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Apr 6, 1453
The Last Of The Romans, and The Dawn Of A New Empire Part 1
“The fighting lasted from dawn until noon, and while the massacre went on in the city, everyone was killed; but after that time they were all taken prisoner. Our Bailo, Jeruolemo Minoto, had his head cut off by order of the Sultan; and this was the end of the capture of Constantinople, which took place in the year one thousand four hundred and fifty-three, on the twenty-ninth of May, which was a Tuesday.” (The Siege of 1453 according to Niccolo Barbaro’s diary) -
Apr 6, 1453
The Last of the Romans, The Dawn of a New Empire part 3
The Bailo, was a diplomat who oversaw affairs of Constantinople while under Byzantine rule. Here Niccolo describes the end of the siege and massacres, as well as what became of the rest of the citizens. According to Niccolo, the people not killed were taken prisoners. -
Apr 6, 1453
The Last of the Romans; The Dawn of a New Empire Part 4
We know however, that other people were able to flee. Which brings me to the conclusion, that the tragedy, despite it’s nature, brought positive consequences that mirror the power of coincidence in history. This marks the beggining of the Ottoman Empire, which will last till 1922 and become one of the longest standing Empires in history. It will also contribute historically and culturaly to the world. -
Apr 6, 1453
The Last Of The Romans, and The Dawn Of A New Empire Part 2
The Year Is 1453. Under the command of Sultan Mehmed II the Ottoman Empire attacks against Byzantine empire which is under the command of Emperor Constantine XI. The bloody siege lasts from Friday the 6th of April until Tuesday the 29th of May. Ottoman turks emerge victorious, and the bloody siege ends leaving the Byzantines to flee. Niccolo Barbaro’s diary has one of the most detailed eyewitness accounts. In his diary he describes the siege, day after day. -
May 29, 1453
What Rosed From The Escaped Part 2
about your wanderings, too, in search of knowledge, into Phoenicia and Egypt, whither, several centuries after you, the illustrious philosophers Pythagoras and Plato also made their way, and the Athenian law-giver who in his late years wooed the Pierian Muses, wise old Solon, who while he lived never ceased to admire you, and when he died doubtless became one of your cherished friends; and, last of all, about the number of your works, the majority of which even the Italians, -
May 29, 1453
What Rose From The Escaped Part 3
your nearest neighbours, have never so much as heard of. As for the barbarians, who bound us upon two sides, and from whom I would that we were separated not by lofty Alps alone but by the whole wide sea as well, they scarcely have heard” ( Petrarch (1304-1374): Selections from his Correspondences, To Homer) -
May 29, 1453
What Rose From The Escaped Part 4
Here Petrarch, a famous poet and philosopher of the italian Renaissance, speaks in reverent and admiring tones about Homer, while alluding to other famous greek figures. Petrarch touches upon several rather important points that connect to the fall of the Byzantine empire. Because of the fall of constantinople, byzantine scholars had to flee to Italy. In a wonderfully appropriate show of coincidence, Italy was blooming with renewed interest in literature. -
May 29, 1453
What Rose From The Escaped Part 5
The scholars, who had ancient manuscripts thought long lost, further fueled interest in the classical literature of the Greeks, and other ancient societies. Petrarch is mirroring this interest, as a reestablishment of Italy’s, or rather Rome’s, relationship with greek culture. The renewal of literature in this famed period of history (Italian Renaissance) not only contributes to much of our knowledge and interpretations of Ancient texts, but Italian revival in literature also led to them adding -
May 29, 1453
What Rose From The Escaped Part 6
This led to the Italians to adding themselves as part of what the world regards as classical texts and the effects can be seen today -
May 29, 1453
What Rose From The Escaped Part 1
“To turn now to details, I am very eager for knowledge, and consequently was delighted beyond [Page 255] all measure and belief by what you wrote about your instructors ... and about the origin of poetry, which you explain at the greatest length; and about the earliest followers of the Muses ... and, finally, about the place of your nativity, concerning which there used to be very vague and misty views here in my country, and no great clearness, so far as I can see, among your compatriots; -
Nov 6, 1455
Resources, Resources, Resources Part 1
“Now johann Fust has brought the following charges against the aforementioned Johann Gutenberg; firstly, that under the terms of their written contract, he [Fust] was to advanced in good faith the sum of 800 florins to Johann Gutenberg, with which the latter was to carry out the work . . . and the Johann Gutenberg was yo pay him an interest at six percent on these 800 guilders”(Testimony of Johann Gutenberg’s trial) -
Nov 6, 1455
Resources, Resources, Resource Part 2
“I, Johannes Fust, have borrowed in my own name 1550 guilders which were then handed over to Johann Gutenberg and which were to be spent on our common undertaking, on which i have paid interest, some of which is still outstanding to this day . . . I demand from him the interest due under the terms of the verdict.”(Johannes Fust’s Testimony) -
