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Midevil Times

Part II: Essay #2
Middle Ages were a period in history of Europe that lasted from about 350 to about 1450 AD. The western half of the Roman Empire began to section into smaller, weaker kingdoms at the beginning of the Middle Ages. Many European states had taken shape by the end of the Middle Ages.
There was no one particular event that ended the ancient world and began the Middle Ages. In fact, no one who lived in what is now called the Middle Ages ever thought of themselves as living in it. In the middle Ages, people thought they were living in modern times, just as people do today.
Since the Middle ages covered such a large span of time, historians divided it into three parts: the early Middle Ages, lasting from about 350 to about 1050; the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1050 to about 1300; and the Late Middle Ages, lasting from about 1300 to about 1450.
Historians used to believe that most of the cultural, economic, and political achievements of the Middle Ages occurred in the second period, and because of this they called that period "High". Only recently, as the accomplishments of the Early and Late Middle Ages have gained appreciation, has this term fallen into disuse. Today, historians often use a more neutral name, the Central Middle Ages.
The institutions of the Middle Ages rooted from those of the Roman Empire. By 200 this included much of what are now Western Europe, Turkey, and North Africa. There is much talk today about the transformations of the Roman world. This period of change usually measured from about 350 to 600, was the result of problems that had been building for some time.
The rise of the Roman Empire began when it was no longer a republic because Augustus was a dictator. He restored order to Rome. The Pax Romana period held 200 years of peace within Rome. It had admirable results on the empire. The Pax Romana extended the borders of Rome to Asia Minor and also secured its frontiers. It brought order, a good government, and...