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Subject: Re: [GERMANNA] Digest V02 #190--Roman Blood, and Mayflower Descendants
Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 20:12:02 EDT
In a message dated 6/2/02 10:34:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
<< Western civilization in those times was incredible, something we tend to
forget due to the Dark Ages >>
Although I entire;y agree with Craig's sentiments, I would like to add that
we also tend to forget that the Dark Ages brought forth some of the most
sophisticated achievements of Civilization as well, for instance the gothic
architecture of Cathedrals, and the spread of Greek philosophy. The rather
primitive European West adopted, and adapted to, thoughts Jews and Arabs
brought from the oriental and African Mediterranean coasts via Spain and via
Byzantium, and then Venice. My favorite event of that dark period may well
be Fibonacci's introduction of the Zero to Europe. Also favorites are the
colorful events that became possible only with Arabian horses and
horsemanship, as well as the love poetry of the traveling troubadors. Without
these oriental infusions of high culture and science, the Western European
civilization might still engage today in feudal wars or slumber on dark bear
and boar skins and get happily drunk on mead....Of course the Europeans also
wasted their new knowledge to discuss how many angels would be able to dance
on the tip of a needle, or if an intelligent design was behind anything.
But, medieval multiculturalism was more beneficial to the Europeans than
"splendid isolation." Of course the powers that be preferred a monolithic
and uniform behavior of the underlings. MfG, Andreas
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