I'm writing an essay on 19th century nationalism, and the topic of historic kingdoms came into play. Going deeper into thought on the subject and further procrastinating, I wondered what the middle ages were called in the middle ages.
I realize this cold be a broad question, but if you have any idea of how people between England and Constantinople viewed their era that would be great. Was it post-Roman? Another period in Roman history? The Christian period?
Constantinople
Oh good, here's my in.
Well people in Constantinople wouldn't feel post-Roman at all as they still lived in the Roman Empire. Byzantine historians understood time as a linear path leading to the inevitable second coming of Christ, and accordingly they numbered their years from the creation of the world (Which they dated to September 1, 5509 BCE). This was unlike in the West, who numbered years from Christ's birth. It was expected that Christ would return maybe in 7000 AM (1492 CE).
The Book of Daniel was used as an overarching theory of the periods of the world and what would come before the end There would be four empires: Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman. After the Romans (the Byzantines) Daniel spoke of "horns" and "feet and toes" that were usually taken to represent multiple smaller kingdoms. The Antichrist would arise during that period. But for the Byzantines, they were still in the Roman period of the prophecy. I believe in the west where they were more conscious of Rome's end, the horns and feet and toes were taken to mean contemporary medieval kingdoms.