query: instance_of medieval reenactment
supports: The Renaissance was a period in European history, from the 14th to the 17th century, regarded as the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history. It started as a cultural movement in Italy in the Late Medieval period and later spread to the rest of Europe, marking the beginning of the Early Modern Age. The Roman Empire (Koine and Medieval Greek:   , tr. ) was the post-Roman Republic period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterized by government headed by emperors and large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Africa and Asia. The city of Rome was the largest city in the world BC AD, with Constantinople (New Rome) becoming the largest around 500 AD, and the Empire's populace grew to an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population at the time). The 500-year-old republic which preceded it was severely destabilized in a series of civil wars and political conflict, during which Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual dictator and then assassinated in 44 BC. Civil wars and executions continued, culminating in the victory of Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the annexation of Egypt. Octavian's power was then unassailable and in 27 BC the Roman Senate formally granted him overarching power and the new title "Augustus", effectively marking the end of the Roman Republic. Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg in the state of Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, and it was arguably an avoidable mistake from which the Southern war effort never fully recovered militarily or psychologically. The farthest point reached by the attack has been referred to as the high-water mark of the Confederacy. Medieval reenactment is a form of historical reenactment that focuses on re-enacting European history in the period from the fall of Rome to about the end of the 15th century . The second half of this period is often called the Middle Ages . This multiplicity of terms is compounded by the variety of other terms used for the period . The first period is sometimes called the Migration Period or Dark Ages by Western European historians , and as Völkerwanderung ( `` wandering of the peoples '' ) by German historians . This term is usually reserved for the 5th and 6th centuries . Re-enactors who re-create the next period of history - 7th to 11th centuries - often refer to this as Early medieval . The 12th to 14th centuries fall under the term High medieval , while the 15th century is often termed Late medieval . With such a wide range of eras most medieval reenactment groups focus on a smaller time period , sometimes restricting their interest to a particular century , or even a specific decade , series of battles , or monarch , depending on how authentic the reenactment and encampment is intended to be . Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational or entertainment activity in which people follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge presented during the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire period, such as Regency reenactment or The 1920s Berlin Project. The history of Europe covers the peoples inhabiting the European continent from prehistory to the present. Some of the best-known civilizations of prehistoric Europe were the Minoan and the Mycenaean, which flourished during the Bronze Age until they collapsed in a short period of time around 1200 BC. The Age of Discovery or the Age of Exploration from the end of the 15th century to the 18th century, was an informal and loosely defined European historical period marking the time period in which extensive overseas exploration emerged as a powerful factor in European culture and the beginning of globalization. It also marks the rise of the period of widespread adoption in Europe of colonialism and mercantilism. Many lands previously unknown to Europeans were discovered during this period, though most were already inhabited. From the perspective of many non-Europeans, the Age of Discovery marked the arrival of settlers and invaders from a previously unknown continent. 
  Global exploration started with the Portuguese discoveries of the Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores, the coast of Africa, and the discovery of the sea route to India in 1498; and, on behalf of the Crown of Castile (Spain), the trans-Atlantic Voyages of Christopher Columbus between 1492 and 1502, and the first circumnavigation of the globe in 15191522. These discoveries led to numerous naval expeditions across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, and land expeditions in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia that continued into the late 19th century, and ended with the exploration of the polar regions in the 20th century. The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th and 15th centuries (c. 13011500). The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era (and, in much of Europe, the Renaissance). The 1920s Berlin Project is a historical role-playing community in Second Life. It is a sim game intended to simulate daily life in Berlin during the Weimar Republic and give the appearance and feel of authentic 1920s Weimar culture. It is a form of living history, performed in a virtual world using avatars. In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. The Fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called Fall of the Roman Empire or Fall of Rome) was the process of decline in the Western Roman Empire in which it failed to enforce its rule, and its vast territory was divided into several successor polities. The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exercise effective control; modern historians mention factors including the effectiveness and numbers of the army, the health and numbers of the Roman population, the strength of the economy, the competence of the Emperor, the religious changes of the period, and the efficiency of the civil administration. Increasing pressure from "barbarians" outside Roman culture also contributed greatly to the collapse. The reasons for the collapse are major subjects of the historiography of the ancient world and they inform much modern discourse on state failure. Regency reenactment is historical reenactment of the British Regency period. Groups portray the period from 1811 to 1820 through costume, manners, food, and social gatherings that celebrate the spirit of the era. Groups often include a mix of Jane Austen fans, English country and Regency dancers, historical reenactors, costumers, artisans, craftsfolk, regency romance readers, and history buffs. Their websites and newsletters are designed to teach members about Regency history, politics, and literature. Many groups provide extensive bibliographies so that group members can research the era on their own. Events and activities include period balls, entertainments, parties, teas, craft workshops, readings, movie marathons, costume sewing classes, dance classes, meals and picnics using Regency recipes, old-fashioned games, and discussions centered on a period theme. The dress code is always Regency-themed and group members are encouraged to make their own costumes or to purchase or rent the clothes. Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is a term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world. It is the period in which Greek and Roman society flourished and wielded great influence throughout Europe, North Africa and Southwestern Asia.
candidates: activity age ancient rome assault berlin bridge century charge city collapse commander community conflict continent costume country crown cultural movement culture dance day dress dress code empire entertainment era failure food globe government group health historical period history india infantry italy july mediterranean sea period perspective point politics process project role roman senate romance route senate series spirit term theme three time union virtual world
answer: culture