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The naming of the period of time known as the Middle Ages originated from Renaissance writers. It is believed that after the Roman Empire collapsed in the mid 400's, culture and society started to decline. In these dark times few people were able to read or write, and many people died because of disease. Religion was extremely strict, most Europeans were Christian, although in their writings there were fairy tales characters like dragons and unicorns.
Renaissance is a French word, which literally means rebirth. With that in mind, the Renaissance was a time in which society experienced enormous growth. This growth was not only financial, but also in cultural areas. Artists and scholars were studying the teachings and art of ancient Greece and Rome. This time period had a great impact on future generations. It proved to have a big impact on many fields such as the arts, literature, education, political science, and history.