some of the efforts by the theologians to put some limits on what could and could not be accepted via the “new learning” actually had the effect of stimulating inquiry rather than constricting it. The “Condemnations of 1277” attempted to assert certain things that could not be stated as “philosophically true”, particularly things that put limits on divine omnipotence. The way was clear for the natural philosophers of the Middle Ages to move decisively beyond the achievements of the Greeks. Which is precisely what they proceeded to do. Far from being a stagnant dark age, as the first half of the Medieval Period (500-1000 AD) certainly was, the period from 1000 to 1500 AD actually saw the most impressive flowering of scientific inquiry and discovery since the time of the ancient Greeks, far eclipsing the Roman and Hellenic Eras in every respect.

The catholic church was far less responsible for the lack of scientific progress in the middle ages than commonly believed (and in fact was a major contributor). This leaves the lack of civilization between 500 – 1000 as the major culprit.
2022-08-26: As always, a lot of history is fictional.

The fantastical imagery that many of us consider “medieval” today has been invented in the centuries since. While some legends are rooted in the period, like the stories of King Arthur and Camelot, many others were embroidered onto an imagined, “medieval-ish” past through fantasy stories, films, and other forms of popular culture, especially from the 19th century on. Modern medieval tales have become populated with knights, dragons, witches, and fairies. Only knights and dragons were frequently depicted in the period, and anything magical or mysterious was understood through the lens of religion.

Much material is drawn from the 19th century, when the Romantic movement created its own version of the Middle Ages in the art, illustration, and architecture of the Gothic Revival. Their works embodied a romantic vision of simpler, more straightforward times and projected Victorian social mores onto medieval tales of heroism and tragedy. Everything from William Morris’s elaborate page borders (echoing illuminated manuscripts) to the now-iconic gargoyles added to Notre Dame contributed to an idealized aesthetic of the Middle Ages — and influenced our subsequent view of the time.

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