Question

However, under Roman rule, mathematics entered a dark age. Because Roman numbers were cumbersome to make complex calculations, Romans didn’t pursue mathematics.

What is the meaning of the phrase “dark age” in paragraph 2?

A

a period of development for ancient Greeks and Romans

B

a period marked by lack of knowledge and progress

C

an era of exploring challenging ideas and concepts

D

an age of ordinary mathematics under Greek rule

Answer 1

Answer:

"Dark"

The claim made by this article that the "Dark Ages" was historical propaganda, is completely false. The article needs a major re-write, and we should take this into account. What was the "Dark Age" - effectively Gibbon was right - the "classical world" peaked at the time of the Antonine Emperors, and this is shown in population figures. The Roman Empire then occupied an area of 5.6 million km² (under Emperor Trajan), and the population with a density of between 31,700 persons per sq km to 72,150 persons per sq km, had a population between half a million to 1 million (an average of about 750,000).