Америка в прошлом и настоящем. Часть I. Горчакова Е.П - 14 стр.

3.     Thus, to understand how this remarkable event took place, we must begin in
the Eastern Hemisphere. We must see how developments in Europe, the Middle East,
and the Orient caused the discovery of America.
4.     After centuries of poverty and warfare1, Europe in the fifteenth century began
a period of confidence, wealth, and energy. This was, in fact, Europe's second
golden age. One thousand years earlier, Europe's first golden age had ended. It had
lasted from about 500 B.C. to 500 A.D. It had begun in ancient Greece and finished
with the fall of ancient Rome.

CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION OF GREECE AND ROME
5.      Ancient Greece, in 500 B.C., was reaching its highest level of civilization. This
first flowering of European civilization laid the foundations for future European
culture. There were great achievements in the fields of art, architecture, politics,
philosophy, science, and literature. Three hundred years later, when Rome
conquered Greece, Greek culture did not die. The Romans realized its greatness, and
borrowed from it to build their own great civilization.
6.      About two thousand years ago, around 100 A.D., this Roman civilization was
at its height2. With the Mediterranean Sea at its center, it included much of Europe,
Northern Africa, and the Middle East. To the west, many miles across the Atlantic,
the Native American civilization was already thousands of years old. In fact,
some of the great Native American cultures of Middle America had already begun
to develop. But the riches of the Americas were unknown to the Romans. When
they wanted gold, precious jewels, fine silks, perfumes, and spices, the Romans
turned to the East. Treasures traveled from China and the Middle East across land
and sea to the merchants of the Mediterranean. Trade was a bridge which
connected the Orient to Rome's European empire.

THE FALL OF ROME, FEUDALISM, AND THE MIDDLE AGES
7.     But in the fifth century A.D. this bridge collapsed3. From northern and
eastern Europe, fierce barbarian4 groups attacked the western half of Rome’s
Empire. Rome itself finally fell in 476 A.D. After this date, the ancient
capital could no longer bring order5 to Western Europe.
8.     A long period of confusion began. Western Europe became a collection
of weak barbaric kingdoms. Because there was continuous warfare,
communication throughout Europe often became difficult. Sometimes there
was no food; travel was always dangerous. Christianity, the religion of the late
Roman Empire, survived. However, there was little leisure time to enjoy the
ancient culture that the Christian Church preserved6. Between 500 and 1000
A.D., Christian Europe concentrated more on survival than on luxury.
1
  warfare: war
2
  at its height: at the time of its greatest importance
3
  collapse: fall down
4
  barbarian: not civilized
5
  order: peace, unity
6
  preserve: keep

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