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A Mr. Ayala Presentation
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I) Medieval Universities emerge
o A) Political and economic conditions improve, more education is
needed
• 1) Clergy and bureaucrats needed more training in reading and
mathematics
• 2) Cathedrals were used as schools.
• a) some would become Universities later
o B) Student life
• 1) Very little comfort; woke at 5am finished school at 5 pm
• 2) Learned in Latin
• 3) Women were not allowed in Universities. Very few educated women.
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II) Europeans acquire “New
Knowledge”
o A) “New” ideas originated with ancient
Greece and Rome
o B) Muslim scholarship brings these works
to the Europeans
o C) Christian Scholars struggle with new
ideas because the Greeks believed that
people should use reason; not faith to find
the answers to questions
• 1) Tried to resolve this conflict through
scholasticism; using reason to support faith
• 2) Thomas Aquinas, writes Summa
theologica which concluded that faith and
reason exist in harmony
o D) New approaches to Science and Math
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1) Hippocrates and medicine
2)Euclid and Muslim scholars worked on Geometry
3) very little Science completed in Europe
4) Hindu- Arabic numerals are adopted in Europe
Hindu- Arabic Numerals: 1, 2, 3, 4
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III) Medieval Literature
o A) New books were written in the vernacular, or common language
of the people
o B) Oral traditions and Heroic epics are written down for the masses
• 1) Song of Roland, 1100
o C) Dante’s Divine Comedy by Dante’ Alighieri
• 1) Shows an imaginary journey through Purgatory and Hell
• 2) Summarizes Christian Ethics
o D) Geoffrey Chaucer, writes the
Canterbury Tale
• 1) describes a band of pilgrims going to
Canterbury Cathedral
• 2) Used as entertainment
• 3) Is funny, romantic, and bawdy
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IV) Architecture and Art
o A) 1000; Churches were in Romanesque style
• 1) Barrel vaulted ceiling, made of stone, no windows; was dark and
gloomy
o B) 1140; Abbot Suger
helped to develop the
Gothic Style
• 1) Most important
features; Flying
buttress, or stone
supports outside of the
building
• a) allowed walls
to be thinner and
could have huge
stained glass
windows
o G) Stonemasons begin to
make sculptures of Bible
stories and mythical
creatures
o D) Stained glass was used to
add splendor to cathedrals
o E) Cathedrals had religious
painting call altar pieces
• 1) Used to symbolize
religious ideas
o F) Gothic style, added to books were called illumination
• 1) Very, intricate and delicate designs and miniature paintings of
biblical scenes
o G) Tapestries or woven wall hangings became in wealthy castles,
churches, and homes