The Vices and the Virtues of the Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Vices and the Virtues of the Middle Ages Essay The Middle Ages reflected a continuum of events that greatly influenced the way of living of the people in Europe. It was a very long period of struggle among the social classes, invasion of barbarians, cross cultural influences, feudalism and its decline, famine, plague, strong Roman Catholic influence, series of wars lasting for almost a century, as well as the dawn of reformation and humanism. Thus, it is very hard to conclude a particular value distinct in this era (Benton, 192). If we are going to compare Europe in its earlier days when the Roman Empire fell as to the latter part when Europe began to experience reformation, we would definitely see a big difference. European civilization at the start of the Middle Ages was more chaotic and primitive. On the other hand, the latter part of the epoch was more peaceful and new inventions made the lives of people easier and paved the way for urbanization (Benton 193). During the start of the Middle Ages, the Roman Empire was on the verge of collapse. It can be attributed to poor governance and illogical decisions of the Roman emperors. The government dwelled too much on rigorous military training and preparation for warfare. It had forgotten the other needs of its constituents such as food and proper education. There was a very slow development in culture and arts as well as in trade. As a result, people lived in fear and submission. Their virtues were greatly influenced by war and survival. Evidently, they care less about human life and its worth (Benton 193). When the Roman Empire suffered from attacks and invasions from barbarians, most of the Roman heritage was devastated. Some Roman edifices were unnecessarily destroyed. There were series of migration from one area to another in search of a better place. During this time, only the strong and victorious in war got the power to rule the land. Along with that, influences from other culture began to enter Europe that left remnants like the design of the architectural edifices. Since the people were weary of wars and fears of barbaric invasion, they seek citadel from someone who was capable to protect them. Thus, the era of feudalism began. The hierarchy in the society was formed based on land ownership. The land was subdivided among feudal lords who would give protection and lease the land to the subject and in turn, the latter needed to work for the former. In this system, the feudal lords became very wealthy while the peasants became very poor. The wealthy lords became very abusive and greedy towards their subjects while the latter at first were tolerant and submissive. In this system, only the rich and the powerful had access to a comfortable and abundant life. There was a big distinction between the wealthy and the poor. Thus, it was almost impossible for peasants to improve their quality of life. The abuse of feudal lords sparked the revolt of medieval towns and formation of guilds that caused the decline of feudalism (â€Å"Feudalism†). Through the formation of guilds, a better system of governance was created. There was greater emphasis on human relations and alliance. People with the same expertise group together and formed guilds. The people were encouraged to enhance their craft. The system of trade and business improved during this time and a new class or level of society emerged (Benton 193). The influence of the Roman Catholic Church was placidly reflected on the lives of the medieval people. Their outlook in life and social relations were based on the teachings of the Church. People were encouraged to live a pious life. The Church also played a major role in the formation of formal schools and universities. Thus, a lot of people started to have a formal schooling. Thus a system of education began to form. Thus Europe began to learn and establish fundamental (Benton 193). I could say that wars, famine and plague infested Europe on the latter part of the century that adversely affected the lives of the people. Because of massive deaths, hunger and unending wars, people tend to doubt the existence of God and the Catholic Church. It was aggravated by the abusive and greedy religious rulers that led to the revolt and rise of different sects and religion. Thus, Christianity was divided and people have an alternate doctrine to believe. Liberal minds began to emerge. The widespread epidemic made people become resourceful and determined in exploring the human anatomy and trying to find a cure for the disease. Thus, these series of unfortunate events probably served as a good driving force that made people appreciate humanity, thirst for more knowledge and invent things to improve the lives of the people (Benton 193). How have the Great Plague, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition influenced modern thought? The Great Plague caused massive devastation ever recorded in European history. It was the worst plague that caused the death of millions of people. It happened in 1665 when the Bubonic plague spread in Europe in the spring and summer. This disease, also known as the Black Death in England, was acquired from fleas and characterized by swelling of the gland, darkening of the skin accompanied with fever and severe pain (Defoe). In the book â€Å"History of plague in London† (Defoe), the author Daniel Defoe placidly elaborated a great number of people who died in the disease as recorded