Common Knowledge About The Middle Ages That Is Incorrect, Part 1: Why the Middle Ages, Not the Renaissance, Created the Modern World
History Unplugged Podcast19 Feb 2019

Common Knowledge About The Middle Ages That Is Incorrect, Part 1: Why the Middle Ages, Not the Renaissance, Created the Modern World

The popular view of the Middle Ages is a thousand-year period of superstition and ignorance, punctuated by witch burnings and belief in a flat earth. But the medieval period, more than any other time in history, laid the foundations for the modern world. The work of scholars, intellectuals, architects, statesmen and craftsmen led to rise of towns, the earliest bureaucratic states, the emergence of vernacular literatures, the recovery of Greek science and philosophy with its Arabic additions, and the beginnings of the first European universities.

This episode is the first in a five-part series to explore a revisionist history of the Middle Ages, starting with the Roman Empire’s collapse in the fifth century. We will march through the accounts of Charlemagne’s reign, the Black Plague, the fall of Constantinople, and everything in between. It explores social aspects of the Middle Ages that are still largely misunderstood (i.e., no educated person believed the earth was flat). There was also a surprisingly high level of medieval technology, the love of Aristotle in the Middle Ages, and the lack of witch burnings (those were not popularized until the Thirty Years War in the Renaissance Period).

The Middle Ages were not a period to suffer through until the Renaissance returned Europe to its intellectual and cultural birthright. Rather, they were the fire powering the forge out of which Western identity was forged. The modern world owes a permanent debt of gratitude to the medieval culture of Europe. It was the light that illuminated the darkness following the collapse of Rome and remained lit into the world we inhabit today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(1080)

Tevi Troy on Pop Culture in the White House: From Washington’s Library to Trump’s Twitter Account

Tevi Troy on Pop Culture in the White House: From Washington’s Library to Trump’s Twitter Account

In the 21st century presidents can't stay out of the spotlight. Barack Obama released his NCAA tournament brackets every year on ESPN, was a regular guest on Jimmy Fallon and the rest of the late nigh...

29 Mai 201752min

When Did People Start Using Last Names?

When Did People Start Using Last Names?

Today's question comes from Melanie Padon: When did people start using last names and why? How did they come up with them? WANT ME TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HISTORY?   Click here to learn more.   ...

26 Mai 20176min

Did Conquering Armies Really Salt the Earth of Their Enemies?

Did Conquering Armies Really Salt the Earth of Their Enemies?

Today's question comes to us from Peter Swanson. My question is what is the history of "salting the earth" after a military victory. How would an army in the ancient world have transported tons and to...

25 Mai 20177min

What if JFK Had Lost the 1960 Election?

What if JFK Had Lost the 1960 Election?

Today's question comes to us courtesy of Brandon. Here's his question: This is Brandon Wall, and I'm wondering what would have happened if Nixon beat JFK in the 1960 presidential election. How would t...

24 Mai 201713min

Justin from the Generation Why Podcast: What Assassination Had the Most Impact on History?

Justin from the Generation Why Podcast: What Assassination Had the Most Impact on History?

Today's question comes to us from Justin from the Generation Why Podcast. It's a true crime podcast that you should definitely check out. Here's his question: What murder or assassination through hist...

23 Mai 201718min

Why Your Favorite Presidents (Lincoln, Washington) Actually Screwed Up America—Brion McClanahan

Why Your Favorite Presidents (Lincoln, Washington) Actually Screwed Up America—Brion McClanahan

Quick – name your favorite president. You probably said Washington or Lincoln, right? C'mon. You can be more original than that. Well, Brion McClanahan is original. He gladly tells people that the gre...

19 Mai 201744min

How a Horse Became a Sergeant in the Korean War — Robin Hutton

How a Horse Became a Sergeant in the Korean War — Robin Hutton

The story of Reckless—a pack horse in the Korean War who was a beloved household name in the 1950s and the only animal in U.S. history to officially achieve the rank of Sergeant—is one of the stranges...

19 Mai 20171h 27min

When Camels Roamed the American Southwest—The U.S. Camel Corps (1856-1866)

When Camels Roamed the American Southwest—The U.S. Camel Corps (1856-1866)

Welcome to the first episode of the History Unplugged podcast. We are kicking things off by exploring the US Army’s failed experiment of using camels as the military’s main pack animal in the American...

11 Mai 201744min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
intervjuet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
fladseth
198-land-med-einar-trnquist