The Truth About The "Dark Ages"

historical misconceptions can be a dangerous thing misunderstanding how the world was in the past can influence how you behave in the present and perhaps No period of history is more misunderstood than the Middle Ages it's a popular historical misunderstanding today that the Middle Ages was a dark time of poverty repressed science and everyone just being miserable this Viewpoint can accurately be called the myth of the Dark Ages it generally go goes like this between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance Europe lived in a state of Darkness everyone was poor the church killed

all scientists and everything was just horrible then in the 1500s the Renaissance and Reformation saved Europe from darkness and stupidity some versions go even further believing it wasn't until the political changes of the 1700s that the Dark Ages ended this myth was perhaps best described by by Carl Sean the famous atheist who referred to European history between 500 and 1500 ad as a millenium Gap a poignant lost opportunity for the human species Sean's 1980 book Cosmos included a ridiculous chart with a 1,000-year gap in scientific development between these years okay what's important to note right

away is that the idea of the Dark Ages has been completely abandoned by real historians there are countless works by academic sources about why the whole concept is wrong yet the idea continues to influence popular imagination it's still common in the United States where there's a tendency to dismiss European history as backwards or unimportant this is despite the fact that America would not exist without Europe the myth of the Dark Ages can also be found online a recent example are popular YouTube videos like this one with 2 million views they claim no one could survive

even one day in medieval Europe the fact that our ancestors did survive and even thrived in this time tells you that videos like this aren't giving you the real story so what was the real situation in medieval Europe was it really a dark horrible place for over 1,000 years well no and this video will explain why strap in because on this video on Pax tube I'll be shining light on the real story of the so-called dark a ages let's begin by talking about how the Middle Ages began the Middle Ages covered a 1,000 years span

that doesn't neatly fit into one box historians generally break the period into three parts the Early Middle Ages the high Middle Ages and the late Middle Ages it all is considered to begin around the official end of the Roman Empire in 476 ad one important fact is that the Western Roman Empire had been in Decline for over for 200 years by the time it officially ceased to exist the collapse was not sudden but slow and gradual over the course of decades the Roman administration had become so corrupt and ineffective that by the end when it

finally disappeared Roman citizens either didn't notice or were actually glad it was gone the Eastern Roman Empire continued though it never matched the strength and influence of the original Roman Empire in its Heyday an important fact is that the same things that many people attacked the Middle Ages for low life expectancy High infant mortality the spread of plagues these things were all also true for ancient Rome and Greece attacking the Middle Ages for these things while glorifying Rome and Greece is hypocritical with the passing of the Roman Empire came new kingdoms Who Rose Up From

the Ashes across Europe the most influential ones were ruled by Germanic peoples such as the Goths and the Franks this began the Early Middle Ages which lasted until roughly the 10th Century it's in this period that the Dark Ages narrative has a kernel of Truth for many years both before and after the end of Western Rome its territories had fallen into poverty and disunity knowledge of how to maintain Roman law and infrastructure was lost to make matters worse for many centuries Pagan Viking and Arab invasions brought the former Roman world to its knees the Mediterranean

Sea suffered heavily from piracy that made trade very difficult plagues ravaged not only Europe but the entire world hindering development nevertheless even in this time of Darkness there were beacons of light Europeans weren't just sitting around waiting to die off they were constantly at work trying to improve and develop their societies trade and economic growth gradually improved due to the rebuilding of infrastructure and the Improvement of banking in the 9th century northern Europe experienced an economic boom it helped that many vikings realized they could live better lives by trading than by pillaging the rest of

