The Middle Ages are the period in E

The Middle Ages are the period in European history from the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century AD to the period of the Renaissance (variously interpreted as beginning in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region of Europe and on other factors). This period was also called “The Dark Ages”, since it was marked by frequent warfare and a virtual disappearance of urban life. Though sometimes taken to derive its meaning from the fact that little was then known about the period, the term's more usual and pejorative sense is of a period of intellectual darkness and barbarity.1