MIDDLE AGES: terminology

“DARK AGES” as Renaissance concept       14-15th C.
          everything since Rome as period of “darkness”

MIDDLE AGES: term first used in 17th C.
          German university professor, Cellarius writes world history in Latin
          Vol. I    Historia antiqua  [Ancient History]
          Vol. II   Historia medii aevi   [Medieval History] MEDIUM AEVUM = MIDDLE AGE
          Vol. III  Historia nova  [New History, or Modern History]

Issues:
          Periodization:  how to divide up the past
          Traditional 1) start of middle ages:
                   476 as “fall” of Roman Empire in West (gradual process)
             2) end of middle ages:
                   1453  fall of Byzantine Empire in East
                   1450’s invention of printing
                   1460’s translation of Plato from Greek
                   1492   discovery of New World
                   1517 Luther's Reformation, break with Rome

          Current emphasis: internal differences within medieval era:
          Early Middle Ages 5-9th C. as closest to “Dark Ages”
          "Old Europe" about 1000-1700's
                   High Middle Ages 10-13th C: rise of towns, universities
                   Later Middle Ages 14-15th C: Renaissance as continuous with MA
         Modern Europe 18th-20th centuries

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HST112 THEMES IN  MEDIEVAL HISTORY

I.  RISE OF THE STATE: Medieval origins of modern state

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS:  
          Classical legacy:  Greece: polis or city state
                                     Rome: monarchy, republic, empire
          European/Germanic: MONARCHY & NOBILITY
          Limitations on central authority as distinctive medieval feature:
             Rule of law, constitutionalism
             Aristocracy: power of noblity, landed warrior elite
                   representative assemblies   (eg English Parliament)
           Rise of the “nation state” & of nationalism
               group identity: linguistic, ethnic, tradition

II. CHURCH AND STATE:
          Church: separate, higher power than state; spiritual source
          Pope as Vicar of Christ on Earth, successor to Apostles
          Conflict of church & state as central theme        
               church  puts limits on power of monarchies
      
          Christendom as oldest definition of Europe
                   Enemies: external – pagans, Islam
                                 internal  – Jews, heretics
                   Alliance of church and state:  Crusades

III.  SOCIETY: MAJOR SOCIAL GROUPS

     Nobility or Aristocracy = "rule of the best" in Greek
                 landed warrior class: chivalry, knighthood
     Townsmen, merchants = "bourgeoisie" in French:
                 increasing role from 13th century to 16th centuries
                 commerce as source of wealth
     Peasantry: lowest social group, source of noble wealth

     Women: distinct social role within each of these classes;
                  rise in status of women as important medieval development

IV. CULTURE:

       CHRISTIANITY:  Christian values as central to medieval society

        ORTHODOXY: "correct doctrine" versus
                                heterodoxy ("different doctrine") = heresy
                   Monopoly on truth, enforcement by Inquisition
                   Universities: traditions of both
                            1) intellectual autonomy, debate, disagreement
                             2) clerical definition of truth        

        HUMANISM: legacy of Latin and Greek antiquity, writings
                           preserve a different view of the world (non-Christian)
                  revivals: Carolingian Renaissance
                              12th century Renaissance
                              14-15th century Renaissance (begins in Italy)

        SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION: 17th century - astronomy, physics
                  new view of world after Copernican revoution