HIGH MIDDLE AGES: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, ART, LITERATURE - HISTORY - 2025

The High Middle Ages is the name given to the first centuries of the so-called Middle Ages. It is considered that it begins after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, in the year 476, and lasts until approximately the 11th century.

This consideration is not absolute, since there are small temporal variations depending on the historiographic trends. It was the Renaissance, long after medieval times passed, who gave it that name.

Charlemagne and the Pope

It was a rather negative term, since they considered it to be a period of darkness and ignorance between the Europe of Greco-Latin classicism and its own Renaissance period.

Although today this belief is considered very exaggerated, it is true that the High Middle Ages (and, in general, the entire medieval period) was characterized by numerous wars and by the arrival of Germanic peoples alien to previous traditions.

These new inhabitants, heirs of what the Romans called barbarians, ended up adapting many customs and habits of Rome. Two great geopolitical blocs stand out during those centuries: the Carolingian Empire and the Byzantine (or Eastern Roman Empire).

Islam presents itself as a common threat to both. This religion appears at that time and has such a vertiginous expansion that in the 8th century it reached Hispania.

Historical summary of the High Middle Ages

End of the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire, great dominator of Europe for centuries, had begun its decline many decades earlier.

The internal crises -economic and political-, and the pressure of the barbarian peoples from the outside, cause their power to diminish. These tribes, which they called barbarians (a word that disparagingly means foreigner), had been arriving for several centuries.

Between battles and peace treaties, they had settled within the Empire itself. Both the Visigoths, Vandals or Swabians, and the Huns totally destabilized Rome.

Finally, in the year 476, the Western Roman Empire disappears under the command of Emperor Augustulus.

Germanic kingdoms

From the fall of Rome until the 8th century, the invasions of these peoples continued to occur.

Few of them ever establish themselves as states, as most had a more tribal concept of society. Visigoths, Franks and Ostrogoths are one of those few that did begin to constitute themselves as nations.

In fact, the throne of the Roman Empire is inherited by one of those barbarians, who tries for some time to maintain the same structures.

The Byzantine Empire

While this was developing in the West, in Byzantium the so-called Eastern Roman Empire was consolidated.

They pretend to be the continuators of the legacy of Rome, but they have many characteristics that differentiate them and that, according to some authors, bring them closer to the eastern kingdoms. Although they never came to help Rome, they did dedicate themselves to increasing their territory and influence.

Emperors like Justinian, expanded their borders to the Danube. It can be said that at one point they had three of the most important cities of their time: Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople

Basilica of Santa Sofia built by the Byzantines between 532 and 537.

However, like any great empire, its crisis also came. In this case it was later, already in the 7th century, due to the war against the Persians and the great territorial losses caused by the Arabs.

Arab conquest

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, Islam spread and, from 711, the Muslims of the Umayyad Caliphate began the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. Until then it was in the hands of the Visigoths, who fell defeated against the Muslims after fifteen years of fighting.

Arab expansion (622-750) DieBuche / Public domain

The expansion covered practically the entire peninsula, reaching the south of France. Since then, the kingdom was renamed Al-Ándalus and different dynasties were established such as the Caliphate of Córdoba, the Taifas, the Almoravids or the Almohads.

From the year 1000 the empire began to lose power, until finally in 1492 they were expelled by the Catholic Monarchs, putting the final touch on the Reconquest period.

Carolingian empire

The other great power that appears during the High Middle Ages is the work of one of the barbarian peoples that had arrived centuries before. This is the so-called Carolingian Empire, a Frankish kingdom that will take hold from the 8th century.

Charlemagne, by A. Bellenger, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of its leaders, Charlemagne, who was crowned emperor in Rome, is especially known. It was an attempt to somehow resurrect the Roman Empire and to re-unify Europe.

Likewise, it recovers part of the classical culture and gives great importance to the relationship between the Christian religion and power.

Charlemagne's death ended his dream of consolidating a great state and, shortly after, his empire split into two: the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Main characteristics of the High Middle Ages

As characteristics at a general level, it can be noted that it was an extremely turbulent period, with many wars. This caused great insecurity of all kinds in the population, which affected both the social organization and the economy.

Feudalism

Feudalism is one of the most important elements that appears during the Middle Ages and that affects both the economy and social organization.

Almost all experts place their origin in the insecurity that was pointed out earlier. This causes those with the least possibility of defending themselves, such as the peasants, turn to the great lords to ask for protection.

Hegodis, from Wikimedia Commons

Peasants even gave up their lands (or were taken away) in exchange for this security. A system was created based on the existence of a small powerful class that owns lands and armies, and a larger class dependent on the former.

The latter worked in the fields for the lords and were linked to the lands. In addition, they had to pay taxes and provide other services to the leaders.

Social organization

The situation described above also serves to explain how the society of the time was organized. It was an absolutely hierarchical class division, with a small group of favored and a large mass of disadvantaged.

At the top of the pyramid was the King. He was the one who granted land and titles, and his authority was based on a tacit agreement with his nobility. The phrase primus inter pares (the first among equals) defines the situation very well.

The nobility was the owner of the lands and the possessor of almost all the wealth of each State.

One of his functions was to take charge of the so-called vassals, on the top step of the pyramid. These were, above all, the peasants tied to their land, who lived in poverty or bordering on it.

Among these classes was another that was placed among the privileged: the clergy. The influence of the Church was very great and, in addition, it also had large possessions of land.

Economy

As you can imagine from seeing how society was divided and the meaning of feudalism, the economy of these nations was almost entirely rural. There could be some trade, but very limited both in distance and in products.

church

Without a doubt, she was even more powerful than the monarch himself. In fact, kings needed his approval and sought alliances with him to stay in power longer.

Humiliation of Henry IV in front of Pope Gregory VII. The original uploader was Nicola Romani at Italian Wikipedia. / Public domain

As for the peasants, they were obliged to pay the tithe; that is, 10% of what they obtained.

Art and literature

The High Middle Ages is not considered the brightest period in artistic manifestations. During the so-called Low Middle Ages, there was a recovery in this aspect, thanks to the appearance of the Romanesque and various literary genres.

In any case, it can be pointed out that the theme was mostly religious. It should be taken into account that almost no one could read, so alternative means were needed for the messages to reach the population.

Thus, there were frequent figures such as minstrels, who related stories of all kinds, almost all with an origin in oral tradition. Likewise, some plays of a marked religious character could be represented.

dome of the chapel of San Vittore in Ciel d'oro in the Church of San Ambrosio in Milan. G.dallorto / CC BY-SA 2.5 IT (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/it/deed.en)

In the architecture is the pre-Romanesque, divided according to the region in which it was developed. Like the theater, it was religious in nature, and the built churches stood out.

Perhaps the exception is found in Carolingian art, which attempted to recover certain themes and forms from classical antiquity. It is considered that it was fundamental for the later appearance of Romanesque and Gothic.

References

1. Professor in History. Middle Ages or Medieval, Obtained from profeenhistoria.com
2. Wikipedia. Pre-Romanesque art. Obtained from es.wikipedia.org
3. Riu. Manuel. The High Middle Ages: from the 5th to the 12th century. Recovered from books.google.es
4. History Central. Overview of the High Middle Ages. Retrieved from historycentral.com
5. History on the net. Medieval Life - Feudalism and the Feudal System. Retrieved from historyonthenet.com
6. Lane, Lisa M. High Medieval Expansion - Church, Economy, Technology. Retrieved from brewminate.com
7. Pace University. The Church and the Middle Ages. Retrieved from csis.pace.edu