AP Euro Unit 1

Cards (134)

  • Renaissance
    A European movement that grew out of the rediscovery of the classical texts of ancient Greece and Rome
  • The Renaissance constituted a major change in the political, economic and cultural fabric of Europe, but there was also continuity with the Middle Ages
  • Humanism
    A philosophy developed by Petrarch that focused on the unlimited potential of human beings as an end in themselves
  • Petrarch
    • Considered the father of the Renaissance
    • Developed the philosophy of humanism
  • Philology
    An inquiry into the history and development of language, especially Latin
  • Lorenzo Valla

    • Poster boy for philological studies
    • Identified different stages in the development of the Latin language
  • Questioning the authority of documents, especially those of the Church, was a big deal during the Renaissance
  • Secularism
    The decoupling of religious belief from society
  • Individualism
    The emphasis on the triumph of the individual as opposed to the community
  • The invention of the printing press in the 1440s allowed Renaissance ideas to spread widely and quickly, challenging the institutional power of universities and other power centers
  • Liberal studies

    Subjects including rhetoric, grammar, logic, history, and moral philosophy, which were meant to shape the mind into a virtuous thinking machine
  • Civic humanism

    The idea that the work of shaping one's mind into a virtuous state should be applied to the political and economic realities of the state
  • Baldessari Castiglione

    • Wrote "The Courtier", a guide for how an educated young man should behave in courtly society
  • Leonardo Bruni

    • Argued that the intellectual man was duty-bound to deploy his education in service of the state
  • Niccolò Machiavelli

    • Argued in "The Prince" that a ruler's main goal was to preserve power at all costs, even if it meant being brutal
  • Renaissance art

    • Portrayed religious, personal, political, and classical themes
    • Emphasized naturalism and geometric perspective
  • Leonardo da Vinci

    • Employed geometric perspective in his painting "The Last Supper"
  • Michelangelo
    • Sculpted the biblical figure of David in a humanist style, depicting him as a Greek god
  • Raphael
    • Painted "The School of Athens", which displayed classical themes and geometric perspective
  • Filippo Brunelleschi
    • Chief architect on the rebuilding of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence, using Roman columns and arches instead of Gothic conventions
  • The Medici family were significant patrons of Renaissance artists and architects
  • Renaissance
    The cultural movement that spread from Italy to the rest of Europe, emphasizing humanistic thinking and the revival of classical literature
  • Spread of the Renaissance

    1. Printing press enabled the spread of Renaissance ideas north of the Italian Alps
    2. By 1500, there were thousands of printers throughout Europe producing many printed materials, including religious works and reproductions of classical literature
  • Northern Renaissance

    • Retained a more religious, Christian framework for thought compared to the secularism and individualism of the Italian Renaissance
    • Art was more human-centered, depicting ordinary people and objects as appropriate subjects
  • Northern Renaissance art

    • Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
    • Slaughtered Ox by Rembrandt
    • The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt
    • The Procession to Calvary by Hieronymus Bosch
  • Christian humanism

    The blending of humanistic thought with Christian tradition, leading to an impulse for societal reform based on a return to a simpler, purer form of Christianity
  • Christian humanists

    • Sought to synthesize humanistic thought with early Christian writings, especially from figures like St. Augustine and St. Jerome
    • Believed that education in the classics and the Bible was the first step in lasting societal reform
  • Erasmus
    • A prominent Christian humanist who wrote the satirical work "In Praise of Folly" to undermine political and social institutions and criticize the corrupt aspects of religious hierarchy
    • Believed that societal renewal should be based on the "philosophy of Christ", emphasizing individual morality and spirituality
  • Petrarch
    Father of humanism
  • Erasmus
    Poster boy for Christian humanism
  • Petrarch and Erasmus had similar content in their writing and ideas

    But Erasmus had much bigger reach than Petrarch
  • Printing press

    New invention in the 1400s that enabled the spread of ideas
  • Printing press

    • Allowed for mass production of books
    • Enabled ideas to spread faster and wider
  • Importance of printing press in this time period
    1450-1648
  • Johannes Gutenberg
    Creator of the printing press with movable type
  • How the printing press works

    1. Create wooden plates with slots
    2. Slide in individual metal letters
    3. Blot with ink
    4. Press onto paper
  • Prior to printing, books were copied by hand and were expensive, only accessible to the elite</b>
  • Printing enabled the mass production of books and pamphlets
  • Printing led to a growth in literacy among urban populations in Europe
  • The first major work printed on the press was the Gutenberg Bible in 1456