1. Medieval Christian Europe (330–1450)
Lesson 6 Learning, Literature, and the Arts of the Middle Ages

2. Medieval Christian Europe (330–1450)
Lesson 6 Learning, Literature, and the Arts of the Middle Ages
Learning Objectives
Explain the emergence of universities and their importance to medieval life.
Understand how newly translated writings from the past and from other regions influenced medieval thought.
Describe the literature, architecture, and art of the High and Late Middle Ages.
Examine the lasting heritage of the Byzantine Empire.

3. Medieval Christian Europe (330–1450)
Lesson 6 Learning, Literature, and the Arts of the Middle Ages
Key Terms
Christine de Pisan
scholasticism,
Thomas Aquinas
vernacular,
Dante Alighieri
Geoffrey Chaucer
Gothic style
flying buttresses,
illumination.
Icons,

4. The Rise of Medieval Universities
By the 1100s, Europe was experiencing dynamic changes. No longer was everyone preoccupied with the daily struggle to survive. A more reliable food supply and the revival of trade and growth of towns were signs of increased prosperity.

5. The Rise of Medieval Universities
Early Universities
Student Life
Women and Education
Learning for Children

6. The Rise of Medieval Universities
This Italian illustration from about the 1300s shows a lawyer lecturing his students in a medieval school.

7. The Rise of Medieval Universities
Most medieval universities were supported by a church or monastery.Analyze Maps Locate: (a) Paris, (b) Rome, (c) London. Which area had the greatest number of universities? What factors do you think contributed to this?

8. New Knowledge Reaches Europe
Universities received a further boost from an explosion of knowledge that reached Europe in the High Middle Ages. Many of the “new” ideas had originated in ancient Greece but had been lost to Western Europeans after the fall of Rome.

9. New Knowledge Reaches Europe
Ancient Learning Is Brought to Europe
Aristotle’s Ideas Challenge Christian Thinkers
Thomas Aquinas
Science and Mathematics

10. New Knowledge Reaches Europe
Metal-framed eyeglasses like these were the result of new knowledge that resulted in a variety of inventions during the Middle Ages.

11. Medieval Literature
While Latin remained the written language of scholars and churchmen, new writings began to appear in the vernacular, or the everyday languages of ordinary people, such as French, German, and Italian. These writings captured the spirit of the late Middle Ages. Medieval literature included epics, or long narrative poems, about feudal warriors and chivalry as well as tales of the common people.

12. Medieval Literature Heroic Epics Capture the Imagination
Dante’s Journey
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

13. Medieval Literature
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, was an epic hero in Spanish medieval literature. Like Roland, his story features bravery in battle and personal honor.

14. Architecture and Art
“In the Middle Ages,” wrote French author Victor Hugo, “men had no great thought that they did not write down in stone.” Those “writings” were the great buildings of the Middle Ages. With riches from trade and commerce, townspeople, nobles, and monarchs indulged in a flurry of building. Their greatest achievements were the towering stone cathedrals that served as symbols of their wealth and religious devotion.

15. Architecture and Art Romanesque Buildings Graceful Gothic Cathedrals
Splendid Art in Stone and Glass
Paintings and Tapestries
Illuminated Manuscripts

16. Architecture and Art
Romanesque churches like this one reflect the most common form of church architecture throughout Europe.

17. The Byzantine Heritage
The Byzantine empire contributed to the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean and of Western Europe. Byzantine civilization rose out of many traditions, blending Christian beliefs with Greek philosophy, science, and the arts. It also extended Roman achievements in engineering and law.

18. The Byzantine Heritage
Contributions in the Arts
Preserving and Spreading Knowledge

19. The Byzantine Heritage
This religious icon showing Mary and the baby Jesus showcases the Byzantine style.

20. Quiz: The Rise of Medieval Universities
How did the development of universities in medieval Europe strengthen the Church and unify society?
A. Universities grew up around cathedrals, and courses of study helped educate clergy.
B. Universities started cathedrals, which were important centers of learning.
C. Students had to learn Latin in local churches before they could study at the universities.
D. Different regions felt a strong attachment to their local university, which strengthened local pride and unity.

21. Quiz: New Knowledge Reaches Europe
Why was Thomas Aquinas’s argument that knowledge gained through reason was not in conflict with knowledge born of faith significant?
A. It allowed the Church to dedicate itself to scientific exploration.
B. It permitted the Church to argue that Aristotle was, in fact, an early Christian thinker.
C. It led to the growth of scientific inquiry about the natural world and processes.
D. It led to the translation of ancient writings into Latin.

22. Quiz: Medieval Literature
Which is the best example of the way medieval literature reflects its culture?
A. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales reflects the sadness and outrage of English people at the murder of St. Thomas Becket.
B. Dante’s Divine Comedy reflects the humor and joking of everyday life in the Middle Ages.
C. Song of Roland reflects the medieval love of music and song, especially love stories.
D. Poem of the Cid is a thrilling war tale that reflects the Christian values shared by most Europeans of many cultures.

23. Quiz: Architecture and Art
Which statement best describes the way Gothic cathedrals reflected the culture of the Middle Ages?
A. Their light-filled interiors reflected the longing for religious knowledge and purity.
B. Their dark, gloomy interiors reflected the harshness of everyday life.
C. Their tapestry-covered walls reflected the lack of heating and other advanced technologies.
D. Their carved and painted figures reflected the lack of knowledge about the natural world.

24. Quiz: The Byzantine Heritage
What effect did the weakening of the Byzantine empire have on knowledge and learning in Western Europe?
A. Scholars who fled Constantinople destroyed their manuscripts so Muslims would not gain control of them.
B. Scholars who fled Constantinople took with them knowledge that helped spark the Renaissance.
C. The weakening of the Byzantine empire led to the spread of the Greek language to Western Europe.
D. Influenced by Byzantine historians, scholars in the West began writing about their own times.