The medieval period in Europe was a time of ignorance, superstition and violence, but also one of great change, when many of the foundations of the modern world were laid down. With all its contradictions, it is one of the most fascinating periods of world history.
Overview From the early 15th century, Medieval Europe began to morph into early modern Europe. In the later Middle Ages trade had expanded, towns had grown in number and size, and a new, more sophisticated society had emerged. In large parts of western Europe feudalism, with its fragmented power-structures, had begun to give way to […]
Introduction The word “Byzantine” comes from the name of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium; it was this that the Roman emperor Constantine (reigned 324-37) expanded and remodeled as his new capital. Constantinople. The great city of Constantinople stood at the heart of the Byzantine Empire. Its official name was New Rome (Constantinople was its informal name […]
