval, ou le Conte du Graal]]'' [Perceval, or The Tale Of The Grail] (c. 1182), both by [[Chrétien de Troyes]].+ 
-* Between 1215 and 1235, [[Robert de Boron]], a successor of Chrétien de Troyes, published ''[[Holy Grail|Histoire du Saint-Graal]]'' [The Story Of The Holy Grail], ''[[Merlin (wizard)|Histoire de Merlin]]'' [The Story Of Merlin], ''Le Livre de Lancelot du Lac'' [The Book Of Lancelot Of The Lake], ''La Quête du Saint-Graal'' [The Quest For The Holy Grail] and ''[[King Arthur|La Mort du Roi Arthu]]'' [The Death Of King Arthur]. These books formed the basis for all subsequent [[Round Table (Camelot)|Arthurian legends]], and established the now well known origins of the Holy Grail as the vessel in which [[Joseph of Arimathea]] collected the blood of [[Jesus Christ]].+== Science and technology of the High Middle Ages==
-* The ''[[Fables|Fabliaux]]'', satirical fables which relied on the tradition established by [[Aesop]] of using anthropomorphic animals such as ''[[Reynard|Le Roman de Renart]]'', generally attributed to poet [[Pierre de Saint-Cloud]] (c. 1175). (By the 14th century, ''Le Roman de Renart included over 30 books.) +During the early Middle Ages and the [[Islamic Golden Age]], [[Islamic philosophy]], [[Islamic science|science]], and [[Islamic inventions|technology]] were more advanced than in Western Europe. Islamic scholars both preserved and built upon earlier [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] traditions and also added their own inventions and innovations. Islamic [[al-Andalus]] passed much of this on to Europe (see [[Islamic contributions to Medieval Europe]]). The replacement of [[Roman numerals]] with the [[decimal]] [[positional number system]] and the invention of [[algebra]] allowed more advanced mathematics. Another consequence was that the Latin-speaking world regained access to lost classical literature and [[philosophy]]. [[Latin translations of the 12th century]] fed a passion for [[Aristotle|Aristotelian]] philosophy and [[Islamic science]] that is frequently referred to as the [[Renaissance of the 12th century]]. Meanwhile, trade grew throughout Europe as the dangers of travel were reduced, and steady economic growth resumed. Cathedral schools and monasteries ceased to be the sole sources of education in the 11th century when [[medieval university|universities]] were established in major European cities. Literacy became available to a wider class of people, and there were major advances in [[art]], [[sculpture]], [[music]], and [[architecture]]. Large [[cathedral]]s were built across [[Europe]], first in the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], and later in the more decorative [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style.
-* Medieval [[poetry]] which often employed the supernatural as a mean of literary artifice, such as ''Le [[Roman de la Rose]]'' [The Romance Of The Rose] by [[Guillaume de Lorris]] (c. 1230), the ballads of [[Marie de France]] (c. 1170), ''Le Jeu de la Feuillée'' [The Game Of The Leaves] (c. 1275) by [[Adam de la Halle]], and the anonymous ''Le Livre de la Fontaine Périlleuse'' [The Book Of The Perilous Fountain] (c. 1425).+ 
-* The religious dramas called ''[[Mystery play|Mysteries]]'' and ''Miracles'' which often took several days to perform, and included spectacular stage effects, such as ''Le Jeu d'Adam'' [Play Of Adam]; ''La Résurrection du Sauveur'' [Our Savior's Resurrection]; ''Le Jeu de Saint Nicolas'' [Play Of Saint Nicolas] by [[Jean Bodel d'Arras]] and the monumental ''Le Mystère de la Passion ''[Mystery Of The Passion, or Passion Play] by [[Arnoul Gréban]], organist and choirmaster of [[Notre Dame de Paris]].+During the 12th and 13th century in Europe, there was a radical change in the rate of new inventions, innovations in the ways of managing traditional means of production, and economic growth. The period saw major [[technology|technological]] advances, including the invention of [[cannon]], [[glasses|spectacles]], and [[artesian aquifer|artesian wells]], and the cross-cultural introduction of [[gunpowder]], [[silk]], the [[compass]], and the [[astrolabe]] from the east. There were also great improvements to [[ship]]s and the [[clock]]. The latter advances made possible the dawn of the [[Age of Discovery|Age of Exploration]]. At the same time, huge numbers of Greek and Arabic works on medicine and the sciences were translated and distributed throughout Europe. Aristotle especially became very important, his rational and logical approach to knowledge influencing the scholars at the newly forming [[university|universities]] which were absorbing and disseminating the new knowledge during the 12th Century Renaissance.
 + 
 +== Philosophy ==
 +:''[[medieval philosophy]]''
== Culture == == Culture ==
-*[[Early Middle Ages]]+:''[[medieval culture]]''
-*[[High Middle Ages]]+* [[Eros in the Middle Ages]]
 +* [[Medieval art]]
 +* [[Medieval popular culture]]
 +* [[Medieval architecture]]
 +* [[Medieval cuisine]]
 +* [[Medieval literature]]
 +* [[Medieval music]]
 +* [[Medieval philosophy]]
 +* [[Medieval poetry]]
 +* [[Medieval satire]]
 +* [[Medieval theatre]]
 + 
 +== See also ==
 + 
 +'''Middle Ages related pages:'''
 +* [[Barbarian invasions]]
 +* [[Crisis of the Late Middle Ages]]
 +* [[List of basic medieval history topics]]
 +* [[Medieval art]]
 +* [[Medieval architecture]]
 +* [[Medieval warm period]]
 +* [[commune (medieval)|Medieval communes]]
 +* [[Medieval chronological timeline]]
 +* [[Medieval cuisine]]
 +* [[Medieval demography]]
 +* [[List of famines]]
 +* [[Middle Ages in film]]
 +* [[Medieval gardening]]
 +* [[guild|Medieval guilds]]
 +* [[Horses in the Middle Ages]]
 +* [[Medieval household]]
 +* [[Medieval hunting]]
 +* [[Islamic Golden Age]]
 +* [[Jews in the Middle Ages|History of the Jews in the Middle Ages]]
 +* [[Medieval literature]]
 +* [[Medieval medicine]]
 +** [[Plague of Justinian]]
 +** [[Black Death]]
 +* [[Medieval music]]
 +* [[Neo-medievalism]]
 +* [[Medieval philosophy]]
 +* [[Medieval poetry]]
 +* [[Medieval reenactment]]
 +* [[History of science in the Middle Ages|Medieval science]]
 +** [[Alchemy]]
 +* [[Medieval ships]]
 +* [[Medieval theatre]]
 +* [[Medieval warfare]]
 +* [[Medieval Wars]]
 +* [[tournament (medieval)|Medieval tournament]]
 +* [[Mining and metallurgy in medieval Europe]]
 +* [[Popular revolt in late medieval Europe]]
 +* [[Serfdom]]
 +* [[Slave trade in the Middle Ages]]
 +* [[Tatar invasions]]
 +* [[The heroic age]]
 + 
{{GFDL}} {{GFDL}}

