FMW 8.1 Terms and Questions

Birth of the Renaissance

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VOCAB

1. Renaissance - a cultural revolution in Europe that occurred between the 1300s and 1600s. This is commonly referred to as a “rebirth.”
2. Humanism - a school of thought that focused mainly on humans, and their accomplishments and abilities
3. Secular - not related to any form of religion or spirituality
4. Patron - a supporter of the humanities, most often through financial means

Questions on Page 2

1. Explain how increasing global contact affect Europe? Trade with other regions allowed ideas to be shared across civilization, along with other technologies like paper, which directly influenced the spread of information in Europe.
2. In what ways was Italy unlike other countries in Europe? Due to its influence in the Mediterranean, Italian city-states were wealthy from trade, and were more urbanized. The country was not the nation we know today, but a collection of city states.
3. What are some of the characteristics of the “Renaissance man” and “Renaissance woman”? - Renaissance men were expected to be fluent in the humanities, politics, along with Greek and Latin, along with being in shape. They were expected to be modest in behavior, and not brash in callousness. Renaissance women were also expected to be knowledgeable in the arts, but were condemned for making it directly. They could, however, support the arts by being patrons of artists.
4. What was the attitude of Church leaders and the wealthy toward the arts? Why? Both the upper levels of clergy and wealthy families contributed massive amounts of money toward art and the humanities. For the clergy, this was to glorify God through art, and for the wealthy to glorify themselves.
5. How did the study of the classics influence branches of learning such as history, literature, and philosophy? The classics and their study by the intellectuals of the Renaissance resulted in the focus of education and expectations to be shifted toward them. Both men and women during the time were expected to be educated in the subjects.
6. What were the differences between medieval and Renaissance attitudes toward worldly pleasures? Worldly pleasures and materials held more of an influence than the Middle Ages during this period. Instead of suffering in poverty and being told to suck it up, many wanted to enjoy their life on Earth, and shifted their focus away from God. This was especially relevant during and after the waves of plague that ravaged Europe.