The history of Europe is full of the most diverse moments. Following what was characteristic of a particular age, historians assign names to each of the periods of history. Under this, the period from 400 to 1400 years is often called the Dark Ages. The purpose of this essay is to identify the relevance and validity of this name by analyzing various elements of the life of people of that period.
Speaking of Europe as a vast territory on which many states are located, attention should be paid to the very structure of the government system. The collapse of the Roman Empire led to the formation of many different countries. Although there were many of these kingdoms, none of them could be compared in the organization of life to the fallen Empire. Constant skirmishes did not contribute to centralization, but only divided the people, which led to life in a much more primitive society compared to the imperial community.
The state of Rome, in addition to its vast borders and political structure, was distinguished by its culture. It was at that time that a great many masterpieces of art were created. Compared to the Empire, diverse barbarian countries did not pay attention to the culture at all. People in the first place stood the desire to survive, so art faded into the background, and its light became not so important in this age.
Along with culture, in dark times, another important aspect of human life has disappeared – science. The sources of a deep decline in knowledge and its development are the oblivion of the Greek language and the reduction of contacts with Byzantium. At the same time, religion was actively gaining strength, manifesting itself through the power of bishops and prelates, who tried to lure people into their churches. Following this, faith came to the fore, and scientific research disappeared into the background.
After conducting this analysis, it can be noted that a lot of factors speak in favor of the name of the Dark Ages. Culture and science have always been considered one of those things that are inherent in developed civilizations, and during this period, their development slowed down significantly, if not stopped. Besides, the very existence of an advanced civilization at that time is in question. Therefore, we can conclude that the Dark Ages are called such deservedly.