What exactly was the aristocracy? Who was it made of and what was its function in society? Was it important or was it just generations of nepotism?
I just think of a group of fancy fucks when I hear the word, so I'd like to know more about the reality of the aristocracy.
>>378957
Aristocracy is basically greek for "Rule of Best People." Technically the upper class of any sort. Nobles are asitos but not all aristos are nobles.
>>379024
The best people descended from the best people.
>>379029
But who were the best people? What made them the best people? Skills? Accomplishments? Being in the right place at the right time?
>>379055
They helped some guy who in turn gave them titles and land. Usually killing some other guys. Sometimes they just killed the guys that owned all that land and called it their own. The serfs came with the land. It was good.
Sometime later the big guys started taking land from the small guys and made the small guys paper-pushers. Around this time some nobodies were starting to make a name for themselves with their cash and bling.
>>379084
So they earned their rightful place in the aristocracy through military means. That's it?
>>379113
Most of them just descended from the guys that did the fighting.
>>379127
And then rightfully became bureaucrats as time passed and the generations got further distanced from warfare.
>>379024
The Eurobenis Nobility (well, the oldest lines anyway) descended from the Germanic nobles that ran protection schemes across the dying Western Roman Empire. These guys represented for the the dying Empire's citizens the best measure of protection that Rome cannot give them anymore.
It also helps that Rome gave noble titles to these cunts as well.
>>378957
>What exactly was the aristocracy?
In what fucking place and year? Are you from /tg/?
>>379167
Let's pick three times and places then:
Early medieval Europe
Late medieval Europe
Right before the French Revolution
And no, I'm not from /tg/, but I do like board games.
>>379184
>Early medieval Europe
Bullies.
>Late medieval Europe
Descendants of the bullies.
>Right before the French Revolution
Descendants of the descendants of the bullies, now fruity nerds.
RULE BY DIVINE RIGHT
AND DIVINE BLOOD
t. highschool teacher