antiquity
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antiquity
The historical era that, in the Mediterranean region, extends roughly from the invention of writing to the end of the Western Roman Empire. It includes especially the cultures of the Greeks and Romans.
Viele Grundlagen der europäischen Philosophie und Wissenschaft stammen aus dem Altertum.
Many foundations of European philosophy and science come from antiquity.
The word is derived from the adjective 'alt' (old). The ending '-tum' forms abstract nouns that often describe a state, a domain, or a whole, as in 'Reichtum' (wealth) or 'Christentum' (Christianity).
Das Christentum verbreitete sich am Ende des römischen Altertums.
Christianity spread at the end of Roman antiquity.
As the name of an era, 'Altertum' (antiquity) is almost always used with the prepositions 'im' (in the) or 'aus dem' (from the). 'Im Altertum' describes the time, while 'aus dem Altertum' describes origin.
Im Altertum gab es noch keine Elektrizität.
In antiquity, there was no electricity yet.
Common verbs used with 'Altertum' (antiquity) are 'stammen aus' (to come from), 'leben in' (to live in), or 'forschen über' (to research). It is also often connected with cultures such as the Romans or Greeks.
Die Philosophie des Altertums beeinflusst uns bis heute.
The philosophy of antiquity still influences us today.
Middle Ages
'das Mittelalter' and 'das Altertum' both refer to old periods of history. Learners can easily confuse them because both are far before our present time. But 'das Altertum' is earlier and refers especially to the time of the Greeks and Romans. 'das Mittelalter' comes after that and lies between antiquity and the modern era. A simple guide is: first Altertum, then Mittelalter, then Neuzeit.
Für das Referat sucht mein Kollege Informationen über das Altertum in Griechenland.
For the presentation, my colleague is looking for information about antiquity in Greece.
Paula liest gerade ein Buch über Städte im Mittelalter.
Paula is currently reading a book about cities in the Middle Ages.