Nov 6, 1455
Resources, Resources, Rsources Part 3
Johann Gutenberg was the inventor of the Gutenberg Press. The Gutenberg press, which is part of the Northern Renaissance, was an important factor in spreading literature. Before then, there rarely was more than a couple of copies of a book because they were tedious to copy by hand. The invention of the Gutenberg Press costa lot of money. In order to come up with the money, Johann Gutenberg made a contract with Johann Fust, who in turn got another loan. -
Nov 6, 1455
Resources, Resources, Resources Part 4
Gutenberg assumed that Fust would not charge him, but he was wrong. Fust took the unpaid debts to court November 6th 1455, where Gutenberg hadn’t even shown up. Not once through the court hearing was the nature of the invention mentioned. -
Nov 6, 1455
Resources, Resources, Resources Part 5
Like most inventors, Gutenberg was afraid that his plans would be stolen and therefor decided to keep it a secret. Fust also knew about the invention, but not the exact details. The court ruled against Gutenberg, and in the next days Gutenberg lost the invention, the paper, the vellum, the ink, the molds, the type, the chase, and the printed pages. -
Jan 1, 1456
Changes in the Frequency of the Bible Part 1
“Luther's New Testament was so much multiplied and spread by printers that even tailors and shoemakers, yea, even women and ignorant persons who had accepted this new Lutheran gospel, and could read a little German, studied it with the greatest avidity as the fountain of all truth. Some committed it to memory, and carried it about in their bosom. -
Jan 1, 1456
Changes in the Frequency of the Bible Part 2
In a few months such people deemed themselves so learned that they were not ashamed to dispute about faith and the gospel not only with Catholic laymen, but even with priests and monks and doctors of divinity." (Johann Cochlaeus) -
Jan 1, 1456
Changes In The Frequency of The Bible Part 3
Johann Cochlaeus was not praising Martin Luther. He was, in fact, complaining about the recent popularity of the Lutheran Bible and it’s effect on the people. The lutheran bible was completed 1546, the same year of Martin Luther’s death. The lutheran bible, however, had the desired effect on the German people. Martin Luther preached an important point witnessed by Johann, which was that people should become their own priest. -
Jan 1, 1456
Changes in The Frequency of the Bible Part 4
We see this when the quote says that the people were disputing the faith, commiting the word to memory, and learning the word. Furthermore, this shows two important concepts of the Renaissance, both northern and southern. These concepts are a return to vernacular languages and the spread of literature. This also corralates to the invention of the printing press which has already been discussed. In Martin Luther’s case it helped spread his ideas. -
Jan 1, 1456
Changes in The Frequency of The Bible Part 5
Today, this self empowerment is seen as positive, influence on society. Lutheranism is a religion still active today and contributing to the many members of christianity all around the world. While back then the idea of change might have been scary to the traditionalist Catholic, the protestant reformation was something that changed the course of history in its entirety. -
Dec 31, 1470
The Tragidies Of Tardy Recognition Part 1
“Not Far from the city of Mainz there appeared a certain Johann whose surname was Gutenberg, who first of all men, devised the art of printing, whereby books are made, not by reed, as did the ancients, nor with a quill pen, as do we, but with metal letters, and that swiftly, neatly beautifully. Surely this man is worthy to be loaded with divine honors by all the muses, all the arts, all the tongues of those who delight in books.” Guillaume Fichet -
Dec 31, 1470
The Tragedies of Tardy Recognition Part 2
Gutenberg’s story is an example of the hardships of invention, Gutenberg’s idea of adapting the chinesse press into a new one was genius, but he needed money that despite the rise in the amount of patrons of the time, money was still hard to come by. Gutenberg, like many other great minds of his time, was not recognized for his work until death. He was finally recognized when Professor Guillaume Fichet from University of Paris recognized Gutenberg’s contribution on December 31, 1470. -
Dec 31, 1470
Tragedies of Tardy Recognition Part 3
Printing since that times has contributed greatly to the history of the world. For example, the American Revolution was fueled by pamphlets such as “common sense”, and reform has always involved the spread of literature in order to educate people about an issue. Today you can go to a doctors office and grab a pamphlet, or read the newspaper and learn about the society you live in. The significance of the printing press and its evolution is astounding. -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 1
“In peaceful times he (Lorence de’ Medici) often entertained the people with various festivities, such as jousts, feats of arms, and representations of triumphs of olden times. He aimed to maintain abundance in the city, to keep the people united and the nobility honoured. -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 2
