Middle Ages and Western Civilization Essay

Submitted By asteep
Words: 448
Pages: 2

Austin Steepleton
01/28/2014
WCIV
Renaissance Essay

1. What factors combined to make the Italian Renaissance possible? The Italian Renaissance was a time of great scientific and artistic achievements. It marked the end of the Middle Ages and ushered in a new era of thinking that dramatically changed the physical and ideological landscape of western civilization. This era was accompanied by a rapidly growing belief system of humanism in which individuals were increasingly more important. Many of the greatest thinkers, sculptors, and painters were a part of this movement including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Three main converging factors led to the start of the Renaissance and the rebirth of western civilization.
One of these factors was an already existent admiration of Greco-Roman culture. The Christian world had always admired and borrowed from the Greeks and the Romans. Many important works of the Renaissance were directly influenced by the works of Greek and Roman writers and artists. This tradition of borrowing from the ancients introduced western civilization to important mathematicians and philosophers that brought new ideas to Europe. These ideas influenced every aspect of life from ideas about religion to revised methods of architecture. Christian tradition of borrowing from the ancients gave them many ideas and principles that brought a rebirth in the way that many people viewed their world.
Another important factor in the development of the Renaissance was the death of millions during the Black Plague. After the Black Plague, many western Christians began to re-evaluate their priorities. With the idea of death lurking around every corner, people began to pursue the happiness in their own lives instead of devotion to God. The Black Death showed people that life was too short to not enjoy.
The corruption within the Catholic Church also contributed to the