Definition of Late Antiquity

From a historical point of view it is necessary to order time chronologically. In this sense, the order that is handled in the scientific community is the following: Prehistory, Ancient Age, Middle Ages, Modern Age and Contemporary Age. Prehistory is the most extensive stage of humanity, since its duration covers two million years (from the origin of the first humans to the appearance of the writing).

The denomination Late Antiquity serves historians to divide time into two great stages: classical and late antiquity.. The latter includes the period from the third to the seventh century AD. C. In other words, since the decline of the civilization Roman until the expansion of the Arabs by Europe and North Africa or until the beginning of the Empire of Charlemagne.

On the other hand, this chronological reference is opposed to the vision traditional according to which the Middle Ages began with the Fall of the Roman empire in the year 476 AD. C.

By dividing Antiquity into two great stages, the subsequent emergence of the Middle Ages can be better explained. Thus, the jump between Antiquity and the Middle Ages acquires more sense if the events that mark late Antiquity are contemplated

Great events that took place during late antiquity

During this period of five centuries, some very relevant events took place:

1) order classic driven by Greeks and Romans it was gradually weakening,

2) Christianity is consolidated in Europe as a religion hegemonic that little by little is replacing polytheism and paganism and

3) from the Vl century, Islam began to develop as a new monotheistic religion.

These three main axes determined new ideas that affected the whole of society.

What criteria is used to divide historical time into large stages?

The division into stages is a way of ordering and understanding the changes in world history. This order is established based on a general criterion: one stage ends and another begins when a historical episode is so important that it implies a new paradigm for all mankind.

The appearance of writing marked the beginning of the Ancient Age, the Discovery of America represented the beginning of the Modern Age and the Contemporary Age begins in 1789, the year in which the French Revolution.

Photo: Fotolia - Eduardo Estellez