Today, when people hear about "chivalry", the modern idea attached to the word is romance. Many would imagine a man holding a door open for a woman, or think of the phrase "Chivalry is dead!" In reality, chivalry was more of a code of conduct, and the concept that it was only tied to romance is actually a very small part of that. This conduct was a mix between the individual's social status, the way knights treated treaties and the glory, freedom and respect that came with it. Two French rulers began this work in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. This helped inspire their troops and make them think positively in such a dull atmosphere. Many historical analysts saw it “as a code of moral behavior of upper-class men that displayed 'their romantic ideas of justice; their passion for adventures; their desire to help the afflicted and the pride they took in righting wrongs and eliminating grievances,'” however this is not the most important part of chivalry (Phillips 5). This is where the new interpretation fits into modern chivalry, the concept where you show your love and devotion through small, meaningful gestures to a lover. Before diving into what chivalry is all about, you need to understand the time surrounding its primary existence. This Middle Ages lasted about 1,000 years. War and religion greatly influenced the way life was conducted and the way rulers lived. The idea of ​​knighthood is believed to have originated with a famous French emperor named Charlemagne. He issued two authoritative commands, the most popular being the "Charlemagne's Code of Chivalry". This began what shaped how knights would live their lives for many years to come. These “virtues are seen again and again in... middle of paper... lry." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. March 25, 2014. "History of Europe. "School Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. March 25, 2014."Knights." Student Resources Gale in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Student Resources in Context. Web. March 31, 2014." Medieval Literature." Student Resources Gale in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Student Resources in Context. Network. March 31, 2014. Phillips, Catherine. "Charades from the Middle Ages? The Idylls of the King and Tennyson's Code of Chivalry." Student Resources Gale in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context. Network. March 26, 2014."Romance." School Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc ., 2014. Web. March 25, 2014. "The Medieval Castle." Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Student Resources in Context March. 2014.