in the parish and how it spread across Europe. The disease was widespread that it almost wiped off the population. (Defoe 9) I could say that this tragedy compelled great minds to explore further the human anatomy. They tried to study how the human body works and tried to find a cure to this disease. Our modern medicine will not be as advanced and effective as it is today without these rudiments. Through a series of failures and success, cures for a variety of disease were found. The importance of proper sanitation to prevent the spread of disease was also considered. The Crusaders were soldiers who vowed to protect the Christendom and the Holy Land. The period of their realm lasted for centuries. The helped protect the Roman Catholic Church against its opponents. It stirred up the people to defend their faith against the non-believers. They also traveled far to protect the Holy Land. The Crusaders acquired great influence and power that they were able to contribute a lot in the political structure, economy as well as socio-cultural heritage of the Western Civilization. To sustain the needs of the army, the Crusaders traveled far and wide and fostered trade in areas they visit. Thus, trade among areas in Europe began to develop until this day. Along with that, their great influence in politics might have led to the formation of a bureaucratic government. During the voyage, they were able to find religious and cultural artifacts that enriched our modern history (â€Å"The Crusades†). The Spanish Inquisition was a period that occurred when the monarch of Spain wanted to unify Spain in the Catholic religion. During those times, a lot of other religions thrived in Spain like Judaism and Islam. The rulers of Spain collaborated with the pope to perform an inquisition and get rid of non-Catholic believers in Spain. The government and Church authorities were given the privilege to conduct an investigation to identify the non-believers. This was a ruthless procedure that was more political rather than religious. It greatly influenced the culture and history of Spain. Their culture today still reflects the Catholic faith as well as their festivities and devotion. The abuse and havoc caused by the Spanish inquisition were some of the factors that stirred up revolt and rise of Protestantism and paved way for the separation of the Church and the State (â€Å"The Spanish Inquisition†). What were the vices and virtues of this relatively homogenous Christian European experience? During the Middle Ages, it can be noted that the Roman Catholic Church held the seat of power as they greatly influenced the beliefs and the moral standards of the people. Since the Church led the development of formal education, its main course focused on religion. They set a standard of what is right and wrong thing to do. They have defined vice as a sin against the God and His people. It is an offense against the Absolute being. The repercussions of vices would be punishment after death. However, this can be absolved by penance through confession. The Church had identified series of vices that should be avoided. However, the list changed through time. The recent list that requires absolution from a priest includes gluttony, pride, envy, lust, anger, greed and sloth. Gluttony is getting too much of what one can consume. Pride refers to too much belief in oneself and failure to consider God’s authority. Envy refers to excessive desire on what others have. Lust refers to the excessive desires of the body and sex. Anger refers to hatred and grudge against another person. Greed refers to the excessive craving for material things. Lastly, Sloth refers to excessive laziness. These are considered as the deadly sin because they cause the death of the soul (â€Å"The Virtues and Vices in Medieval Society†). Of course, the Church also exemplified a pious life through practice of virtues. These virtues were categorized into cardinal, theological, contrary, heavenly virtues and the corporal works of mercy. It can be observed that there are seven in each. The Seven Heavenly virtues were faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance, prudence. The 7 The Seven Contrary Virtues were humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality and diligence. The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy were also encouraged like giving food to the hungry people, offering a drink to the thirsty, sharing a shelter with the homeless, helping in burying the dead, spending time with the sick, enlightening the prisoners and giving clothes to the cold and naked. These were the virtues greatly encouraged by the Church up until this day (â€Å"The Virtues and Vices in Medieval Society†). Works Cited Benton, William. â€Å"Middle Ages. † Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1971 ed. â€Å"Crusades. † On-line Reference Book for Medieval Studies. 4 April 2009 http://www.the-orb. net/encyclop/religion/crusades/legacy. html Defoe, Daniel. History of the Plague in London. N. p: n. p, 2005. â€Å"The Spanish Inquisition. † Koeller, David W. 5 May 1997. Western and Central Europe Chronology. 04 April 2009 http://www. thenagain. info/WebChron/westeurope/SpanInqui. html â€Å"The Virtues and Vices in Medieval Society. † Library of St. Nicholas. 4 April 2009 http://nicolaa5. tripod. com/articles/vice. html â€Å"Feudalism. † Vinogradoff, Paul. 1924. Cambridge Medieval History. 4 April 2009 http://socserv. mcmaster. ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/vinogradoff/feudal