The field of Medieval Latin language and literature deals with literary and non-literary Latin texts from the period from about A.D. 500 to 1500, as well as with the traditions in Latin language and literature both before and after the Middle Ages. Medieval Latin literature was not only the first, richest, and most important literature of the West during the Middle Ages, but also had a sustained impact on national languages and literatures by nurturing and fostering them. The Latin Middle Ages therefore perform an important function as an intermediary and bridge between antiquity and the modern era.