CLAS105 - Introduction to Medieval Studies

General Remarks Most extensively studied of Medieval topics Each vernacular language has its own sub-field with limited geographic appeal Easier fields to enter -> lesser need for Latin BUT difficult to penetrate mountains of secondary literature Varied Subdivisions By literary Genre (if you're going to study genre, you'll probably need to know a few languages) Hagios = greek for saint; Hagiography, epistolary broad geographical range broad time range range of languages focus on specific type o

islamic Philosophy Important translated authors: Ibn Sina (aka Avicenna, 980, 1037) - provides commentaries on Aristotle that end up being significant Ibn Rushd (aka Averroes, 1126 - 1198) - his material was translated to Latin practically within his lifetime; all of the Aristotle read during the Medieval times was his (Aristotle + his surrounding commentaries) "The Commentator" Conflict about role of philosophy Al-Ghazali, Incoherence of Philosophy Averroes, Incoherence of the Incoherence of Ph

Thomas Aquinas 5 Proofs of Existence of God (takes observed reality and says it doesn't make sense unless we have a God) Proof by motion (something has to set things in motion in the first place - so we need a God to do that) Proof by production of things Proof by contingency (nothing in the material world is a necessary being, so everything has to be an accident so there has to be a non-accidental being to set it in motion → God) Proof by grades of goodness, truth (if one can compare degrees of

The Medieval Cosmos Earth-centred universe Everything in "sublunar" world made from 4 elements (Earth, Water, Air, Fire) Order based on "gravity" Subject to change = "corruptible" = lacking perfection The 7 "Planetary" or "Inner" spheres Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter (/Jove), Saturn Made of aether (non-physical substance); rarified (opposite of dense); exists beyond the elements; known as quintessence; thought planets were made of this rational souls (there is nothing other than a rat

Our Time Reckoning Astronomical divisions: Day, month, year Arbitrary divisions: Second, minute, hour, week Mathematically incommensurable: Day → Year Week → Month Week → Year all of these require tinkering and aren't consistent Other arbitrary conventions: Start of the year (Jan 1st) Start of the day (midnight) Years BCE & CE Importance of Chronology "History" = ordering of events in time (without order, we can't do cause and effect analyses!) Dependent on commonly recognized means of measurin

Pioneers of Art History Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) Coined the terms "Renaissance" and "gothic" Lives of the Artists Propagandist for the Medici family Designed the first public art gallery: the Uffizi in Florence Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-68) Both he and Vasari saw only decadence between Antiquity and Renaissance Franz Kugler (1800-58) First to see Medieval art as part of broader sweep of universal history of art (1842) Medieval art: Where does it come from? → Different Views Continuity and

Music 2 Traditions: Church, or sacred music "popular", or secular music Sacred Music Church music traced back to Greek, Hebrew, and Syrian traditions Evolved and compiled for Church ceremony over centuries Traditionally associated with pope Gregory the Great (r. 590 - 604): Gregorian Chant (aka 'plainsong') Earliest written sources: late 9th c. Gregorian Chant Single, free-flowing line of melody (no harmony, rhythm or counterpoint) → only vocal instruments banned from church music for centuries

Magic in the Middle Ages Interesting note: Saturn corresponds to melancholy which corresponds to black bile (one of the 4 humours) Magic: Definition "A manipulative strategy to influence the course of nature by supernatural ('occult') means" Critical components: Ritual Supernatural Goal-directed Magic → Experimentation → Science Magic → Shared Theories → Philosophy Magic → Appeals to the Divine → Religion Traditional Oral transmission Folk remedies "Grandma's recipes" "superstition" Learned Wr

Final Exam December 10th, 2018; 9 - 11 am; STC 0020 Same format as midterm: 50 MC, semi-cumulative Long answers: 2 essays: each - pick 1 of 3, write answers in booklet All from textbook readings All readings provided with exam paper Non-cumulative: all drawn from readings post-midterm Best quality answers include: Tangible examples which show you've done the readings As wide a variety of material as possible (e.g. readings + lectures, James Burke movie if relevant) Coherent structure (intro, p

Important Notes What are the Middle Ages? – name coined by Petrarch & Giorgio Vasari – historians; meant to be a derogatory name The Middle Ages are the period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire – before the Renaissance; fluid temporal & geographical boundaries End of the Middle Ages: Celebration & exercise of human free will: Renaissance The Domesday Book: in-depth census; shamefully thorough; purpose was for King to know where he could look for income if he needed it; final copy writte