He had the greatest love and admiration for all who excelled in any art, and was a great patron of learning and of literary men, of which his conduct towards Cristofano Landini and Messer Demetrius the Greek furnishes the strongest proof. For this reason the Count Giovanni della Mirandola, a man of almost supernatural genius, was attracted by the magnificence of Lorenzo, and preferred to establish his home in Florence rather than in any other part of Europe -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 3
all of which he had visited in his travels. Lorenzo took the greatest delight in architecture, music and poetry; and many of his own poetic compositions, enriched with commentaries, appeared in print. And for the purpose of enabling the Florentine youths to devote themselves to the study of letters, he established a university in the city of Pisa, where he employed the most eminent men of all Italy as professors. He built a monastery for Fra Mariano da Chianozzona, of the order of St Augustine, -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 4
who was a most admirable pulpit orator. And thus, beloved of God and fortune, all his enterprises were crowned with success, whilst those of his enemies had the opposite fate.” (Niccolo Machiavelli) -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 5
The Medici family is evidence of several factors of the time of the Southern Renaissance. It is common knowledge that the middle ages were, in their entirety, a time of cultural, political, and social unrest. It was a very dark period of time, in the greek sense of the word in which dark means little is known. Of what we do know, we know that it was dark in a figurative sense in which there is much distress, poverty and disease being amongst the catalysts of this distress. -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 6
So when people think of the beginning of what society is now, multicultural and evolved, people think of the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time where there was a sudden rise in wealth. In return, people started exploring several fields of life, for example architecture, literature, philosophy, theology, art, and one can even say archeology as many classical works were dug up and reviewed. -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 7
The renaissance started in Italy, mostly because of the several advantages italy had over the rest of Europe, for example flourishing trade and the development of urban centers. The artists, architects, and even scientists of the time usually had a patron. A patron would back the person who is to create something up with money. The glory such a person gets will add on to the glory of the patron. -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 8
And so this was a very important factor in the development of the Medici as one of the most powerful family of Italy at the time. Lorenzo was only one example of this; during his life time he displayed his bountiful fortune all through out Italy. Such further progressed the development of the renaissance, or rather the developments during the renaissance. Lorence can be seen as a ruler, who did what he had to to uphold such power and greatness. -
Apr 9, 1492
Power And Privalege Part 9
He even went as far as to get his son appointed cardinal. His influence can be seen in the fact that soon after his death in April 9, 1492 the french invasion of Italy occurred, and after that the Medici family lost power along with their bank. With this, Italy lost one of its most valued patrons of all times. -
Apr 1, 1520
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, First Idea Part 1
“This city has many public squares, in which are situated the markets and other places for buying and selling. There is one square twice as large as that of the city of Salamanca, surrounded by porticoes, where are daily assembled more than sixty thousand souls, engaged in buying and selling; and where are found all kinds of merchandise that the world affords, embracing the necessaries of life, as for instance articles of food, as well as jewels of gold and silver, lead, brass, copper, tin, -
Apr 1, 1520
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, FIrst Idea Part 2
precious stones, bones, shells, snails, and feathers. There are also exposed for sale wrought and unwrought stone, bricks burnt and unburnt, timber hewn and unhewn, of different sorts. “(Oliver J. Thatcher, ed., The Library of Original Sources (Milwaukee: University Research Extension Co., 1907), Vol. V: 9th to 16th Centuries) Hernan Cortés: Exerpt fromSecond Letter to Charles V, (1520) -
Apr 1, 1520
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, First Idea Part 3
Tenochtitlan was one of the most extraordinary cities of the time. It belonged to the aztec society, and was part of what made the triple alliance. In the Aztec Empire, a social pyramid kept the people in check. The Emperor was on top, and although he has his advisors he was absolute. Then there were several Lord like nobles who ruled their estates, Nobles were usually religious, government, or military officials. -
Apr 1, 1520
Two IDeas Juxtaposed, First Idea Part 4
