Medieval Period An Overview of the Middle Ages

Control of most of Europe by the Catholic Church General lack of education and literacy among the common people Feudalism as the basis of society

The beginning of Islam The Crusades The Black Death

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the largest organized group in the world was the Catholic Church. Because of their organization and the lack of education of other people, the clergy became the most powerful social class of this time.

Through exploitation of the lack of knowledge and the prominence of superstitions, the Catholic Church in general, and the Pope specifically, were able to amass huge amounts of land and wealth, and were able to control most of Europe.

The Catholic Church was responsible for the destruction of many of the written works of Greek and Roman authors as well as much of the Greek and Roman arts and architecture. This was done for the purpose of trying to eliminate the “pagan” beliefs of the Greeks and Romans. Many of the practices of these pagan cults were assimilated into the traditions of our religious holidays such as celebrations of Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.

What organization held the most power during the Middle Ages? Why were the works of the Greeks and Romans destroyed? Why was it to the church’s advantage to limit the teaching reading to the clergy?

Because of Catholic control, most of the surviving arts (written, visual, musical, and dance) of the period are sacred and religious in nature.

Paintings Statues Mosaics Tapestries Architecture