The Middle Ages lasted about 1,000 years, from the 5th to the 15th century. The early part of the Middle Ages is also known as the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages have many nicknames including the Golden Age and the Medieval Period. One of the most accurate nicknames for the Middle Ages is the Age of Faith. When you think of the golden age, famines, plagues, economic depression, crusades, disease, bloody wars, Vikings, persecution, and torture come to mind. Torture during the Middle Ages was viewed differently than today. Today torture is considered cruel, inhumane and degrading. In the United States, torture is illegal but is sometimes used by the CIA and prison facilities without public recognition. As Schild said: “In general, there are many indications that the people living at the time did not perceive the brutality of the execution in the same way as we would perceive it today, because they were filled with a deep sense of sin and therefore were open torture” (Thedeus). The Age of Faith is one of the best nicknames for the Middle Ages for several reasons. After the fall of Rome, Europe was full of hunger and chaos and the only places that remained somewhat peaceful were the monasteries. The hunger was so great that there were even rumors of cannibalism in the Middle Ages. During this period, the Christian church was the most powerful institution in Rodríguez. The way society worked was all about the church. Rome no longer had an emperor but in the hearts of individuals Jesus Christ was the new emperor. The Spanish Inquisition was used by the Catholic Church... middle of paper... Maiden which was an upright sarcophagus with spikes designed to pierce vital organs. Even though torture is illegal in modern times, it is still practiced in many parts of the world. As Peter Benenson once said: "Torture is banned, but in two-thirds of the world's countries it is still committed in secret. Too many governments still allow their officials to carry out imprisonment, murder or 'disappearances' with impunity." It's a shame that the men of the Middle Ages had to live in such chaos and violence, but sometimes it takes two wrongs to make a right. Some forms of torture were also used after the Middle Ages such as the stake and the pillory. Although the medieval church did not consider torture to be completely cruel, it has always been and will always be inhumane, cruel and degrading...