Rome's language, Latin, lived on as the language of Europe's educated elite. The Roman emperor - called the "pontifex maximus" - became the Christian pope (also called the pontifex maximus). Roman senators became Christian bishops. It provided both stability and continuity. During those difficult times, one institution survived from ancient Rome - the Christian Church. With peasants on the bottom, nobles and bishops in the middle, and the king or queen on top, this feudal hierarchy would dominate the Middle Ages and produce some of medieval Europe's earliest treasures: jeweled crowns, scepters, and fancy swords - the ceremonial objects that reinforced the message that the feudal order was endorsed by God and all-powerful. This was part of a societal structure called "feudalism." The lord promised land and protection in exchange for loyalty and a tax on anything produced. Desperate for security, they bowed down to the local warlord, who was armed with a castle and knights, and backed by the Church. People were superstitious, living in fear of dark forces. For centuries, there was little travel, little trade, no building for the future…almost no progress. ![]() Tilling the fields, most lived their entire lives in a single place, poor and uneducated. Frightened people sought refuge inside crude fortresses…in towns surrounded by thick walls and moats…or atop remote hills. ![]() After Rome fell, Europe was plunged into what used to be called the "Dark Ages." The once-united empire shattered into small warring kingdoms. The city of Rome had been sacked and marauding tribes ravaged the countryside. The Roman Empire that had united Europe for centuries was crumbling - leaving a political vacuum.
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