Then there were the commoners, who had a variety of jobs and could grow to be very successful and wealthy themselves. On the bottom of the pyramid were the slaves, they were usually captives from other conquests. Aztecs were guided by a theocracy, meaning the emperor was seen as a religious figure as well as a government ruler. The Aztecs thrived on trade. This is evidenced in the above quote by spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. By the time the Spaniards came the Aztec empire was a thriving ci -
Apr 1, 1520
Two IDeas Juxtaposed, first Idea part 5
By the time the Spaniards came the Aztec empire was a thriving civilization, that was rich in all aspects imaginable as well as violent. The events leading up to 1520 were as follows. Hernan Cortez was made commander of an expedition to Mexico by Velazquez who was governor. Cortes was already well acquainted with the americas and was perusing rumors of great wealth in what is now Mexico. Velazquez, however, grew suspicious of Cortes’ motives and shortly before the journey canceled the commission -
Apr 1, 1520
Two DIeas Juxtaposed, First IDea, Part 6
Velazquez, however, grew suspicious of Cortes’ motives and shortly before the journey canceled the commission. Cortes was not deterred and went anyways. Cortes was greeting into the Aztec society was a welcoming one, and he was given lavish gifts by the ruler of the time Moctezuma the second. The Aztec seem to have thought he was the one from a prophecy about a white god that would come to them. -
Apr 1, 1520
Two IDeas Juxtaposed, First IDea, Part 7
In April 1520, Cortes had to leave in order to fight and expedition Velazquez had commissioned. Velazquez wanted to capture Cortes. While he was gone a revolt started in Tenochtitlan. What followed was war. -
Jan 1, 1542
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, Second Idea Part 1
“After the wars and the killings had ended, when usually there survived only some boys, some women, and children, these survivors were distributed among the Christians to be slaves. The repartimiento or distribution was made according to the rank and importance of the Christian to whom the Indians were allocated, one of them being given thirty, another forty, still another, one or two hundred, -
Jan 1, 1542
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, Second IDea Part 2
and besides the rank of the Christian there was also to be considered in what favor he stood with the tyrant they called Governor. The pretext was that these allocated Indians were to be instructed in the articles of the Christian Faith. As if those Christians who were as a rule foolish and cruel and greedy and vicious could be caretakers of souls! And the care they took was to send the men to the mines to dig for gold, which is intolerable labor, -
Jan 1, 1542
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, Second Idea Part 3
and to send the women into the fields of the big ranches to hoe and till the land, work suitable for strong men. Nor to either the men or the women did they give any food except herbs and legumes, things of little substance. The milk in the breasts of the women with infants dried up and thus in a short while the infants perished. And since men and women were separated, there could be no marital relations. -
Jan 1, 1542
Two IDeas Juxtaposed, Second Idea Part 4
And the men died in the mines and the women died on the ranches from the same causes, exhaustion and hunger. And thus was depopulated that island which had been densely populated.”(Bartolome de Las Casas, Exerpt from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies. (1542)) -
Jan 1, 1542
Two DIeas Juxtaposed, Second IDea Part 5
The events of 1520 were only the beginning of the end. The end of the Aztec empire, that is, and the beginning of New Spain. Not unlike the Byzantines and turks that were at the beginning of the timeline, the downfall of one society leads to the rise of another, and changes that occur in between lead to the creation of something new. Anyway, picking up from 1520, when Cortes returned his intentions were not outright hostile. -
Jan 1, 1542
Two IDeas Juxtaposed, Second IDea, Part 6
He told Moctezuma to maintain the peace, but Moctezuma was killed and a new Emperor appointed. That night, the Spaniards suffered loss, as they were driven from the capital, but not to never return. The following year, 1521, they returned to Tenochtitlan and lead a three month Siege that was as violent as it was sorrowful for the Aztecs. The Spaniards literally built new mexico on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Cortes quickly conquered Mexico, and became governor of what was known as New Spain. -
Jan 1, 1542
Two IDeas Juxtaposed, Second IDea, Part 7
By 1523, western disease and cruelty from the Spaniards part lead to an abrupt decline in indigenous population. Cortes had grown to powerful, and was made captain general, while he was taken out of his position as governor. -
Jan 1, 1542
Two Ideas Juxtaposed, Second Idea, Part 8
He returned to America as an explorer, but was restrained. So by 1542, when Bartolome de Las Casas wrote the account of devastation, Cortes was already retired and only a couple of years from death.While Bartolome only covers the devastation on Hispaniola, the effect on the indies of Mexico were not dissimilar and there are few discrepancies amongst the two.