Europe's economy also began to grow new financial instruments were developed that allowed investors to fund trade Expeditions that crisscrossed Europe by land andc regular markets became held in public forums large towns might have a daily Market which moved around different parts of the city depending on the time of day these markets offered people specific Goods like meat fish or bread red while the cost of long-distance Transportation remained High people weren't simply Starving in the streets like some narrative suggest then there was the church one can't understand the Middle Ages without understanding the role that monasteries

played in the development of society the church gradually Rose in power and influence throughout the Early Middle Ages this culminated in the pope officially getting his own state in 756 becoming known as the Papal States under this government the pope directly controlled Rome and its surrounding territories with this position of power the papacy could now exert great influence on the entire European church and far from repressing knowledge they got hard at work preserving and spreading it Monastery networks developed across the continent where devout men gathered to study interpret and spread works of Christian knowledge people

came to these monasteries to live Christian lives of work self-sacrifice and strict religious observance monasteries would end up serving many valuable functions their primary goal was religious they were a place for the most devoted Christians to come and live a life of dedication to God many monks took vows of poverty and spent their time doing missionary activities the rule of St Benedict one of the early codes for monastic life charged followers with reading holy writings every day monks worked with Biblical texts and developed religious histories and biographies these monks along with priests and nuns educated

Christians across Europe in the principles of the faith St Bernard of clairo would later write there are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge that is curiosity there are those who seek knowledge to be known by others that is Vanity and then there are those who seek knowledge in order to serve that is love monasteries also provided other valuable assets to the surrounding Community Science and Mathematics were studied there the knowledge of the Greek Greeks and Romans was preserved and promoted new students learned grammar rhetoric and logic when they mastered these it was

common to move on to arithmetic geometry and astronomy books were prized as Treasures if a monastic Community came under attack monks would take manuscripts into hiding in the forest or other remote areas until the danger passed monastic education eventually expanded to Layman and this would develop into the medieval University system the historian Melissa SN wrote that modern Scholars will forever be in debt of the monastics it's a shame that many modern academics do not recognize this debt clerical brothers and sisters also serve the community by growing grain raising livestock and producing wine it was common

for towns and cities to grow around a monastery in times of scarcity as the Early Middle Ages was those who were willing to live on little for the benefit of others were an immense good it thus shouldn't be a surprise at all that Catholicism rapidly spread through Europe eventually becoming the dominant religion monks and Priests led by example and were respected for it the period known as the high Middle Ages began around the 10th Century this is when the Dark Ages myth truly becomes absurd Europe was surging ahead in Economic Development science and political as

well as religious unity the journalist Seb Faulk wrote Recent research has exploded almost every every myth about the scientific stagnation of the Middle Ages historians have shown it to be a period of impressive Innovation and Ingenuity now it's true that in this period many medieval problems like disease outbreaks remained but these things weren't unique to Europe the entire Globe suffered from plagues so when people criticize standards of living in the Middle Ages one must always ask compared to what the high Middle Ages saw the rise of Italian city states and North Germany as major economic

hubs Venice Genoa and Pisa emerged as some of the most important cities of the period the Italian navies at last fought back piracy and reestablished some semblance of order in the Mediterranean at the same time the Holy Roman Empire England and France emerged as important kingdoms domestic manufacturing of goods grew Germans at this time became experts at mining they exported iron copper and Tin to the rest of Europe other European States exported Goods like linen cotton wool and salt and that wasn't all silk and Porcelain from China Gold from Japan and ivory from Africa became

highly in demand Goods traveling trade fairs became popular and they gave people greater access to Goods than they'd usually find in their local market fairs boomed in Western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries the development of currency and Loans further boo boosted Economic Development investors could now have a stake in the international economy guilds were also established across Europe that kept up the standards of manufacturing professions the growth and development of Europe in the Middle Ages was also aided by scientific advancement according to the Dark Ages myth science simply stopped in the Middle Ages

but as we'll see that is insanity one place science was clearly felt was the Improvement of engineering roads canals and ships were all greatly Advanced as these Technologies improved it cut down Transportation time of goods increased their capacity and reduced loss other scientific advancements came in the field of Agriculture Europe actually experienced an Agricultural Revolution between 1050 and 1300 ROM yields multiplied by over threefold things like the wield plow came into wide use it made farming easier and more productive the horse collar also appeared and was one of the most important inventions in the history

