Middle Ages Changes

The Middle Ages marked the beginning of a great amount of change for the peoples of both Western Europe and Asia Minor. Having been under the rule of the Roman Empire for centuries, Western Europe would change immensely over the coming millennia due to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. At the same time, Asia Minor would face similar changes while under the rule of the remnants of the Eastern Roman Empire, now known as the Byzantine Empire. These changes would include sprawling shifts in art, architecture, and literature, vastly different borders and territory shifts, massive changes in both local and international politics, as well as shifts in the religious landscape. These significant shifts in culture, territories, politics,
In the Roman Empire, much of the art focused on the Roman mythology as well as more worldly topics, such as nature. However, during the Middle Ages, a shift in the tone and topic of art could be seen, especially within the Carolingian Renaissance. The art produced during the Middle Ages was much more focused on Christian stories, while still gaining inspiration from the art of the Romans. As the Middle Ages came to a close, the focus began to shift slightly from being completely about Christianity, as topics more relevant to daily life became more prevalent. Art created in the fourteenth century concerning the Black Death was one example of this. The architecture of the Middle Ages also was one of significant importance, as it helped to distinguish the Middle Ages from the times before and after it. Early on in the Middle Ages, Romanesque architecture was the dominant style. Large, open basilicas were the principal structure type for churches of the time, which pulled inspiration from both Roman and Byzantine styles of architecture. The Romanesque architecture gave way to the Gothic style, first developed by Abbot Suger. Known for pointed arches, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows, Suger’s twelfth century renovation to
Throughout most of the history of the Roman Empire, Pagans dominated the religious landscape of Western Europe while Zoroastrianism was the prominent religion in Asia Minor. While Theodosius did declare Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire in 395, the Middle Ages established Christianity as the overwhelmingly dominant religion within Europe. Throughout the medieval era, the Church managed to amass more and more power for itself, eventually leading to the Holy Roman Empire. This culminated in the Investiture Controversy, where Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV took part in a power struggle over the appointment of bishops. The conflict was eventually resolved with the Concordat of Worms in 1122, further solidifying the papacy’s power . The continual increase in power for the Church led to the papacy being able to have enough influence to call for the Crusades. This power is a far departure from what Christians experienced under the Roman Empire and would be greatly diminished in the centuries following the Middle Ages. While Christianity was establishing its power in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, Islam was founded and becoming a rising power in Asia Minor as well as the Arabian Peninsula and Northern Africa. Following Muhammad’s life and death in 632,