Category:Middle Ages

Historical epoch
The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three 'ages': the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. The Middle Ages of Western Europe are commonly dated from the end of the Western Roman Empire (5th century) until the Renaissance, the rise of national monarchies, the start of European overseas exploration, the humanist revival, and the Protestant Reformation starting in 1517. These various changes all mark the beginning of the Early Modern period that preceded the Industrial Revolution.

Key subcategories and main articles
Main purpose :These subcategories are used to group events and personages into tighter timeframes to aid period studies and cross referencing.

Auxiliary purpose : Group information together by Historical era in categories used by the commons.


 * Periods of the Middle Ages
 * 1) Early Middle Ages — the period of European history in the 5th through 10th centuries, from the fall of Rome in 476 CE, or to avoid undue emphasis on exact years the dates are usually rounded off to 500 CE-1000 CE. The Early Middle Ages includes the Migration period (also referred to as the "Dark Ages"), the Ostrogoths and Visigoths, the Merovingians, Anglo-Saxon England, the Frankish Empire, and the Viking Age.
 * 2) The High Middle Ages — the period of European history in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries (1000–1300), while recognizable nations were forming.
 * 3) The Late Middle Ages — the period of European history in the 14th and 15th centuries (c. 1300–1500) leading up to the Early Modern period, the Renaissance, and the Early Modern Europe era, which by convention ends around 1500, after printing and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.