What is the heavenly and earthly hierarchy in the Middle Ages? It was on the principle of the first that the second was “built”, which was headed by kings and popes, all the rest were subordinate to them. The clergy tried to calculate exactly the same nine human categories, so that the earthly world would fully correspond to the heavenly world. As it turned out, they did not quite understand what a hierarchy on earth was.
After all, if everything was clear with the highest hierarchs - monarchs and popes, then the rest of the people did not "fit" into this pyramid. Then scientists joined in, who were able to divide society into "three pillars" - those who pray, those who fight, and those who sow and plow.
What is the hierarchy of the "three pillars" of the Middle Ages
First step. Since the people of that era believed that the most important thing was the relationship with God, the first step of the earthly hierarchy were the highest and lowest spiritual ranks. These are the higher clergy, representatives of monastic orders and monasteries, urban and rural clergy, as well as beggars.monks. There were a lot of these people - a whole army! It was believed that the clergy is more pleasing to the Lord occupation of earthly people than any other.
Second step. The clergy, of course, must be followed by the earthly force, that is, those who are at war.
In the Middle Ages it was the knights. But the concept of "knight" (as, indeed, the meaning of the word "hierarchy") is ambiguous. For some, this is a robber, thoroughly saturated with greed, and for someone - the personification of courage, nobility and gallantry in relations with ladies. And in all these representations there is a grain of truth. Among the knights were different people - scoundrels, poets, noble gentlemen, religious fanatics, as well as courageous soldiers. Whatever the knights, each of us associates the concept of “chivalry” precisely with valor and courage, and no one cancels the saying “a knight on a white horse” to this day!
Third step. This is the basis of the "three pillars". The basis of the society of that era was, of course, the peasantry - those people who sow and feed. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but those who fed the masters were treated especially unfairly and biased by the latter. Although some peasants were also not a blunder and paid such a gentleman, as they say, "with the same coin." The owners of the best lands at that time were secular lords and the church.
This is what the "three pillars" hierarchy was like in the Middle Ages. Now imagine how many other people there were (philosophers, merchants, jesters, pirates,artists, artisans, etc.), who did not belong to any of the three steps of the earthly hierarchical ladder! At the same time, one should not confuse a person's profession and his "suit". For example, a student will never pick up a coin that a baron throws at him, because he is a scholar, not a beggar!
Church hierarchy today
Today the church hierarchy in Orthodoxy is very different from the medieval one, but nevertheless, this is not a "table of ranks" for you. The Church is organized according to the principle of the human organism, and therefore every person belonging to it has its place there. The hierarchical structure here has several steps. The two highest of them are angels and people who know the Lord. The mind that thinks outside the body, and the body that contains the intelligent human soul. The three lowest levels are animals, plants and inanimate nature.
