The Dark One
Auror
Admittedly I've just skimmed this thread but I have several comments:
The Roman empire, like most empires of antiquity, had a slave based economy which provided most of the value (resources and leisure) for the ruling elite (including citizens). The Romans didn't need to invent feudalism because they had slaves.
The medieval period (in Europe) was simply the time between the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD) and the early modern period (approx. 1470 AD, but there are many opinions on this). Feudalism (however understood) is a politico-economic system which has manifested in numerous cultures across the globe at different times. It has many features but the main ones (across time and location) are: a pastoral / agricultural economy requiring land; allocation of land in exchange for fealty/military service; rulership by a warrior caste; a belief system designed to legitimate the socio/political arrangement (ie a divinely appointed order).
So, the medieval period was a time (in history) but it wasn't necessarily feudal - depending on your location - and there were any number of degrees and types of feudalism over a 1000 years in Europe. Russia was still feudal up to 1917, and having been there last year, I'd suggest it still kinda is outside the two big cities.
In my view it is the belief system which makes feudalism such a well used trope for fantasy. The feudal mind believed in magic (whether ecclesiastic or non-ecclesiastic - usually both). Accordingly, it is the feudal mind that writers employ when characterising their worlds, and such minds are most believable in an appropriate socio-economic setting with the attendant social arrangements, weapon technology and customs.
Of course, the realities are far more complex...
The Roman empire, like most empires of antiquity, had a slave based economy which provided most of the value (resources and leisure) for the ruling elite (including citizens). The Romans didn't need to invent feudalism because they had slaves.
The medieval period (in Europe) was simply the time between the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD) and the early modern period (approx. 1470 AD, but there are many opinions on this). Feudalism (however understood) is a politico-economic system which has manifested in numerous cultures across the globe at different times. It has many features but the main ones (across time and location) are: a pastoral / agricultural economy requiring land; allocation of land in exchange for fealty/military service; rulership by a warrior caste; a belief system designed to legitimate the socio/political arrangement (ie a divinely appointed order).
So, the medieval period was a time (in history) but it wasn't necessarily feudal - depending on your location - and there were any number of degrees and types of feudalism over a 1000 years in Europe. Russia was still feudal up to 1917, and having been there last year, I'd suggest it still kinda is outside the two big cities.
In my view it is the belief system which makes feudalism such a well used trope for fantasy. The feudal mind believed in magic (whether ecclesiastic or non-ecclesiastic - usually both). Accordingly, it is the feudal mind that writers employ when characterising their worlds, and such minds are most believable in an appropriate socio-economic setting with the attendant social arrangements, weapon technology and customs.
Of course, the realities are far more complex...