The Medieval Period

Why is the Medieval Period called "Medieval," and why is it often characterized as a dark time? The term "Medieval" actual comes from the Latin term "Medium Aevum," which was applied to this period based on the notion that it was a sort of down time between two eras of civilizational progress (classical and modern civilization). The medieval period should not be conflated with or referred to as "the dark ages," as there have been many dark ages throughout history, and while the period was elicited by a dark age, the entire medieval period was not a dark age by any metric. While most of the negative characterizations of the medieval period are based on subjective judgments, it is true that it was a period of geopolitical weakness for European civilization.

Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Middle-Ages

https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-medieval-1789185#:~:text=Updated%20on%20June%2020%2C%202019%20The%20word%20medieval,of%20the%20Roman%20Empire%20and%20precede%20the%20Renaissance.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Petrarch

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medieval

https://www.worldhistory.org/Medieval_Church/

Fall of Constantinople | Facts, Summary, & Significance | Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Muslim-Spain - Muslim Conquest of Spain

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1453/the-mongol-invasion-of-europe/ - The Mongol Invasion

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/the-mongols-in-eastern-europe/ - Mongol Invasion