Europe
Europe in the 12th century A.D. was in many ways the same as Europe in the 14th century, but incertain key ways it was also different, with many changes for the better. First of all, in the 12thcentury, Europe was still in the Middle Ages. Emphasis was on religion, and science was not veryadvanced. However, towards the 14th century, things began to change. This was the beginning ofthe Renaissance, a period of a revival in classical learning, new scientific discoveries, and new The government in the Middle Ages was based on feudalism. Feudalism is when peopleflock to a lord and pledge their allegiance to him, becoming his vassals. They agreed to serve himon his manor and/or become part of his army. Vassals would also pledge to bring more armedmen to the lord's cause in times of war. In exchange for this service, the lord pledged to provideprotection and security for all of his vassals. This seemed a fairly even trade in these rough andchaotic times, and so many people were thus becoming vassals of lords. Feudalism began becauseweak kings needed to transfer power over to other people, because they could not handle it allthemselves. However, feudalism was a good arrangement
Therefore, by being Christians, they were literally forcedinto giving the Church so much power. Classical learning, the ancient Greek and Latin writings of such great people as Cicero, Livy, or Plato, was revived. They stillcontrolled much of these things, but secular states were formed that did not depend so much uponreligion. This brought literature to a greater number of people, thus serving to increase the literacy rate. In conclusion, Europe of the 12th and 14thcenturies was quite alike, but the Renaissance starting in the 14th century was the beginning of theend for the medieval way of life. The church in the Renaissance times, however, lost some of this power. This, in turn, gave people a greater knowledge of the world around them, and they were not forced to depend solely on religion for the answers. Their beliefs said that the Church was their spiritualadvisor, and so, since nearly all of medieval life revolved around religion, the Church thus gainednearly infinite power over the people. The rulerships of towns,nations, and cities also began with the development of strong monarchies and kingdoms. A merchant could marry into the nobility, or a knight could become a criminal or bandit. It ran hospitals caring forthe sick and elderly. Therefore, feudalismceased to exist in the Renaissance. If someone was not literate in Latin, they were not considered literate. Upon the advent of the Renaissance, however, this changed.
Common topics in this essay:
Middle Ages,
Dante Alighiere,
Christians Christians,
Renaissance Renaissance,
Ages Emphasis,
Latin Greek,
AD Europe,
Livy Plato,
middle ages,
,
14th century,
Greek Latin,
humanism scholasticism,
becoming vassals,
intellectual development,
social status,
classical learning,
feudal manor,
power people,
feudalism people,
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Acceptance Essays
