Middle Ages and Renaissance from social, political and cultural views of the world
Middle Ages and Renaissance from social, political and cultural views of the world. Write a report on the Middle Ages and Renaissance from social, political and cultural views of the world to include your personal ideas and opinions.
Please discuss the decline/fall of the Roman Empire and the Crusades.
The western social norms, belief systems, cultural values, ethical values, artifacts, and political systems have some associations with some occurrences during the Roman Empire, the middle ages and renaissance. The Middle Ages is the period in history between the collapse of the roman empire and the beginning of the period of Renaissance. This period began in the 5th century and ended at the beginning of the 14th century. The renaissance refers to a period in European history between the 14th century and the 17th century marked by significant human development. The Roman Empire, crusades, middle ages and renaissance brought about considerable social, cultural and political development in Europe.
Firstly, the Roman Empire is considered to be one the most influential social and political structure in the European civilization. The Roman Empire began in 31 BC and collapsed in 476 AD (History, 2018). By 285 AD, the empire had expanded extensively making it difficult to govern. As a result, the empire was divided into an eastern and a western empire. The western empire collapsed after Emperor Augustus was overthrown by King Odoacer in 476 AD (History, 2018). The eastern empire continued to thrive until 1453 AD when Constantine XI passed on (History, 2018). The empire lasted for more than 500 years and influenced many aspects of the European culture. The influence of the Roman Empire in the western world can still be felt today.
Middle Ages and Renaissance from social, political and cultural views of the world
Secondly, the crusades extended the reach of western civilization and influence the social, cultural and political opinions held today. The crusades refer to a number of religious conflicts between Christians and Muslims which were meant to maintain the control of sacred places by both religious groups (McGlynn, 2018). The crusades began in 1095 when the pope asked Christians to fight the Muslims to gain control over the holy land. The violent conflicts ended in 1291 when the western Christians were defeated by Muslim mamluks (History, 2018). Although the European Christians organized small crusades after 1291, these crusades did not gain support from the followers. The ruthless wars propelled the influence of the western religion. After the crusades ended, the Catholic Church’s wealth increased and the pope became more powerful. The Muslims regarded the crusades as immoral because of the widespread massacre of Muslims, Jews and pagans. The suffering resulted in bitterness which persists to date. The conflicts still influence social and political views in the world today. The crusades are believed to have paved way for the renaissance because it led to the development of transportation, trade and learning.
Thirdly, the middle ages were marked by social and political development in Europe. The Middle Ages refers to a period in history after the collapse of the roman empire and before the beginning of renaissance. During the middle ages, the church’s power was at its peak. Christianity flourished in the west during this time and had a profound influence on people’s lives. The roman catholic church brought about a new world view and rejected the teachings of the ancient world. The followers obeyed the church laws as they were considered to be coming from God. Several conflicts between religious groups were witnessed during the middle ages. Different religious groups were trying to maintain control over religious sites.
Additionally, during the middle ages, the western world witnessed a change in the political system which influences political views today. The Roman Empire which had grown very huge slowly split into many political groups during the middle ages. Many geographical boundaries in Europe which were developed during this time are still intact. Also, the rule of law was established during this time which influenced the governing of the European countries. Institutions of higher learning which were formed during this period influenced the political system of the countries.
Further, numerous cultural artifacts and cultural values were developed during the middle ages. Several visual arts were developed during this period. Some of these artifacts include churches, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, manuscripts, garments and religious items. Most of these pieces portrayed the wealthiest and the most influential members of the society. Although most artifacts were religious in nature, the middle ages artists also produced secular pieces. The establishment of higher institutions of learning and the birth of the tourism industry led to increased interaction and transfer of cultural values. Also, many works of literature were developed during this time. Many pieces are still widely studied today. The middle ages left behind an impressive legacy of culture and cultural artifacts.
Moreover, the renaissance brought about massive cultural, social and political explosion in the west. This period is best known for its art. The artists used more realistic representations of the human body than previous artists. The renaissance artists put less emphasis on religion which enabled them display realistic depictions of the human figure. The Western Reserve Public Media (2018) points out that the renaissance artists focused on other topics apart from religion. These artists had a deeper sense of perspective compared to the middle ages artists and were able to make convincing images. The Telegraph (2015) maintains that the renaissance period brought about an increase in trade, exploration, diplomatic expeditions, war and marriage. The intellectual advancement changed the world in incredible ways.
The development of literature during renaissance contributed to cultural, social and political transformations witnessed in Europe. The development of the printing press during this period enabled writers to write in the local language. Before that, the languages commonly used were Latin and Greek. Invention of printing press enabled writers to switch from Greek and Latin to English. During this time, the influence of the Catholic Church had weakened thus allowing the writers to express their beliefs freely. The printing press allowed people to access knowledge in books. The empowered people brought about many changes in the world. Some of the works produced during this time include Martin Luther‘s book, John Calvin’s critic of the catholic church and William Shakespeare’s plays (Western Reserve Public Media, 2018). Luther’s book had a great impact on people as he expressed how the clergy abused the church. Calvin criticized the Catholic Church arguing that people have an individual relationship with God. Also, Shakespeare’s works influenced the social and political systems in the west. The development of literature brought about social and political changes that are still witnessed to date.
The modern day western social, cultural and political system has some associations with some incidences of the Roman Empire, the middle ages and renaissance. The decline of the Roman Empire and the crusades paved way for intellectual advancements witnessed during renaissance. The middle ages were marked by social, cultural and political development in Europe. During the middle ages, Europe witnessed a change in the political system which still influences political views today. Renaissance saw the development of printing press which motivated radical thinkers such as Luther, Calvin and Shakespeare to explore a new way of looking at the world. The renaissance changed the world’s social, cultural and political systems significantly.