Renaissance: Revival of Past Cultural Aspects

1813 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of Greek culture on the Romans

Many times, throughout history old ideas or past cultural aspects are often used again and are improved to mould current needs. The Renaissance is a prime example of how past ideas were used once again to create a better and a more cultured society. There was once a time in ancient Greece and Rome, where art, architecture, philosophy and writing flourished, but were later suppressed due to a greed of power between countries and male dominance. Right before the Renaissance however, the medieval ages were a time dedicated to religion and revolved around feudal aristocracies. Art was something only reserved for religious institutions and left the rest of society dull especially during the black plaque. It was not until after the mass disruption …show more content…

Poleis at the time in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome had a monumental influence on the government during the Renaissance. Due to the expanding number of Greeks moving to the coasts of the mainland, islands, and to the east coast of Aegean to participate in commercial trade, a new social and political system needed to be developed in order to accommodate the growing numbers and limited agricultural land. However, the Greeks desired a place where they could keep their "autonomy and independence, celebrate[d] their own rituals, and honour[ed] its own heroes" (Cole 61). This issue was solved with the development of the Polis or "city-state". By implementing poleis, this allowed for different states to enforce their own laws and traditions and not lose their independence. Sparta and Athens are two of the most famous poleis of the thousands found in Ancient Greece and exhibit how two city-states can be so different. Sparta was the most militarized polis, whereas Athens was best known for its agriculture and trade. Athens also was considered to be …show more content…

Great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all brilliant thinkers, but their works were not truly appreciated until the Renaissance where a look on past works was emphasized. This movement was called humanism and during this time, works from Ancient Greece and Rome were restored and referenced to create new, crucial writings. In particular, in ancient times Socrates' beliefs were passed on through his pupils. One of his main ideals was that one should always be aware of the consequences of one's actions. This can be highlighted in a quote by him stating, "the unexamined life is not worth living" (Cole 84). Here, Socrates stresses that those who do not have a concern of how they live their life in respect to themselves and to others, do not live a meaningful life. After his unfortunate execution for "corrupting the youth" Socrates' legacy and ideals were then continued through the life of Plato (Cole 84). Years after, Plato became most known for his dialogues regarding ethics and his challenging of current politics. It was these two classical thinkers who were the spotlight of the Renaissance. Humanists during the time of the Renaissance often put precedence of classical works like Plato over works being written at the time (Cole 294). Again, this intellectual movement stressed that Greek classics were the most

Show More
Related

  • How Did The Renaissance Change Man's View Of The World

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before the Renaissance, art was all about religion, and lacked emotions and details. Renaissance Art had stronger emotions, well defined landscapes, and utilized 3D figures. The Renaissance is also when artists started making names for themselves, and began being recognized for their works. During the Renaissance time people learned how to make more complex things such as art and this in the future will change the way people will see art. For instance in (Document A), the [clearest] evidence of the break with medieval culture comes from the visual arts. It was the essence of the Renaissance one begins to know the names of the artists, feel stronger emotions in the subjects, see well

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Civic Humanism In The Renaissance

    1227 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Nicholas Mann, "Humanism is that concern with the legacy of antiquity, and in particular but not exclusively with its literary legacy... it involves above all the rediscovery and study of Greek and Roman texts, the restoration and interpretation of them, and the assimilation of the ideas and values they contain." The Studia Humanitatis (Studies of Humanity) is a Latin term used by Roman writers describing a cycle of studies in the humanities including, grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy. Francesco Petrarch, an Italian scholar and poet of the fifteenth century, is considered by many to be the father of humanism. Petrarch 's influential texts had circulated widely throughout Florence and made their way into the government. Thus, humanist learning began to shape political ideologies in Florence. By inspiring humanist philosophy, Petrarch helped pave the way for the start of the Renaissance.

    Read More

  • Renaissance Humanism In The Renaissance During The Renaissance

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Renaissance, people were dedicated to studying human works. They would observe from real life to gain inspiration, new ideas, and to try to recreate the world as they saw it in their art. New techniques such as scientific and atmospheric perspective were created, changing art forever. Artists would use their skills to create works for patrons, from the Church, various guilds, and other religious orders. During the High Renaissance, Julius II commissioned Raphael to decorate the Vatican Palace. The first of the rooms he decorated was The “Room of the Signature”, where he painted The School of Athens. Originally, this room housed Julius II’s personal library, but later on it would be the room where papal documents were signed. In 1508, Raphael began painting four frescoes that represented theology, philosophy, law, and the arts. As stated in Janson’s History of Art Volume II, This fresco “represents a summation of High Renaissance humanism, for it attempts to represent the unity of knowledge in one grand scheme.” Raphael’s The School of Athens is a prime example of humanistic art, as evidenced by the subject of the art itself, the classical elements in the piece, and it’s scientific and illusionistic rendering.

    Read More

  • Major Changes: Humanism and The Renaissance

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 15th century, Northern Europe as well as Italy witnessed a serious revival of drawing accompanied by sculpture, painting and architecture. This revival was termed as the Renaissance. The revival effected major changes onto the representation of pictorial space on these two regions. These changes on that occurred on pictorial space representation were mostly driven by new idea of “Humanism”. Humanism philosophy practically outwitted religious and secular belief. As a result, the philosophy shifted a lot f importance to the dignity and value of the individual (Prescott, 2005; Fuga, 2006).

    Read More

  • Temples and Economics in the Archaic and Classical Period

    2237 Words  | 5 Pages

    The idea of polis, or city-state, was developed in Greece in the ninth and eighth centuries BCE. A polis can be understood as an autonomous region, an urban centre which has its own political, religious, economic and culture centre (P108, Stokstad). According to Aristotle’s Politics, a polis is the union of several villages (Politics, 125b27). Although it lacks accuracy, we can get the impression that the Greeks consider a polis to be a community. As a community, the Archaic and Classical poleis were primarily a political and a military organisation, a male society from which women and children were excluded, not to speak of foreigners and slaves.

