Danielle C. Dillon Europe in the Middle Ages Fall 2013 Final Exam Many things effected society in Medieval Europe, some having a more profound effect than others. Europe in the Middles ages was a time of learning and of cultural growth, but it was also a time of more serious things such as the Black Death. The way Europe coped with these unforeseen challenges, helped shape their society and culture, and we still learn about them today. The Black Death was of significance in Europe, but what exactly was it? The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague was a wide spread infection in Medieval Europe that wiped out one third of the entire population during this time period. This plague affected the Lymph Nodes, where the bacteria found a suitable place to reproduce. How was the black plague spread you may ask? This is where some of the advances made in Europe during the Middle Ages, backfired and actually had a negative effect. It is widely known that the Black Plague was transmitted through rats, but it finds in origins in Asia. Thus the fleas found on these rats, must have come to Europe somehow, for this we look at trade routes. It was very common for markets and fairs to open up with imported goods in Europe, some of these goods coming from Asia, thus traveling salesmen and their merchandise are largely responsible for the transmission of the disease. Another reason this disease was so deadly was the lack of medicine, and knowledge of science. Though there was knowledge of science and medicine in the time, it does not compare to what we know now, including the knowledge of incubation periods. We know now because of modern medicine, that diseases can be transmitted before symptoms show, this was not known in M... ... middle of paper ... ...olarly endeavors, rather than strictly practical ones. Humanists also believed that the entirety of society should be well versed and able to speak articulately. The focus also changed during this time period to the “here and now” rather than the afterlife. The worth of individuals began to become more important, rather than just their worth in relation to society as a whole. Renaissance Humanism was the first time in history that people began to question authority and the teachings they had learned, it was the first time in history that individual expression was commonly accepted. Medieval Europe was a time of great tragedy (The Black Death) but it was also a time of great advancements in learning and culture. Perhaps one day thousands of years from now, people will read of our advancements and note their profound impact, as we do with Europe in the Middle Ages.
Click here to unlock this and over one million essays
Show MoreThe Black Death fundamentally changed the way that medieval society operated. Outdated systems like manorialism collapsed and an ideological revolution occurred within the sciences. While these changes did come at a high cost, their benefits to society were immense, and they helped medieval Europe become a more modern society. Had the Black Death not occurred, many scientific advancements would have been stalled and obsolete economic systems would have been sustained. In conclusion, by destroying what had previously been accepted, the Black Death caused a reshuffling of the socioeconomic and scientific practices of medieval Europe.
From 1347-1352 a new disease ravaged Europe with a vicious vengeance “Historians later named this calamitous disease the Black Death.” The Black Death may have originated in the east and traveled through the black sea towards Western Europe. “A Byzantine scholar Nicephorus Gregoras called the Black Death a “pestilential disease.” The symptoms of the Black Death included bleeding ulcerations, tumorous growths at the thighs and arm, acute fever, and eventually a horrible death. The disease originated in Manchuria (Asia) and traveled through the Silk Road carried by fleas living on the back of rats. Once the disease made its way through the black sea it spread through the “Middle East, North Africa, and finally through Europe.” The Black Death reappeared each ten to twelve years during the fourteenth
The Middle Ages was a time of knights, the lords they supported, and the kings and queens they worked under. A time the Roman Catholic Church took over the European landmass like rapid fire, and when moral codes designated the manner in which people acted. Almost most influential of all was feudalism. At the time of the medieval period, the social, political, and economic lives of Europeans were defined by feudalism.
The Great Pestilence that haunted Europe in Medieval times took out more than a third of its population. After diseased rats and fleas made their way to the ports of Messina, Sicily by ships the plague spread across Europe ever so quickly. People were falling ill and dying within days, and there was nothing anyone could do. Close friends became sick and delusional, and Europe’s people began to lose hope. Church goers lost faith in god, and others punished their selves for forgiveness. The Black Death also caused the fall of feudalism. With all of the serfs and peasants dying off, there were only few left to work fields and harvest crops. This meant higher payouts. Finally in the year 1350, the plague died off, but reappeared every few generations.
...hurch and ruling class in order to survive. Now, most people have a choice of religion and most people aren’t treated like the people of the medieval period. We have more advanced medicine and have excelled in science and knowledge. As a result of the Black Death we are now an almost perfectly civilized community that knows how to try and avoid things happening such as the Black Death.
