Three things: 1. Monks and priests were a lot less celibate than we are often told about. They not only visited brothels, they were valued patrons (they paid m

Three things: 1. Monks and priests were a lot less celibate than we are often told about. They not only visited brothels, they were valued patrons (they paid more than the average guy) and their monasteries even owned and operated brothels. Monks got up to all kinds of naughty stuff. One story recounted by a monk told how a woman seduced him and made love to him against his will, and it was only after a period of many hours that he could recompose himself, and then flagellate the woman for her indiscretion. (The husband, returning afterward, thanked the monk for punishing his wife) 2. Medieval 'damsels' and women in general were not the pious, virgin innocents we imagine. This image was largely foisted upon us by the Victorians, who wanted to recast their history in a more virtuous light. Women certainly enjoyed sex in the middle ages, about as much as men did. 3. This is all very focused on Christian European history. Islamic culture throughout the middle ages, and even after its fall as a leading Mediterranean power, was far more advanced than Christian culture, for about 800 years. Their medical treatments were based on the study of ancient and contemporary texts from around the known world. They brought together the history and knowledge of every culture they came into contact with, examined it, and improved upon it. They were leading pioneers in surgery, anatomy, and treatment of infectious disease. They had multiple fully-functional hospitals in major cities, maintained pharmacies, and trained doctors, all while constantly improving their knowledge and practice. Medieval Europe had some pretty cool advances in engineering and warfare, but medicine, math and science was definitely not their strong suit.