7 Intellectual and Cultural Life Free Online FlashCards

What institutions were important learning centers in the early Middle Ages?

Monasteries and cathedrals were important centers of learning, where monks and clerics studied religious texts and copied manuscripts.

What language was commonly used for formal instruction?

Latin was the shared language of the Western Church and scholarship, and it was the usual language of formal instruction.

How did higher education change from the late eleventh century onward?

From the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, urban schools grew and universities developed as communities of masters and students.

Which subject was Bologna especially known for?

Bologna became known for the study of law.

Which three subjects made up the trivium?

The trivium comprised grammar, rhetoric, and logic.

Which four subjects made up the quadrivium?

The quadrivium comprised arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

What was scholasticism?

Scholasticism analyzed authoritative texts through questions, distinctions, arguments, and replies to clarify difficult problems.

How did translation and intercultural exchange enrich medieval scholarship?

Translations into Latin conveyed works through languages including Arabic, Greek, and Hebrew. Scholars engaged with ancient texts as well as commentary and research by Muslim and Jewish thinkers.

How were most European books produced before printing spread?

Before printing spread through Europe in the fifteenth century, books were usually copied by hand.

What were illuminations in medieval books?

Illuminations were painted images, ornamental initials, and gold or bright colors used to decorate some books.

What cultural effects did vernacular literature have?

Vernacular literature reached audiences who did not read Latin and helped shape regional identities.

How did Gothic architectural features support taller buildings and large windows?

Pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and external flying buttresses helped support taller buildings and large stained-glass windows.