Allena Frazier

The Middle Ages roughly stretched from the 5th century to the 15th century.
Some people say that during the Middle Ages, Europe experienced many hardships. The Dark
Ages ere characteri!ed "y de#centriali!ed go$ernment, loss of learning, and loss of common
language. The estern part of Europe changed after the fall of the %oman Empire due to social
uphea$al, the plague, and the crusades. Europe de$eloped a go$erning system called
feudalism as a ay to protect themsel$es from in$asions. The Middle Ages ere not truly dark
"ecause it "rought many opportunities and achie$ements.
Document &' shos feudal o"ligations "eteen $assals and lords. The mutual
o"ligations illustrated in this diagram are loyalty and military ser$ice. The lord is loyal to the
$assal "y pro$iding land for li$ing and(or orking. The lord offers the $assal protection through
the military system that as created "ack then. )eudalism as created as a form of protection
from fre*uent in$asions.
Document &+, ritten "y ,ray -. .oyce in 1/01, descri"es the functions pro$ided
during the Middle Ages. A piece from the document states, 2 ...e learn that an age once
traditionally descri"ed as 3dark4 had remarka"le $itality and exu"erance.5 The document also
states, 6E$en at its orst it performed the function of guarding.5 This document is "asically
saying that the fe "ad parts of this time period are oftenly o$er looked other parts of it. The
6Dark Ages5 eren7t such a horri"le time period, in fact, it as a "eneficial time for many
counties.
Document &1, in hich 8ope 9r"an :: issues a call for a holy crusade in 1;/5,
descri"es the poer of the 8ope and the -atholic -hurch. An excerpt from this document says,
6They ha$e occupied more and more of the lands of those -hristians.5 The document also
pro$ides that, 6All ho die "y the ay, hether "y land or sea, or in the "attle against the
pagans, shall ha$e immediate remission of sins.5 <ands ere oned "y religions. The remission
of sins as a ay of "ri"ing people to =oin the crusade "ecause if they died they ere relie$ed
of their sins so that they could go to hea$en hich as a great opportunity to all people of this
time period.
:n document &0, taken from 6Medie$al Europe5 "y >.- Da$is, in 1/10, the era of
the middle ages is descri"ed. This document states, 6Medie$al culture as imperfect, as
restricted to a narro circle of superior minds?.Measure it, hoe$er, "y the memories and the
achie$ements that it has "e*ueathed to the modern orld, and it ill "e found not unorthy to
rank ith those of earlier and later ,olden Ages.5 The document is "asically saying that,
although there ere many hardships during Medie$al Times, there ere many factors of this
time period that shos that it asn4t so 6dark5.
According to the diagram in document &@, many uni$ersities ere founded in
Europe during Medie$al Times. .ased on this document, : can conclude that during the Middle
Ages, learning still existed and e$en expanded "ecause so many uni$ersities ere founded.
This document shos that the author ould disagree that the dark ages ere truly dark
"ecause one factor of the dark ages as loss of eduction.
Ane may say that Documents 1 and 5 pro$e that the Middle Ages ere truly dark.
Document 1 pro$ides that society as a"andoned and in$asions spread. Although this may "e
true, through the context of this article, :t only refers to the city of Siena. Document 5 says that
people =ust aited to die from the "u"onic plague hoe$er, those ho ere ealthy could
escape to their country houses hich ere $ery far aay from popular cities, and they ould
sur$i$e.