ABSTRACT
From the Latin media ætas, medium ævum, its literal meaning denotes a central period of human history. The historical reference is to the middle or intermediate age between ancient and modern times. This period spans roughly a thousand years, from the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476) to the discovery of America (1492) or the fall of Constantinople (1453). Sometimes referred to as the “Dark Ages,” this period is generally subdivided into the Early Middle Ages (fifth century to the eleventh century)1 and the Late Middle Ages (twelfth century to the sixteenth century).2
