The development of the middle ages stemmed from many things. The middle ages brought change to the way life was lived, as well as percieved. In this paper, I will discuss the specific events that caused the world as we know it to evolve from the way it had been. I will elaborate the development of the Middle Ages: the Romanesque Period, the Gothic Period, and the Renaissance in Italy, as each were vital parts of this "middle" time between the classical era and the start of our modern age.
The unlikely, quick rise of Christianity played a sufficient role in supplying change. In a time when many Romans were dissatisfied with the various Pagan gods, many citizens turned to Christianity and the promise of an eternal life. They held a firm belief in Jesus of Nazareth being the divine Son of God, who had been resurrected from the dead to save all humanity.
When Jesus first appeared on earth, Christianity was not a well noted religeon, but soon it became the most noted. Soon after it spread from Palestine to the Greco-Roman cities, and became the dominant religeon of the Roman Empire under Constantine. He was the first ruler to embrace Christian faith. He raised his sons as Christians and made his new capital, Constantinople(the ancient city of Byzantium), the first Christian city. Within fifty years of Constantine's reign, Christianity was declared the official religeon of the Empire and thus brought great change. Christian leaders now represented the power of the Roman state that had once persecuted them. It was now the wealthiest and most powerful social institution in the Western world. The creation of a "new Rome" at Constantinople indicated a pivotal change in the late Empire, as it split them into two parts. The Western Empire, centered...