The Middle Ages were a period of about 1000 years in European history that started around the year 476 CE, when the Western Roman Empire ended, and continued until around the time that Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. Sometimes, 1453 is used instead for the end since the Byzantine Empire fell that year. The period of time is called the "Middle Ages" because it took place between the fall of Rome and early modern Europe, and it is often separated into the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages.