Europe Essay, Research Paper

Europe in the 12th century A.D. was in many ways the same as Europe in the 14th century, but in

certain key ways it was also different, with many changes for the better. First of all, in the 12th

century, Europe was still in the Middle Ages. Emphasis was on religion, and science was not very

advanced. However, towards the 14th century, things began to change. This was the beginning of

the Renaissance, a period of a revival in classical learning, new scientific discoveries, and new

literary and art works and forms.

The government in the Middle Ages was based on feudalism. Feudalism is when people

flock to a lord and pledge their allegiance to him, becoming his vassals. They agreed to serve him

on his manor and/or become part of his army. Vassals would also pledge to bring more armed

men to the lord’s cause in times of war. In exchange for this service, the lord pledged to provide

protection and security for all of his vassals. This seemed a fairly even trade in these rough and

chaotic times, and so many people were thus becoming vassals of lords. Feudalism began because

weak kings needed to transfer power over to other people, because they could not handle it all

themselves. However, feudalism was a good arrangement for many people in the Middle Ages. In

the 14th century, however, the notion of the lord’s army consisting of vassals became obsolete

with the onset of mercenary armies and the formation of towns and cities. Therefore, feudalism

ceased to exist in the Renaissance. During the Renaissance, nations, towns, and cities came to

exist. With these came the feeling of patriotism and loyalty to one’s ruler. The rulerships of towns,

nations, and cities also began with the development of strong monarchies and kingdoms. This

resulted from the breakdown of feudalism. The people still looked for protection, and since there

were no more feudal manors, the king assumed the role of protector.

The church in the Middle Ages held near absolute power. Nearly all Europeans at this

time were Roman Catholic Christians. Therefore, by being Christians, they were literally forced

into giving the Church so much power. Their beliefs said that the Church was their spiritual

advisor, and so, since nearly all of medieval life revolved around religion, the Church thus gained

nearly infinite power over the people. The Church controlled scholarship and book production, in

addition to many other things. Church courts tried civil and criminal cases, and they made the final

decisions on many things such as marriage, divorce, and related things. It ran hospitals caring for

the sick and elderly. The Church had jurisdiction over students, priests, monks, and many minor

clerics. The church in the Renaissance times, however, lost some of this power. They still

controlled much of these things, but secular states were formed that did not depend so much upon

religion. Princes and kings ruled the cities and towns instead of the church. Humanism and

scholasticism sprung up. At this time they attempted to reconcile logical belief with Christian

belief. However, in time, this would be given up in favor of only trying to figure out the mysteries

of the universe through logic alone.

In the Middle Ages, there was some semblance of intellectual development. However,

most of it had to do with the church or the Christian religion. People tried more to understand

the Bible, and to explain its more mysterious subjects in terms the commoners could

understand. Most literature was written in Latin, since that was the language of the Church. If

someone was not literate in Latin, they were not considered literate. Therefore, literature only

really appealed to the nobility and higher classes. The Renaissance, however, was where

intellectual development really began to sprout. Classical learning, the ancient Greek and Latin

writings of such great people as Cicero, Livy, or Plato, was revived. Many more people learned

Latin and Greek so that they could enjoy and learn from such classics. During this time period

as well, different intellectual developments, such as humanism and scholasticism, started to

begin. Some authors, such as Dante Alighiere, began to write in their vernacular tongues. This

brought literature to a greater number of people, thus serving to increase the literacy rate. This,

in turn, gave people a greater knowledge of the world around them, and they were not forced to

depend solely on religion for the answers.

Medieval society revolved almost solely around the church and the feudal manor. The

church played a very influential role in society, from controlling people’s lives through religious

laws and holy days, to possessing enormous political power and influencing the rulers of the

land. Nobles ruled over the feudal manor, and vassals and serfs were bound to him for life.

Social status could not be changed and people were stuck in the class they were born in. Upon

the advent of the Renaissance, however, this changed. Feudalism ended, and with it the notion

of the lord and vassals. The church no longer wielded so much power, although it was still a

formidable force. Social status was now changeable. A merchant could marry into the nobility,

or a knight could become a criminal or bandit. In conclusion, Europe of the 12th and 14th

centuries was quite alike, but the Renaissance starting in the 14th century was the beginning of the

end for the medieval way of life.