Changes

The “Middle Ages” represent the “middle” between the great achievements of the ancient world and the Renaissance.  A poet named Petrach (1304-1374), discussed below, described the early Middle Ages as “Dark Ages” of social decay.  The “rebirth” or “revival” in the Renaissance was the rediscovery of the Roman and Greek cultures, as enhanced by Christianity.  The “new learning” was a new recognition of the ideas discovered and developed in the past in art, science and other fields of inquiry.

The “Middle Ages” represent the “middle” between the great achievements of the ancient world and the Renaissance.  A poet named Petrach (1304-1374), discussed below, described the early Middle Ages as “Dark Ages” of social decay.  The “rebirth” or “revival” in the Renaissance was the rediscovery of the Roman and Greek cultures, as enhanced by Christianity.  The “new learning” was a new recognition of the ideas discovered and developed in the past in art, science and other fields of inquiry.

The earliest beginning of the Renaissance was the poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), discussed below, who is famous for writing “Dante’s Inferno” about Hell.  Another beginning date for the Renaissance is the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, when gunpowder and the cannon became essential parts of warfare.  This military defeat caused Greek (Byzantine) scholars to flee to Rome, bringing their scholarship with them.  They also brought their hostility to the Roman Catholic Church, causing changes to the religious order in Europe.

The earliest beginning of the Renaissance was the poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), discussed below, who is famous for writing ''Dante’s Inferno'' about Hell.  Another beginning date for the Renaissance is the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, when gunpowder and the cannon became essential parts of warfare.  This military defeat caused Greek (Byzantine) scholars to flee to Rome, bringing their scholarship with them.  They also brought their hostility to the Roman Catholic Church, causing changes to the religious order in Europe.

By the 1400s there were numerous great artists, and also advances in the existing Gothic Art.  By the year 1500 the High Renaissance was in full bloom.

By the 1400s there were numerous great artists, and also advances in the existing Gothic Art.  By the year 1500 the High Renaissance was in full bloom.

But a schism in Christianity in Europe was just around the corner.  In 1505, a law student named Martin Luther was caught outside in the middle of a thunderstorm.  A bolt of lightning struck the ground near him.  Terrified, he cried out for protection and promised to become a monk if he survived the storm.  He did survive, and then left law school to join an Augustinian monastery.

But a schism in Christianity in Europe was just around the corner.  In 1505, a law student named Martin Luther was caught outside in the middle of a thunderstorm.  A bolt of lightning struck the ground near him.  Terrified, he cried out for protection and promised to become a monk if he survived the storm.  He did survive, and then left law school to join an Augustinian monastery.

The development of the English language is divided into three periods:  Old English (also called "Anglo-Saxon"), Middle English, and Modern English (which we speak today).  Germanic tribes settled in England about as long ago as the time when the Roman empire fell, around A.D. 450.  Old English<ref>An attempt to translate some Modern English words into Old English exists at http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/new_to_old_english_t.htm .</ref> developed and was used until shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066, when Latin began to cause improvements in Old English and it upgraded to medieval Middle English.  Modern English is considered to have begun shortly after the end of the Middle Ages in 1500.  

The development of the English language is divided into three periods:  Old English (also called "Anglo-Saxon"), Middle English, and Modern English (which we speak today).  Germanic tribes settled in England about as long ago as the time when the Roman empire fell, around A.D. 450.  Old English<ref>An attempt to translate some Modern English words into Old English exists at http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/new_to_old_english_t.htm .</ref> developed and was used until shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066, when Latin began to cause improvements in Old English and it upgraded to medieval Middle English.  Modern English is considered to have begun shortly after the end of the Middle Ages in 1500.  

A good dictionary will provide a date of origin for a word, and old dates are "13c" or A.D. 1200.  For example, the date of first use of the word "chase", meaning "the hunting of wild animals," is listed by Merriam-Webster dictionary as "13c".  More modern words, such as "homeschool", from about 1980, have more recent dates of first use.

A good dictionary will provide a date of origin for a word, and old dates are "13c" or A.D. 1200.  For example, the date of first use of the word "chase", meaning "the hunting of wild animals," is listed by Merriam-Webster dictionary as "13c".  More modern words, such as "homeschool" (1980), have more recent dates of first use.

One can spend hours enjoyably learning about the history of human thought simply by looking at when words were first created for important concepts.  For example, by looking up the word "tyranny" in the dictionary we see that it was developed in the 14th century (1300s), which was about the time that feudalism was being replaced by nation-states in England and France. One can piece together much of English history simply by reading a dictionary!

One can spend hours enjoyably learning about the history of human thought simply by looking at when words were first created for important concepts.  For example, by looking up the word "tyranny" in the dictionary we see that it was developed in the 14th century (1300s), which was about the time that feudalism was being replaced by nation-states in England and France. One can piece together much of English history simply by reading a dictionary!

===Writers===

===Writers===

Dante (1265-1321) was an early Renaissance poet, born to a prominent family in Florence.  (The Italian town of Florence was considered the cradle of the Renaissance by 1425, but Venice and Rome became just as successful by the early 1500s.)  Dante wrote in the Italian language of the time (the local language, in this case Italian, is known as "the vernacular,") rather than in ancient Latin.  Dante described the path of a soul to salvation in “The Divine Comedy,” in which Dante travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso).  In this journey, Dante is first guided by the Roman epic poet Virgil, and then he is later guided by a girl he loved as a youth, named Beatrice, who had tragically died in real life.  The account of Hell is known as “Dante’s Inferno,” and it is frightful.  Throughout history Hell was emphasized far more than it is today, when almost no one mentions Hell in Church.

Dante (1265-1321) was an early Renaissance poet, born to a prominent family in Florence.  (The Italian town of Florence was considered the cradle of the Renaissance by 1425, but Venice and Rome became just as successful by the early 1500s.)  Dante wrote in the Italian language of the time (the local language, in this case Italian, is known as "the vernacular,") rather than in ancient Latin.  Dante described the path of a soul to salvation in “The Divine Comedy,” in which Dante travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso).  In this journey, Dante is first guided by the Roman epic poet Virgil, and then he is later guided by a girl he loved as a youth, named Beatrice, who had tragically died in real life.  The account of Hell is known as ''Dante’s Inferno'', and it is frightful.  Throughout history Hell was emphasized far more than it is today, when almost no one mentions Hell in Church.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote ''The Prince'', which is an account of government by which the "end justifies the means" (in other words, a ruler can use any means to gain power and rule his state).  Even today the term "Machiavellian" is used to criticize a politician who spends all his time and effort on getting ahead and manipulating other people for his own gain.  A "Machiavellian" politician is a cunning person who will say or do anything if he thinks it brings him political benefit.  For centuries the reputation of Machiavelli was that he had been inspired by the devil.  Like other Renaissance artists and thinkers, Machiavelli lived in Florence.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote ''The Prince'', which is an account of government by which the "end justifies the means" (in other words, a ruler can use any means to gain power and rule his state).  Even today the term "Machiavellian" is used to criticize a politician who spends all his time and effort on getting ahead and manipulating other people for his own gain.  A "Machiavellian" politician is a cunning person who will say or do anything if he thinks it brings him political benefit.  For centuries the reputation of Machiavelli was that he had been inspired by the devil.  Like other Renaissance artists and thinkers, Machiavelli lived in Florence.