Revision as of 08:55, 24 December 2014

This page Middle Ages is part of the Middle Ages series. Illustration:"Hell" detail from Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1504)
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This page Middle Ages is part of the Middle Ages series.
Illustration:"Hell" detail from Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1504)

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The Middle Ages (adjectival form: medieval, mediaeval or mediæval) is a periodization of European history, encompassing the period from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classical, Medieval and Modern. The term "Middle Ages" first appears in Latin in the 15th century and reflects the view that this period was a deviation from the path of classical learning, a path that was later reconnected by Renaissance scholarship.

In the Early Middle Ages the trends of the Late Antiquity (depopulation, deurbanization, and increased barbarian invasion) continued. North Africa and the Middle East, once part of the Eastern Roman Empire, became Islamic. Later in the period, the establishment of the feudal system allowed a move away from subsistence agriculture. There was sustained urbanization in Northern and Western Europe.

During the High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1300), Christian-oriented art and architecture flourished and Crusades were mounted to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim control. The influence of the emerging nation-state was tempered by the ideal of an international Christendom. The codes of chivalry and courtly love set rules for proper behavior, while the Scholastic philosophers attempted to reconcile faith and reason. Outstanding achievement in this period includes the Code of Justinian, the mathematics of Fibonacci and Oresme, the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, the paintings of Giotto, the poetry of Dante and Chaucer, the travels of Marco Polo, and the architecture of Gothic cathedrals such as Chartres.

Contents

Art and architecture of the Early Middle Ages

Few large stone buildings were attempted between the Constantinian basilicas of the 4th century, and the 8th century. At this time, the establishment of churches and monasteries, and a comparative political stability, brought about the development of a form of stone architecture loosely based upon Roman forms and hence later named Romanesque. Where available, Roman brick and stone buildings were recycled for their materials. From the fairly tentative beginnings known as the First Romanesque, the style flourished and spread across Europe in a remarkably homogeneous form. The features are massive stone walls, openings topped by semi-circular arches, small windows, and, particularly in France, arched stone vaults and arrows

In the decorative arts, Celtic and Germanic barbarian forms were absorbed into Christian art, although the central impulse remained Roman and Byzantine. High quality jewellery and religious imagery were produced throughout Western Europe; Charlemagne and other monarchs provided patronage for religious artworks such as reliquaries and books. Some of the principal artworks of the age were the fabulous Illuminated manuscripts produced by monks on vellum, using gold, silver, and precious pigments to illustrate biblical narratives. Early examples include the Book of Kells and many Carolingian and Ottonian Frankish manuscripts.

Science and technology of the High Middle Ages

During the early Middle Ages and the Islamic Golden Age, Islamic philosophy, science, and technology were more advanced than in Western Europe. Islamic scholars both preserved and built upon earlier Ancient Greek and Roman traditions and also added their own inventions and innovations. Islamic al-Andalus passed much of this on to Europe (see Islamic contributions to Medieval Europe). The replacement of Roman numerals with the decimal positional number system and the invention of algebra allowed more advanced mathematics. Another consequence was that the Latin-speaking world regained access to lost classical literature and philosophy. Latin translations of the 12th century fed a passion for Aristotelian philosophy and Islamic science that is frequently referred to as the Renaissance of the 12th century. Meanwhile, trade grew throughout Europe as the dangers of travel were reduced, and steady economic growth resumed. Cathedral schools and monasteries ceased to be the sole sources of education in the 11th century when universities were established in major European cities. Literacy became available to a wider class of people, and there were major advances in art, sculpture, music, and architecture. Large cathedrals were built across Europe, first in the Romanesque, and later in the more decorative Gothic style.

During the 12th and 13th century in Europe, there was a radical change in the rate of new inventions, innovations in the ways of managing traditional means of production, and economic growth. The period saw major technological advances, including the invention of cannon, spectacles, and artesian wells, and the cross-cultural introduction of gunpowder, silk, the compass, and the astrolabe from the east. There were also great improvements to ships and the clock. The latter advances made possible the dawn of the Age of Exploration. At the same time, huge numbers of Greek and Arabic works on medicine and the sciences were translated and distributed throughout Europe. Aristotle especially became very important, his rational and logical approach to knowledge influencing the scholars at the newly forming universities which were absorbing and disseminating the new knowledge during the 12th Century Renaissance.

Philosophy

medieval philosophy

Culture

medieval culture

See also

Middle Ages related pages:




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