A 12th Century Renaissance Essay - 1883 Words

Renaissance is defined as the activity, spirit, or time of great revival of art, literature, and learning. Was there a twelfth-century renaissance? This is a question that still beckons an answer, and is often a topic of debate among modern historians. By definition, one can break it down: Was there a spirit of revival of a classical theme regarding the subjects mentioned above? Surely there was, and with author R.N. Swansons The Twelfth-century Renaissance as a guide, we can investigate just what that revival involved, broken into the subjects of interest. It is often hard to disassociate the word renaissance from the 14th-17th centuries, and names like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo often spring to mind. However, we shouldnt†¦show more content†¦A pattern seems to be emerging in time with the twelfth century and ideas still proposed today. This stems from the 12th century trend of the revival of Roman law. An example of our modern day legal system can be found from thi s time: Growing procedural complexity and formalityÂ…encouraged the emergence of legal specialists, as judges, and as lawyers employable for their knowledge. Greater emphasis on record keeping, on precedent and rules, also aided the transition (Swanson 80). This is indicative of the world of modern law, stemming from the renaissance of the twelfth century and its revival of Roman traditions. With law comes politics, and By 1200, although politics were still primarily about lordship, ideological and theoretical interpretations and approaches were becoming increasingly influential (Swanson 82). The evolution of political thought and the processes of the actual installed governments of the time mainly stemmed from the new practice of record keeping. Financial records, administrative records, and law came to the forefront with the change from memory to written record. This also coincided with the change to a cash economy, perhaps the change that broke the flood gates on keeping written records in the first place, and revolutionary in its own right. Greatest of all the governmental changes was the slow shift to monarchism, as the expansion and multiplication of administrations allowed the hierarchies of rule to become more formalShow MoreRelatedThe Renaissance Essay758 Words   |  4 PagesThe Renaissance Renaissance is the period of European history that saw a renewed interest in the arts. The Renaissance began in 14th-century Italy and spread to the rest of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. 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