What did the average Europeans, especially the ones in the north, think of the Roman Empire during the middle ages?
Did they understand that this powerful empire collapsed hundreds of years earlier and now they were living in the ruins of it or did the loss of information after the collapse cause them to look at Rome in an almost Lovecraftian way where they saw the ruins of the empire as these incredible and mysterious structures that were created by mythical titans that they barely knew anything about?
>>983901
They probably only knew whatever the church told them.
The bible readings/gospels would have probably given them a very very baseline understanding of the Romans.
Celts typically thought they were really cool
Germanics considered Romans to be effeminate pussies
>>983901
I certainly wonder what the people living in huts in the ruins of the old Roman arenas and shit were thinking of when they looked up.
>>984008
>Germanics thought the Romans were Effeminate
>Romans thought The Greeks were Effeminate
>The Greeks thought the Persians were Effeminate
>The Persians ??????????
>>983901
>Did they understand that this powerful empire collapsed hundreds of years earlier and now they were living in the ruins of it
That was most peoples who settle in former Roman lands.
>Rome in an almost Lovecraftian way where they saw the ruins of the empire as these incredible and mysterious structures that were created by mythical titans that they barely knew anything about?
That were Saxons.
>>984018
Everyone turns into a boy fucking queer at the height of an empire's decadence. It's a reoccurring phenomenon.
>>984018
Thought Sumerians were effeminate, probably.
The Sumerians thought "foxes" were effeminate. Foxes represented some long-forgotten barbarian enemy of theirs in their fables. (the dynamic was wild foxes getting BTFO by city watchdogs)
fall of rome is so fucking over-rated. I highly doubt that it was this condensed, apocalyptic event where all the knowledge and wisdom of the roman times were lost. I also highly doubt that it happened over night, it was probably a gradual process of decline just like any other natural process in society. and later europe was obviously inspired by the roman times.
I think Pippin the short was rather proud about how his Christian Franks destroyed the Christian persecuting Pagans (Ignoring how the Franks were Pagan at the time and the Romans Christian since long)
When did they forget that all of the Roman buildings and statues were originally painted?
>>984034
But that's boring
>>983901
>What did the average Europeans, especially the ones in the north, think of the Roman Empire during the middle ages?
Romans were venerated. I can only talk about Germany, though. The Church was a big fan of antiquity, as were most people, because let's face it, the time period was pretty cool.
>>983901
The average analphabet was probably not even aware of it. The average educated man considered it civilization itself.
>>984039
When the paint chipped off.
>>983901
Dunno about Scandinavia, but in Germany, people had a huge hard-on for anything Roman. That's why they called themselves the Holy Roman Empire, Rome was basically seen as the best empire ever.
>>984034
Actually, to the medieval mind, Rome had never fallen and was merely transplanted to Germany when Charlemagne announced himself Rome's successor (Translatio imperii).
What also played a part was that there was a supersitition at the time that the world would end if the Roman Empire ended, so Charlemagne literally saved to world.
>>983901
The Educated ones knew about Rome. Most of them wanted to be seen as Romes successors. Why do you think there's so many variations of Caesar knocking about? Kaiser, Tzar, Qaisar, and more.
>>984159
fuck off elitist
>>984034
Well it did sort of happen literally overnight when Odoacer waltzed in and deposed Romulus (ironic that the last Roman emperor shared the name of the founder of Rome). Until that moment, despite all the problems of the empire, Roman administration was still in control and running most of Western Europe. That ended in that moment with most areas withdrawing and Odoacer just ruling Italy.
>>984169
Then you still had Eastern Rome, so while the empire took a licking, it kept on ticking.
>>984178
I'm not gonna get into that debate but it ended in the west pretty much overnight.
>>984163
How about you don't give answers when you have a sub-pop-culture level understanding of the topic.
>>984026
Then I'd say we're right about at that point
>>984169
Julius Nepo was the last Western Roman Emperor, he was assassinated in 480 A.D.
>>984169
No it didn't. Romulus was already just a puppet of the Ostrogoths, as were all emperors since Majorian. But already in Majorian's time most of the empire was under barbarian control, with the Visigoths controlling Iberia and Southwestern Gaul, the Burgunds in Southeaster Gaul, the Vandals in North Africa. And even when Romulus was deposed, that wasn't the end of Western Rome since Northern Gaul continued to be ruled by Romans for another decade.
So no it most certainly didn't happen overnight.
>>984217
Didn't I just explain that?
Rome wouldn't have fallen if they had only listened to Julian
CURSE THAT GALILEAN AND CURSE CONSTANTINE THE TRAITOR!
>>984159
>average European
Did this go over your head?
