Medieval Culture and Early Renaissance
Question 1: What is the medieval period?
Answer 1:
The medieval period (or era) is a term applied to the Middle Ages and dates
from 476–1453 CE. It is marked by the rise of Western Europe and Western
civilization. As an era, the medieval period is one of great transformations
from rural and manor-based life to the emergence of urban areas and
technological change (Spielvogel, 2000).
Medieval culture's growth was based upon trade and commerce, with
lucrative trade facilitating the growth of Western civilization culturally and
socially. Economic expansion was based upon the growth of agriculture,
expansion of transportation, and the growing influence of merchants and
businesses (Levack, Muir, Maas, and Veldman, 2007).
Question 2: What are the High Middle Ages?
Answer 2:
The period of 1000–1300 CE is referred to as the High Middle Ages. The
period is marked by technological change and an expansion of population in
Europe. Such increases are owed to improved living conditions, especially in
agricultural production that permitted the expansion demographically
(Spielvogel, 2000).
The use of technological advances including plows, windmills, and
waterpower facilitated the expansion of agriculture, resulting in increased
production of basic foods (e.g., grains). Such advances supported larger
populations and allowed for the expansion of urban areas because
agricultural production was sufficient enough to support such urbanization
(Levack et al., 2007).
Question 3: What is the Black Death?
Answer 3:
The Black Death (also known as the Black Plague) was a devastating
epidemic that spread throughout Europe. Over the course of the outbreak, it
killed an estimated 40 million people within Europe (Roberts, 1997). Spread
by fleas on the backs of rats, the Black Death, now known to have been
bubonic plague, ravaged the populations of Europe starting in 1347 CE in
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Constantinople (Levack et al., 2007).
The Black Plague was spread unknowingly throughout Europe as people
attempted to escape. As they tried to escape the growing plague, they
generally took as many possessions as they could with them. In doing so,
people (those traveling by ship or watercraft especially) transported the
infected fleas and thus continued to spread the plague, making the
devastation from the number of deaths even worse than it might otherwise
have been. With the spread of trade and commerce came the spread of
plague, which ironically fostered the destruction of trade because whole
areas and villages succumbed to the plague and literally disappeared. The
end result was that the landscape of Europe would forever be altered
because the structures and even lifestyle of the era prior to the plague
would not return; in its wake, small kingdoms would emerge, providing the
foundations of modern Europe (Spielvogel, 2000).
Question 4: What is the Renaissance?
Answer 4:
The Renaissance is the era that is characterized by a rebirth, following the
devastation of the spread of the Black Death. There was a remarkable
resurgence of culture, trade, and society characterized by the burst of
artistic expression, centered in Italy. It is important to note that the
Renaissance is not simply one of a rebirth of artistic expression but rather
one of overall change in terms of economic, social, political, and cultural
rebirth (Spielvogel, 2000).
In the aftermath of the devastation wrought by the Black Plague, the
economical recovery during the Renaissance proved to be the catalyst for
the rebirth of overall Western civilization. Centered on agriculture, small
markets began to revive themselves and larger interregional and then
regional markets followed. Given the level of destruction of the plague, it is
worth noting that urban areas were slow to regain the same vitality and
strength as preplague years; over time they would do so as well, based in
particular on the economic revitalization that was part of the overall rebirth
within the West (Roberts, 1997).
Question 5: Who was Machiavelli?
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Medieval Culture and Early Renaissance
Answer 5:
Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a work that reflects the focus on
political power that was a central feature of debate during the Renaissance.
Based in Italy and in the service of Florence, Machiavelli is regarded as
being responsible for the secular politics reflected in modern political
systems (Spielvogel, 2000).
According to Machiavelli, political power and personal morality were
different for a ruler. That is, there would be times when a leader must take
immoral action to preserve and protect the state. Out of necessity, decisions
had to be made by a given ruler to ensure the preservation and protection
of the citizens and the state, though at times such actions might be immoral
(Levack et al., 2007).
Question 6: Who were the humanists?
Answer 6:
The humanists of the Renaissance era looked to the Greek and Latin texts
(such as texts focusing on poetry, history, rhetoric, and ethics). Specifically,
the humanists of the Renaissance era found such ancient texts and
principles superior to those created in their own era and sought to use such
foundations to guide the perceptions of people about themselves and the
world around them (Spielvogel, 2000).
The specific focus of Renaissance humanists was in education and
curriculum. Indeed, the legacy of Renaissance humanists is strongest in
education because the focus of a humanist educational curriculum was in
producing well-rounded pupils who were capable of critical thinking and
breadth of study—both foundations of the modern university curriculum
(Levack et al., 2007).
Question 7: What are Romanesque and Gothic architectures?
Answer 7:
Emerging in the 11th and 12th centuries, the hallmark of Romanesque
architecture was a shift from traditional thatched roofs to stone, arched
roofs. The importance of such changes rested on the improved safety of
such structures, especially their resistance to fire, because thatched roofs
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Medieval Culture and Early Renaissance
were vulnerable (Spielvogel, 2000).
In comparison, Gothic architecture that emerged in the following centuries
was characterized by the use of expansive stained glass in stonework
cathedrals that depicted biblical passages. Popular within cities, the Gothic
style of architecture was designed to transform "interior spaces into a
mystical haven from the outside world" to draw in worshipers (Levack et al.,
2007).
Question 8: What were the Crusades?
Answer 8:
Initiated by Pope Urban II, the Crusades represented military expeditions
launched against Islam by Western Christians. The specific focus of the
Crusades was gaining control of Jerusalem, an effort that would span the
11th through the 13th centuries (Spielvogel, 2000).
The Crusades focused on spreading Western Christianity. A legacy of the
Crusades was the impact on trade and commerce because the expeditions
opened new markets and trade routes that helped facilitate the expansion of
the West (Levack et al., 2007).
Question 9: What was the medieval manor?
Answer 9:
The manor in medieval Europe was the organization of land and labor. A
manor was under the control of a lord, who generally was in control of the
whole community that was contained within the manor. The lord of the
manor lived within the community, usually in a large house or castle
(Spielvogel, 2000).
Peasants, commonly known as serfs, were obligated to work the land of the
lord within the community or manor. Serfs often worked as family units and
formed the basis for agricultural production throughout Europe. Although
tied to the land, the serfs were essential in the expansion and rise of the
West (Levack et al., 2007).
Question 10: What is the Hundred Years' War?
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Answer 10:
As a historical term, Hundred Years’ War emerged among historians in the
9th century. This was not a single war but rather a series of events and
conflicts that were collectively designated the Hundred Years’ War (Levack
et al., 2007).
As an era, the Hundred Years’ War spanned from 1337–1453 CE and was
marked by sporadic conflicts that emerged between France and England.
The legacy of the war was loss and destruction for both France and England
as both adjusted to internal changes in the years following the war. For
instance, within France, because of the level of destruction from the years
of conflict, the French monarchy was replaced by a more centralized state.
Within England, internal changes were fostered that produced a focus on
trade, which facilitated the overall industrialization of England thereafter
(Kagan, Ozment, and Turner, 2007; Spielvogel, 2000).
References
Kagan, D., Ozment, S., & Turner, F. M. (2001). The Western heritage (7th
ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall-Pearson.
Levack, B., Muir, E., Maas, M., & Veldman, M. (2007). The West: Encounters
and transformations. New York, NY: Longman-Pearson.
Roberts, J. M. (1997). A history of Europe. New York, NY: Penguin.
Spielvogel, J. J. (2000). Western civilization. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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