14 Europe in the Middle Ages 800–1450

> What role did clergy, nobles, peasants, and townspeople play in medieval European society? Chapter 14 examines the development of European civilization in the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the history of Europe has been divided into three periods — ancient, medieval, and modern. At times, the history of other parts of the world has also been fit into this three-period schema as well. Today historians often question the general applicability of such labels, and even the usefulness of the term “Middle Ages” for European history. They assert that the Middle Ages was not simply a period of stagnation between two high points but rather a time of enormous intellectual energy and creative vitality. While agrarian life continued to dominate Europe, political structures that would influence later European history began to form, and Christianity continued to spread.