The Byzantine Empire, 600-1200:
Christianity was the official religion in the Byzantine Empire, therefore it brought many changes and transitions during their reign. After the Arab armies destroyed part of the Byzantine Empire, there was damage in the empire, because many Christians converted to Muslim faith, new enemies were formed, the relation with the pope worsened, and the Latin Church and the Orthodox Church split due to disagreements with one another. There were many changes that occurred in society and urban life, like barter, power began to determine class rank, women were always at home, but later were able to rule with their husbands, and trade was used, but it slowed down technology advancements and economic innovation. The Byzantine…show more content… Technology, such as the horses who had many uses like plowing, were a big contribution to the population increase in Western Europe. As cities grew, and trade was revived, new ideas and activities in society developed. The Silk Road and Indian Ocean trading system was also used in Western Europe, and it provided them with things like spices, cotton, paper, and food. Coinage was also used in Western Europe, and it was the beginning of economic revival made by the Mediterranean trade.
The Crusades, 1095-1204:
The Crusades was a chain of campaigns against the Christian military and Muslims, that later impacted Western Europe, and how cities were receiving more goods from the east. Event from the past, such as the tense relationship between the popes and kings, led to the Crusade. The First Crusade took place in Jerusalem, where Jerusalem was captured. Through the Crusades, Muslim culture was spread to other countries, and it left a great impact on societies, that were both positive and negative. The European idea of romance, was influence by Eleanor of Aquitaine because of her feminine beauty.