When did the Middle Ages begin? The beginning of an era

In this article you will learn when the Middle Ages began and many other interesting details from the time of the early Middle Ages and antiquity. Have fun reading.

When did the Middle Ages begin? History of Europe

What awaits you in this article

The epoch of the early Middle Ages began about 1000 years ago, but in which century exactly?
What was in Europe before the Middle Ages? Brief insight into antiquity and the Roman Empire
The beginning of the Middle Ages and the time of knights brought change in history
Who invented the term "Middle Ages"?
Summary - the beginning of the Middle Ages epoch

Reading time approx. 5 min.

The epoch of the early Middle Ages began about 1000 years ago, but in which century exactly?

About 1000 years ago in connection with the fall of the Roman Empire and the accompanying migration period. These migratory movements were part of a great change from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Causes for the fall of the Roman Empire included internal unrest, barbarian raids, and severe famine coupled with expansionist policies that no longer worked. The Migration Period marks the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages in Europe. During this period, Germanic tribes, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Slavs migrated into the territory of present-day Germany. Slowly but surely, the German Empire was formed from the various tribes. In the High Middle Ages, the German Empire reached its greatest expansion. Under Emperor Charlemagne, the Germanic tribes were Christianized and a unified Christianity was established. In the Late Middle Ages, however, the established system of feudalism began to disintegrate and the modern era began.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, however, the German Empire was still largely in the dark. There were no written records and the population was illiterate.

The Age of Knights has often been called a dark time, but in addition to a great social and cultural upheaval, there were many developments in crafts and technology, and many cities and kingdoms were established. The Middle Ages were also the time of the exploration of nature by scientists such as Albertus Magnus or Roger Bacon. All in all, the Middle Ages were a time of new beginnings - politically, culturally and religiously.

There is no agreement among historians about a specific date that heralds the beginning of the Middle Ages. There are different approaches as to when exactly the Middle Ages can be defined. Some historians see the end of the Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D. as the beginning of the Middle Ages, since from that point on a multitude of Germanic tribes invaded Europe and largely replaced ancient culture and civilization. Others also consider the Migration Period, which occurred around the same time, as the beginning of the Middle Ages. This is a controversial view, however, since the migration of peoples was actually a continuing process that lasted for several centuries.

For some, antiquity ends and the Middle Ages begin with the death of the Emperor of Rome Justinian in 565
for others, antiquity ends with the invasion of the Lombards in 568, for example, and the Middle Ages begin.

Even if they are ultimately different approaches, we see that there is great agreement that the early Middle Ages began in the second half of the 6th century.

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What was Europe like before the Middle Ages? Brief insight into antiquity and the Roman Empire

The Middle Ages in Europe begin. The time of the knights

Late Antiquity (ca. 3rd-6th century) heralds the decline of the Roman Empire. A change from ancient culture to medieval culture takes place. The reasons for the decline are unclear, but there are some theories and approaches. One theory is that the Roman Empire was too large and complex to be centrally managed. Another theory is that the Roman Empire collapsed due to pressure from the barbarian peoples who lived on its borders. Still others see collapse as being due to the fact that the Roman Empire was built on expansion and with the failure of further land conquests in late antiquity, the standing army could no longer be financed and thus the borders could no longer be maintained. A myth, on the other hand, seems to be the assertion that society had simply become decadent.

During the end of the ancient world, there were also a number of religious conflicts that may have contributed to hastening the decline of the ancient world. After the fall of the Roman Empire, a new culture developed in Europe that turned away from the Roman heritage and was instead influenced by the Christian faith.

The beginning of the Middle Ages and the time of knights brought change in history

The era known as the Middle Ages followed antiquity and was marked by a series of changes. One of these changes was the spread of Christianity. Among other things, this led to the fact that the medieval culture was different from the ancient culture.

Another important change was the transition from centrally governed empire to decentralized feudalism. Feudalism is a political system in which power over a given piece of land is in the hands of a small group of nobles, who are in turn controlled by a higher authority such as a king or emperor. The nobles get land ownership, plus social status and political power. In this system, peasants are tied to the land they work and must pay taxes and provide military service to their lord in return for their protection. This system was widespread in medieval Europe and Japan.

Who invented the term "Middle Ages"?

The humanists of Southern Europe coined the concept of the Middle Ages from the 14th century. Italy, for its part, was the forerunner of the Renaissance, and the term Middle Ages is actually a pejorative term for the time that had passed since antiquity until the Renaissance that was finally taking place. The people who lived in the Middle Ages did not see themselves as people in the Middle Ages, because the term did not exist at that time, let alone was widespread.

Summary - the beginning of the Middle Ages epoch

There are different views on when exactly the Middle Ages began. Einige Historiker sind der Ansicht, dass es 565 bzw. 568 begonnen hat. Jedenfalls im 6. Jahrhundert.

Before the Middle Ages, there was the ancient world. The era of the Middle Ages was marked by various developments, for example, the establishment of the Catholic Church or the emergence of feudal society with kings and nobles as well as commoners.

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