What I learned from Studying Medieval History

FALL OF ROME

There’s a book i read called “Medieval History” by Chris Wickham. I love this book because it’s such an interesting take on Medieval history. The fall of Rome was interesting. We think of Rome as an ultimate civilization in the middle of history in Europe and the Mediterranean. We think of the barbarians invading and the downfall of Rome to be complete and utter chaos. And then we tend to think that life in Europe devolved into some sort of aqueduct less tribal lifestyle. But that wasn’t really the case in most of Europe.

The fall of Rome was more casual in many places, more of a slow turn over of power. The society of Rome was a huge melting pot especially toward the end, but even a the beginning Romans have depended on slaves and women from neighboring socities to help them populate and progress. They also depended on regional governors for vat territories in Gaul and Spain and more. There were times when some considered claiming both roman and their own nationalities. You can see Roman influence throughout the Mediterranean archeological but you can also see a retainment of the local culture, almost everywhere the Romans went. You can see this because compromise was a necessary way to incorporate new people into the Roman fold.

Therefore the fall of Rome wasn’t a complete disaster for everyone, it was many reclaiming their own heritage and their own name. Often things just transitioned administratively. People and systems did need to fill the governmental void left by the Roman failed state.

In 376 the Romans let the Goths into their empire as refugees but treated them terribly. The Gothic tribes living amongst the Romans were called the Visigoths, meaning western goths. They then rebelled and there was a war. But then they were permitted to stay within Roman territory. But they retained their identities of course.

Many barbarians were inducted into the Roman army upon joining Roman society. Many of these men however were more loyal to their people and themselves than to the empire and would turn on it when it was profitable. Rome also suffered from failed and out of touch leadership. The aristocracy were also especially powerful due to low taxes and would make for corrupt leadership practices.

Christianity is also pointed out to have played a role in the fall of Rome. Roman religion had always had a pantheon of multiple gods, and would even use this to deify their emperors and powerful people in their society. Rome would also incorporate local gods into their own pantheon in order to integrate non-romans into rome.

Christianity was legalized in 313 because of its growing popularity and became Rome’s official religion in 318. Christianity could not allow this however and made integration a lot more difficult. Roman culture has had a tremendous effect on the European continent.

MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

A lot of time went by in Europe after the fall of Rome and before the renaisaince in the 16th century. We often want history to supply moral lessons. The word medieval is sort of a negative word if you think about it. It’s sort of used in the middle age. In between Antiquity and the modern era. But a lot happened in the medieval area that was very transformative. We think of Christianity becoming a mainstream religion. But it wasn’t the only religion. There was muslim expansion up into the Balkans and north into the Iberian peninsula. Many times kings travelled and armies travelled and many people were migratory, a lot more than we think they were.

In the 12th century Plato and Aristotle were largely rediscovered. And the middle east made great progress in the sciences. Although there was for the most part a limited lens on philosophy because most academic studies were done through monasteries which were where a majority of the literate people in society could practice it. Much was done through a Christian point of view. A lot of philosophy was geared toward proving certain aspects of Christianity.