Azim Sharipov 902

Mrs.Weissman
03-07-14

The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages had many downfalls and many highpoints, but dont you ask
yourself what were the The Middle Ages really like? Were The Middle Ages really dark?
I read seven documents that disuse the darkness and up rises of the Middle Ages. So
im wondering if the MIddle Ages were really dark or were the Middle Ages an highpoint.
What I thought the Middle Ages were like was dark. I think that the Middle Ages were
dark because the documents I have read were giving many evidence that proves my
thesis.
Document one was about how the Middle Ages were corrupted. According to the
author Frantz Funck-Brentano, this document proves my thesis. He says The
barbarians have broken through the ramparts. This means that the barbarians broke
through their wall and they took everything and killed many people. Frantz also said
They sacked the towns and villages, and laid waste the fields. They burned down the
churches and then departed with crowd of captives There is no longer any trade, only
unceasing terror. This meant that the barbarians sacked and took everything, and since
they took everything there was no trade. Then after all the unceasing terror they left with
captives.
Document four tells me that the Middle Ages were dark. This document is about
an invasion just like document one. The Turks and the Arabs have attacked the Holy
Land and have conquered the territory of Romania [the Byzantine Empire]. The Turks
and Arabs killed and captured many and have destroyed the churches and devastated
the Empire. So when the churches got burned people had no hope and that devastated
most of the Empire that was another tragic time.
Document five described the Middle Ages being dark was The Plague in Siena.
The author for this document is Agnolo Di Tura. This document is about the Black
Plague and what happened to Agnolo during the plague. In this document the plague
did kill many people in the town and villages just like that first one I read. According to
Agnolo The people died by hundreds, both morning and night. He also said All were
thrown in ditches and covered with earth. Since the plague spread quick, Agnolos
kids got sick and he said I, Agnolo Di Tura buried my five children with my own
hands. This proves my thesis because the plague killed many people and Agnolo even
felt really sad because he had to bury his own kids.For him that was a tragic event for
Agnolo.


There are also some documents that go against the question, were The Middle
Ages were really dark? Document three tells me that the Middle Ages werent dark. The
author is Gray C. Boyce, who wrote about the people in the Middle Ages who advanced
and created many things. According to Gray C. Boyce the knowledge and treasures of
what had come before, but even creative and inventive, and transmitted to later ages
great riches of its own. This means that people were getting smart and people were
making inventions.
Another document is document six. Document six was about H.C Davis taking
the positive side of the Middle Ages. He says by the memories and the achievements
that it has bequeathed to the modern world. This means that the people passed the
memories and achievements down to the children to the modern world. He also said It
flourished in the midst of rude surroundings, fierce passions and material ambitions
we must judge of them by their philosophy and law, by their poetry and architecture.
This means that people had hope and made many thing to survive.
Document seven is one document that shows universities that were founded in
the 12-15th century. This document tells me that the Middle Ages werent dark. This
document tells me that because if universities were built and founded then people got
knowledge from the universities and invented many things like in document three.
During the 12-13th century there were nine universities and when centuries passed the
universities founded dropped to two universities in the 15th century. In France the
universities founded grew to four to nine universities. In Great Britain the universities
founded didnt increase that much only by one university. In Spain and Portugal the
universities founded were already good and when the 15th century came one more was
founded. In Germany, Bohemia, the low countries the universities founded increased
massively. The founded universities increased from zero universities to eleven
universities by the 15th century.
Lastly the final document is document two. Document two wasnt really on one
side. Document two was on both sides. I say that its on both sides because the
document talks about feudal obligations. So this document tells me that the vassal has
to give loyalty, military service and ransom is needed. So when the vassal gives all
those thing to the lord, the lord gives the vassal land and protection first then the vassal
do his part. So this would go on both side because if there is a battle or invasion there
will be a ransom which will lose people and thats a bad thing. At the same time the lord
will give protection which is a good thing and the protection will help the people. Also
the vassal will be in the military so that will lose people if there is a invasion.




Well at the end many documents told me that the Middle Ages were really dark
and some told me how people were advancing. My thesis is half correct because some
documents told me that in The Middle Ages people were advancing. Many towns and
villages got destroyed and that really corrupted the people. People got killed and
population dropped in Europe. Many got sick from the Black Plague and died really fast.
People lost hope from the invasions and the Black Plague. At the same time people did
advance by going to universe and getting knowledge. By the knowledge they got the
people invented new things and came into the real world. Since I told you about all the
document I have read, you tell me what you think the Middle Ages were really like.
Were they dark or were the Middle Ages an uprising?