Europe, in the Middle Ages, began to arise with new inventions, like the printing press, that helped many people in that time period, to advance in their education and their labor work, but before all that time, there was the rise of a strong and deadly disease that infected and killed millions of people throughout the world. Before the Black Plague, there were other diseases that had spread around Europe before the Middle Ages but it wasn’t as quickly and deadly as the Black Plague. The Black Plague was found to have come from animals, like rats, but it was mostly from the fleas that were on the rats. The plague in the middle ages had an advantage in Europe due to the overpopulation and the lack of space also because the medicine that was
The Medieval Times for Europe, from the 400 AD till 1400 AD, are often labeled as “The Dark Ages”. This time period has begun after a turning point known as Fall of Rome. It caused Rome to divide into two well-known civilizations: Medieval Europe, Islam, and The Byzantine Empire. Also, Medieval Europe led to a well known utopian period of “rebirth” identified as the Renaissance. The time period between 400 CE and 1400 CE wasn’t a “Dark Age” for Europe because of progress in academic success, blossom in architecture, and religious unity along with government. It wasn’t a cultural decay or decline because of the legendary time period it led to.
...l the power it lost. As for nobles there were too few of them to rule and too few peasants to ruler over. This took Europe out of the middle ages and into the Renaissance period where new inventions were made, art was created, and civilization flourished.
For some the middle ages was filled with fine writing and stories with a strong leader and government and for some individuals in the same society the day was filled with hard and tedious work for hours on end. Some brought terror and fear while others brought the joy of language the Middle Ages cannot be summed up in one word, one essay, and not nearly by one person. The middle ages were filled with new ideas and culture and with that came hard work and dedication for the world comes at balance a society thriving with new inventions but with that comes irksome consequences the world will remain in balance at one point or
The Black Plague, perhaps one of the worst epidemics in history, swept its evil across Europe in the middle of the 14th century, killing an estimated 20 million people. This major population shift, along with other disasters occurring at the time, such as famine and an already existing economic recession, plunged Europe into a dark period of complete turmoil. Anarchy, psychological breakdowns, and the dissipation of church power were some of the results. As time passed, however, society managed to find new ground and began its long path of recovery. The plague, as catastrophic as it was to medieval Europe, had just as many positive effects that came with this recovery as it did negative effects prior. An end to feudalism, increased wages and innovation, the idea of separation of church and state, and an attention to hygiene and medicine are only some of the positive things that came after the plague. It could also be argued that the plague had a significant impact on the start of the Renaissance.
The Medieval Ages was a time in history when people were extremely undeveloped, war was not uncommon, and people had absurd beliefs. Among these poor things, culture did have a big role in the Medieval Ages; since there was a majority Christian population, the church often ruled most lives. This was also a time of great kings and their kingdoms, and the valiant knights that protected them.
The impact of Christianity, the fantastic architecture, and the horrible diseases that spread throughout Europe all contribute to the history of the Middle Ages. They helped shape one of the greatest periods in history. The Middle Ages will always be remembered as a time of great accomplishments and horrible struggles. The great architecture still stands today, while the literary works are continuously studied and reflected upon. The Black Death still remains one of the most devastating epidemics that the world has ever seen. The Middle Ages were truly a great period in Europe’s history.
The Medieval time was a significant part in the history of the human race with many important event happening in this time, it also brought an assortment advancements , some bad and some good. The biggest advancements that happened during the medieval ages is the warfare and the technology associated with it. Without the warfare that went on during this 1000 year period we wouldn't have the weapons and strategies that we have today making medieval warfare the building grounds for modern warfare.
Medieval Europe was one of the most popular era’s. The medieval period was very unique; they had different ways of fulfilling errands compared to modern day techniques. Their social hierarchy, lifestyle, health, castles and weapons were all very exclusive to Medieval Europe. We also can’t forget one of the most important events in medieval history; The Black Plague.
Life in the Middle Ages were like hell to some people and like heaven to others. The Middle Ages had three levels of society, The king, The Barons, and the peasants. Kings ruled by divine right and were believed to be chosen by god. People believed to rebel against the king was a sin but that did not stop them from rebelling. A great king would have had to have a strong personality or the barons would try to rebel against him. The king gave land to the barons in exchange for soldiers that would fight for so many days out of a year.