    Read More

  • Humanism During the Renaissance

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the renaissance, there was a renewed interest in the arts, and the traditional views of society came into question. People began to explore the power of the human mind. A term often used to describe the increasing interest in the powers of the human mind is humanism. Generally, humanism stresses the individual's creative, reasoning, and aesthetic powers. However, during the Renaissance, individual ideas about humanism differed.

    Read More

  • Development Of Greek Poleis

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    The polis emerged out of the scattered villages of early Greece, as a way of building unified states, and centralising government. The establishment of the Greek poleis was a significant political innovation throughout history because it gave rise to new government systems which have become models to the modern state structure. It was characterised by its ability to unite citizens, and through this, resulted in the growth of larger states such as Athens and Spart. Within the poleis there were constitutions, which were developed in conjunction with the purpose to achieve a unified system of government for each state. In addition, this new form of government allowed for citizens to greater participate in political and social matters, which had not been the case in previous ruling powers. Thus, both the development of the constitution and the introduction of a new political structure have both influenced and changed the nature of the state.

    Read More

  • Culture and Technology in Athens and Sparta

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    Athens and Sparta were the main rival poleis in Ancient Greece around 4th century BC. Besides the fact that they were both called polis, the two cities had very little in common. Athens controlled the whole Attic region and could be defined as a perfect democracy. Its citizens were free to express themselves in public, the government was a representative body for the whole society, and justice was the highest measure. Sparta was a strict military polis, with two kings and officials selected by wealth and good breeding. Its political system was defined as oligarchy and all aspects of the social life were aimed at improving the armed force of the state.

    Read More

  • Ancient Greek Culture Essay

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    The southernmost tip of Greece reaches into the Mediterranean Sea. Mountains cover nearly ¾’s of mainland Greece. It is surrounded by about 2,000 islands. Greece has a dry climate and poor soil farmers planted crops well suited for barley, wheat, olives, and grapes. The sea is especially powerful during the winter when the winds are high and the seas are rough. . Ancient Greece existed over 2000 years ago. It was made up of a collection of similar city-states such as Athens, Sparta, Olympia and Corinth. They each had their own laws and rulers. The city-state Polis became central to the development of classical civilization in Greece. By 750 B.C., the polis became the focus of Greek life. The polis was a town that served as the center of the polis where people could meet for political, social, and religious activities. The central meeting place in the polis was usually a hill. At the top of the hill was a fortified area called an Acropolis that served as both a fortress and religious center? Below the Acropolis was an open area that served both as a place where people could assemble and as a market. Cities varied greatly in size a population. Athens had a population of more than 300,000 by the fifth century B.C., but most cities were much smaller, consisting of only a few hundred to several thousand people. The polis was a community of people who shared a common identity and common goals. As a

    Read More

  • How Did The Poleis Influence Ancient Greek Life

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    For the Ancient Greeks a polis, was what they called their small community. These poleis were known as city states and were specifically special for their philosophical purposes. Learning and the philosophical ways of life were very important. In Ancient Greek life, order and the way of life was also quite important. There needed to be structure and organization. These poleis were ruled by the citizens making them self-reliant and able to select their own ruler. Having the poleis be self-reliant helped shape the way the society functioned as well as the government and the social classes. This way of life was used in Athens and because of it, it made Athens a great and successful society.

    Read More

  • Why Is Athens Better Than Sparta

    586 Words  | 2 Pages

    The role of a polis may be compared to a sub-countries or city-state with its own government, military, society, and commerce. Ancient Greece was composed of hundreds of poleis (city-states) across the region. Some of the more known poleis were Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Megara, and Argos. Among the most well known city-states are Athens and Sparta. Although Athens and Sparta are the better known poleis in Greece, these two sovereignties had different philosophies about their military, politics, courts, and commerce.

    Read More

  • Florence's Market in the Renaissance

    2377 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Renaissance was the rebirth of Europe and it all started in the city of Florence. Florence and everything that made a standard Renaissance city: painters, sculptors, writers, architects, and a vivid culture. Soon all of Europe would follow in Florence’s footsteps and “the setting is so rich, varied, rambunctious, and inventive as Italy in the Renaissance” (Cohen 1). The painters and sculptors defined Renaissance culture and could actually make a living because they were being sponsored.

    Read More

  • Political Differences Between Athens And Sparta

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ancient Greece was divided among several hundreds of city-states called “Poleis”. Within this poleis, Athens and Sparta were the most powerful, significant, largest and significant states.

    Read More

  • Renaissance: A Cultural Movement Of The Renaissance

    1266 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Renaissance or “rebirth” is a cultural movement that started in Italy during the late 14th century and expanded to the early 17th century. The Renaissance was a bridge that allowed Western Europe to move from the medieval era to the modern era. Renaissance later spread to other parts of Europe. Advances in technology allowed art and architecture to flourish during the Renaissance era. Cities like Florence in Italy saw a spike in artists and architects who have changed from mere paid skilled laborers to professional artists.

    Read More

  • Renaissance Art Influence

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Renaissance was a “rebirth” of European intellect, economy, and population. Since the economy was improving and flourishing the wealthy elites were able to fund the arts. The arts became an important part of society and had a major impact on European culture. From paintings, to sculptures, and music, the arts became a trend amongst the wealthy elites. They commissioned artists to create a piece of artwork, therefore the elites had a say in most of the art created during the Renaissance.

    Read More

More about Renaissance: Revival of Past Cultural Aspects

Open Document