Rather, as mentioned previously, one's service to his or her lord was of more value. As one may observe, the medieval classes were not based on wealth, unlike many preceding civilizations. This section of society, uniquely, was perhaps the largest, for it included citizens ranging anywhere from poor peasants to wealthy merchants. The second in rank, the middle class, were "those who fight", including knights, and eventually, nobles. The highest rank of citizens were "those who pray", including members of the church, such as clergy, monks, and nuns. Nevertheless, each citizen was broken into a rough social category based on his or her service to the feudal lord. Women were also provided with work, a drastic societal change from the previous Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. While the organization brought order, it also provided jobs for those with talents, for the people of the middle ages didn't believe in heredity, but instead, in the ability of a son to make a better life for himself than that of his father's. Known as the feudal system, these social classes were developed on a basis of laws which bound the ruling class together and which bound peasants to their land. Because the medieval ociety was born into a violent time of great disorder and confusion, an extremely strict hierarchy was set in place designed to bring both political organization and peace to the people of the time, therefor defining this time period as an age of feudalism.
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