of Agriculture it replaced the old harness system and allowed beasts of burdens to exert their full strength when plowing Fields this enabled them to work for longer and to carry heavier loads bronze horseshoes became popular and were eventually upgraded to iron then there was the development of the windmill it used wind power to grind grain which would then be made into bread prior to this people had to rely on animal labor to grind gr their grain now it could simply be done with the wind hand tools also saw improvements better axes made Forest clearance easier

and faster the Scythe was used to mow and reap crops before people had lawnmowers this is what they would [Music] do now medieval agriculture of course still had weaknesses it was susceptible to bad weather and this could lead to famine if the weather was bad for multiple years straight however again this was not limited specifically to Europe as the Dark Age myth posits it tries to make Europeans look uniquely stupid as if they were unable to do basic things that other societies could do but in reality people were doing the best with the tools that

were available to them there are many little medieval inventions that are taken for granted today yet are very important eyeglasses and hourglasses are two big examples we could also look at the development of military technology at the start of the Middle Ages even Elite warriors were lucky to have chain mail iron swords and wooden Shields by the end of the Middle Ages soldiers had access to steel plate armor and tempered steel swords and shields a medieval Knight would destroy a Roman Centurion due to his Superior weapons and armor and by the 15th century even guns

cannons and advanced Siege weapons were developed so much for a millennium of no science the system of feudalism is also sometimes criticized but feudalism was simply A system that adapted to the conditions of medieval Life The Common People needed the protection of nobles who could afford the arms and materials to fight invasions keep in mind that during the Middle Ages depending on where you lived your village could come under attack at any moment by groups like the Mongols Muslims or even brigin the military organization that Kings and Dukes provided was valuable to everyone feudalism developed

in the Middle Ages not due to some kind of deliberate repression but due to the material conditions of Europe and the world at the time peasants also were not pushovers that lived under brutal tyranny in fact peasants were tough workers who could make their anger felt if they really wanted to while they did have to live much more physically demanding lives than a modern person they weren't worked as slaves either the average medieval worker had many holidays and feast days where they weren't required to work there were big celebrations like Easter Christmas and the Epiphany

these didn't last just one day but multiple days the Christmas Feast for example lasted 12 days on Saint feast days people would get a break from work to attend Mass feast and make offerings to the Saints being honored the veneration of saints was a central aspect of Christianity in the Middle Ages and their relics were displayed in churches and carried in processions altogether these holidays added up to dozens of days per year where people didn't have to work for their lord now don't get it wrong working hard remained a necessary part of medieval life taking

care of your animals and farm was serious business neglecting your duties could mean famine and starvation in the Community Law and Order was thus strict people at this time didn't really have humor for criminals and Nells messing with someone animals for example was seen as attempted murder on their entire family if authorities could get their hands on criminals punishment was Swift and severe execution of brigin and murderers was the norm one has to ask here was Law and Order in the Middle Ages too strict or is Law and Order in modern liberal societies too lenient

when you see rapists in the US today getting minor sentences one has to wonder One statistic that people who believe in the Dark Ages myth like to point out is that the murder rate was much higher in the Middle Ages than today but this wasn't due to people being more psychotic or violent back then it was more due to the fact that people today have greater access to medical and transportation technology that allows them to survive things that would kill a medieval person so comparing these two things is not very fair to say the least

as for life expectancy there's no arguing that it was far shorter in the Middle Ages than today but it was the medical and scientific achievements of the mid Middle Ages that paved the way for modern people to live longer instead of attacking medieval people for not living long we should thank them for helping us the field of medicine was another area that saw vast improvements during the high Middle Ages the concept of a hospital a place where patients could be treated by doctors with access to specialized equipment became popular Hospital Systems spread across the continent

