The Middle Ages-WPS Office

The Middle Ages: Birth of an Idea
The phrase “Middle Ages” tells us more about the Renaissance that followed it than it does about the
era itself. Starting around the 14th century, European thinkers, writers and artists began to look back
and celebrate the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Accordingly, they dismissed the period
after the fall of Rome as a “Middle” or even “Dark” age in which no scientific accomplishments had been
made, no great art produced, no great leaders born. The people of the Middle Ages had squandered the
advancements of their predecessors, this argument went, and mired themselves instead in what 18th-
century English historian Edward Gibbon called “barbarism and religion.”
GUNPOWDER
An illustration of an "eruptor," a proto-cannon, from the 14th century Ming Dynasty book Huolongjing.
The cannon was capable of firing proto-shells, cast-iron bombs filled with gunpowder.[1]
Artillery in the Middle Ages primarily consisted of the introduction of the cannon, large tubular firearms
designed to fire a heavy projectile over a long distance. Guns, bombs, rockets and cannons were first
invented in China during the Han Chinese Song Dynasty and then later spread to Europe and the Middle
East during the period.
Although gunpowder was known in Europe during the High Middle Ages due to the usage of guns and
explosives by the Mongols and the Chinese firearms experts employed by the Mongols as mercenaries
during the Mongol conquests of Europe, it was not until the Late Middle Ages that European versions of
cannons were widely developed. The first cannons introduced into Europe were probably used in Iberia,
during the Christian wars against Muslims in the 13th century; their use was also first documented in the
Middle East around this time. English cannons first appeared in 1327, and later saw more general use
during the Hundred Years' War, when primitive cannons were engaged at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. In
1326 the city of Florence purchased cannons, while in 1327 the castle of Gassino, near Turin, was
equipped with firearms[2]. By the end of the 14th century, the use of cannons was also recorded in
Russia, Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire.
The earliest medieval cannon, the pot-de-fer, had bulbous, vase-like shape, and was used more for
psychological effect than for causing physical damage. The later culverin was transitional between the
handgun and the full cannon, and was used as an anti-personnel weapon. During the 15th century,
cannon advanced significantly, so that bombards were effective siege engines. Towards the end of the
period, the cannon gradually replaced siege engines—among other forms of aging weaponry—on the
battlefield.
The Middle English word Canon was derived from the Old Italian word cannone, meaning large tube,
which came from Latin canna, meaning cane or reed.[3] The Latinised word canon has been used for a
gun since 1326 in Italy, and since 1418 in English. The word Bombardum, or "bombard", was the earliest
term used for "cannon", but from 1430 it came to refer only to the largest weapons.[4]
A cannon is a type of gun classified as artillery that launches a projectile using propellant. In the past,
gunpowder was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during the 19th
century. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms
of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on
the battlefield. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can
usually be translated as tube, cane, or reed. In the modern era, the term cannon has fallen into decline,
replaced by guns or artillery if not a more specific term such as howitzer or mortar, except for high
calibre automatic weapons firing bigger rounds than machine guns, called autocannons.
The earliest known depiction of cannon appeared in Song dynasty China as early as the 12th century,
however solid archaeological and documentary evidence of cannon do not appear until the 13th
century.[1] In 1288 Yuan dynasty troops are recorded to have used hand cannons in combat, and the
earliest extant cannon bearing a date of production comes from the same period.[2][3][4] By the early
14th century, depictions of cannon had appeared in the Middle East[5] and Europe, and almost
immediately recorded usage of cannon began appearing.[6][7] By the end of the 14th century cannon
were widespread throughout Eurasia.[8][9][10][11][12][12] Cannon were used primarily as anti-infantry
weapons until around 1374 when cannon were recorded to have breached walls for the first time in
Europe.[13] Cannon featured prominently as siege weapons and ever larger pieces appeared. In 1464 a
16,000 kg (35,000 lbs) cannon known as the Great Turkish Bombard was created in the Ottoman Empire.
[14] Cannon as field artillery became more important after 1453 with the introduction of limber, which
greatly improved cannon maneuverability and mobility.[15][16] European cannon reached their longer,
lighter, more accurate, and more efficient "classic form" around 1480. This classic European cannon
design stayed relatively consistent in form with minor changes until the 1750s.[17]
In the Middle Ages most windmills were used as mills proper - for grinding corn into flour, the
inhabitants of the manor usually having to take their corn to the lord’s mill; exclusive possession of the
manorial mill was one of the privileges that the manorial lords generally managed to arrogate to
themselves.

The Middle Ages-WPS Office

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Middle Ages-WPS Office

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Middle Ages-WPS Office

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Middle Ages: Birth of an Idea

You might also like