More than a few medievalists object to the term “Dark Ages” as applied to the period in which they specialize. That can seem wishful in light of most comparisons between medieval times and the Renaissance that came afterward, or indeed, the era of the Roman Empire that came before. Consider the state of Europe as the fourth century began: “The great cities of antiquity were depopulated, some left in ruins,” says the narrator of the How So video above, telling the story of the continent’s political and linguistic fragmentation. “The Roman transportation system decayed, eroding communication and long-distance trade. Coins vanished, leaving no economic system to support professional armies. Literacy plummeted, crippling administrative systems. And most notably, peace and security were gone.”
But there’s plenty more history to come thereafter: about a millennium’s worth, in fact, which the video covers in a mere twenty minutes. Events of note in that grand sweep include Justinian I’s attempt to expand the Byzantine Empire of the east; the creation and spread of the Islamic caliphate; Charlemagne’s unification of most of western Christendom; invasions by Vikings, Magyars, and Muslim raiders; the rise of castles and the feudal system that they came to symbolize; the creation of the Holy Roman Empire; the flourishing of cities and universities; and the Norman Conquest of England, as seen on the Bayeux Tapestry. There’s also the unpleasantness of the Black Death, which swept through Europe from the mid-fourteenth to the early sixteenth century — but as with other medieval disasters, the plague held the seeds of a civilizational rebirth.
“For some survivors, the consequences of the plague were not so grim,” says the narrator. “As the population dropped, land became widely available, and the demand for labor rose dramatically.” Peasants demanded improved conditions and revolted against the rulers who refused; ultimately, they “gained new freedoms and opportunities, and workers enjoyed higher wages. Creativity and innovation in science and culture followed, creating the environment in which European scholars “defined the past millennium as ‘Dark Ages,’ and so positioned themselves as the transition between the medieval and modern world.” Some liken the current state of the world to the decline of the Roman Empire; if they’re correct, maybe we have another Renaissance to look forward to about 40 generations down the road.
Related Content:
A Free Yale Course on Medieval History: 700 Years in 22 Lectures
What Did People Eat in Medieval Times? A Video Series and New Cookbook Explain
How Everything in a Medieval Castle Worked, from Its Moats to Its Dungeons
What Sex Was Like in Medieval Times?: Historians Look at How People Got It On in the Dark Ages
Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. He’s the author of the newsletter Books on Cities as well as the books 한국 요약 금지 (No Summarizing Korea) and Korean Newtro. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter at @colinmarshall.
