AP Euro Unit 1 Terms

Cicero

A Roman politician studied and adored by Renaissance thinkers. Mainly known for his advocacy of civic humanism as a Grecko-Roman concept.

Julius Caeser.

A Roman politician studied and adored by Renaissance thinkers. Mainly known for his exemplification of virtu

Patronage system

System where artists were commissioned by wealthy patrons. Work was often shaped by these wealthy patrons

Venice

Major city state in Italy. Controlled by merchant oligarchs and had large merchant fleets.

Florence

A major city state in Italy controlled by wealthy Medici family. Had fertile land for crops.

Merchant Oligarchs

Wealthy merchants who took control of many governments and city states in Italy.

Condottieri

Military personnel who helped merchant oligarchs in their take overs

Courts

Establishments of wealth and power by Roman oligarchs.

Naples

A major city state in Italy controlled by the King of Aragon.

Papal States

A major city state in Italy controlled by the Catholic Church.

Giralamo Savonarola

A dominican friar who replaced the Medici family in ruling Florence upon French invasion for a period of time.

Bonfires of Vanities

Held by Savonarola - made to purge material attachments and burned things such as clothes, cosmetics, etc.

Habsburg-Valois Wars

Conflict between Holy Roman Empire and France where they fought over land in Italy.

Francesco Petrarch

Father of humanism and developed the study of the humanities in the image of the classics.

Humanities

Study of specifically Grecko-Roman literature, philosophy, and theology to inspire humanistic thought.

Humanism

A human centered approach to thought and education, primarily driven by Grecko-Roman thought and rediscovery.

Scholasticism

The logic of Medieval Europe which regarded church logic over all other forms of reasoning

Leonardo Bruni

An author who articulated the downfall of the Roman Empire. Advocated for civic virtue as per the likes of Cicero.

Civic Humanism & Virtue

The idea that one’s worth is determined by their contributions and devotion to their society

Giorgio Vasari

An Italian Painter/architect whose works looked into virtu

Virtu

The value of a person to change the world around them in their vision.

Marsilio Ficino

A philosopher who synthesized Christian and Platonic philosophies to articulated ideas like love, human nature, and individual centered religion.

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

Another philosopher who wrote 900 Conclusions and Oration on the Dignity of Man. Furthered ideas of individualistic spirituality and self-determined nature of man.

900 Conclusions

A set of 900 theological theses proposed by Mirandola which eventually got him excommunicated by the Church.

Oration on the Dignity of Man

An undelivered speech by Mirandola that emphasized ideas that man’s dignity/nature was self determined.

Leon Battista Alberti

A humanist scholar who was seen as a model of what a humanist should be like.

Baldassare Castiglione

An Italian courtier mainly known for his book: The Book of The Courtier

The Book of The Courtier

A prominent Renaissance book that shaped the social and individual mannerisms of both men and women at the time.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The author of The Prince who advocated for a secular government and studied examples such as Cesare Borgia to determine what a leader should be.

Secular Government

A government separate from the church that aims to focus on the security of its people

Christian Humanism

The blending of Christian and humanistic principles to endorse study of the classics alongside values of Christianity.

Thomas Moore

A christian humanist whose work Utopia emphasized a christian humanistic viewpoint of the classics, charity, and peace.

Desuderius Erasmus

Another Christian humanist who is know for works like The Christian Prince and The Praise of a Folly also emphasized reform to the church along a more humanistic basis.

Printing Press

An invention that helped for the further spreading of ideas and establishment of a book market which spread humanistic ideals

Leonardo da Vinci

A Renaissance genius who was regarded for his art and his exemplification of humanistic ideals. Made the Mona Lisa, Last Supper painting, and Vitruvian Man drawing