Christian religious workers sought to provide people with lodging and Care in Byzantium in Western Europe hospitals started as part of monasteries but soon expanded into a much broader Network along with hospitals grew farcies and people gained a wide knowledge of drugs and cures the 13th century Italian surgeon theodoric borgoni invented the concept of antiseptics where wounds would be cleaned and stitched to promote healing he fixed incorrect methods of healing wounds that had been popularized by Rome Greece and the Arab world this man was a hero of medical history yet how many people today were even

taught his name or achievements organon was a Dominican frier who even became the personal physician of Pope vnis IV here we again see that Not only was there not a contradiction between Catholicism and science the two worked together the author James Walsh wrote in his book the world's debt to the Catholic Church all the great surgeons of the Middle Ages had been churchmen all their work had been done in universities established under papal Rule and with the heartiest encouragement of the ecclesiastical authorities of the time what motivated Christian Scientists was the desire to better understand

God's creation it wasn't a worship of the natural world nor was it a free-for-all the church placed moral restrictions on scientists to prevent unethical experiments as a result of all of these advancements in agriculture and Medicine Europe's population tripled between 1050 and 1300 the average lifespan increased by over two decades but what about medieval food was that bad not really contrary to would some think medieval people didn't sit around eating GRL every day most people lived on Farm estates and had access to a variety of foods the typical medieval meal consisted of barley oats and

Rye fruit juices ciders and alcohol were also popular meals were seasoned with natural herbs and vegetables that were usually grown in gardens much like today the more wealth a person had the more luxurious food they could access for the average person meat wasn't a regular dish but it did become more widely available after the Black Death speaking of the Black Death we should delve into it the Black Death occurring between 1346 and 1353 was one of the darkest chapters of the Middle Ages no one at the time understood how to stop the diseases spread Millions

died not only in Europe but across all of of Eurasia and the Middle East contrary to the Dark Ages myth the plague wasn't worse in Europe than in other places in parts of China up to 90% of the population was lost Egypt lost 60% of its population parts of Germany England and France suffered similar casualty rates Western Europe was hit harder than Eastern Europe which historians believe may have been related to different blood groups and Immunity levels unfortunately for the world germ Theory and full understanding of disease would not be developed until the 1800s the

late Middle Ages is considered to have begun after the Black Death European Society changed immensely as people adapted to well there being much less people peasants now had higher bargaining power for their labor and could demand better wages and working conditions by the 1400s Europe's recovery was in full swing and it became the most developed part of the world at the time the Italian Renaissance also began and it's widely recognized as a great time for art architecture and science but it didn't come from merely digging back into Ancient Rome or Greece it was built on

the mountain of achievements the previous thousand years in Europe built from this point on the Middle Ages shifted into the early modern era which had its own positives and negatives to understand the Dark Ages myth we need to understand why it exists the Russian writer Alexander saniton once said to destroy a people you must first sever their Roots I believe this is what the Dark Age myth seeks to do for the people who spread it it's not an honest misunderstanding but a deliberate attack on European and Catholic history if someone can convince the younger Generations

that their ancestors were just backwards fools they can convince them to abandon their Heritage they can manipulate them into following their way of thinking their way of viewing the world against their own intuitions myths like the dark ages are thus a form of political and cultural control modern liberal governments benefit from attacking medieval history because it allows them to distract from their own problems in the modern world drug deaths suicide Mass immigration and destruction of culture are all major problems today in fact they might be the worst they've ever been but at least we're not

like those stupid medieval peasants semi- right fortunately due to the internet and Rise of Independent Media more and more people are learning the truth about the Middle Ages the myth of the Dark Ages is falling out of fashion even if it does persist in examples like those that I showed at the start of the video truth and fairness are overcoming propaganda and deceit I'll end this video by pointing out how many European countries today can thank the Middle Ages for their existence Austria Denmark Sweden England Hungary Spain Portugal Poland and many more All Began in

this era I hope this video helps everyone to better recognize the achievements of their Heritage this has been Pax and thank you so much for watching please leave a comment letting me know your thoughts on all this if you'd like to see more videos please consider supporting the channel I will see you in the next video