As The Twelfth Century Begins Economic And Intellectual Profits

As The Twelfth Century Begins Economic And Intellectual Profits

11th or 12th century (although it could have been the fourth) theatre was apparently still a going concern in the East. Plays which appear to have been performed in the Byzantine Empire include:

Christus Paschon -* it begins: "Now in the manner of Euripides, I will the Passion tell which saved the world." It combines some aspects of the story of Christ's death with a lot of classical stuff. Paraphrases of Euripides' tragedies shows up in a third of the 2,640 lines. It gives us a good example of how the Eastern Empire of Byzantium is trying to combine the classical with Christian.

Professional actors begin to be used to play those roles in plays (about Christ's Passion) that the townspeople don't want to play, like Satan, Judas and executioners.

10 The most famous example of Romanesque* architecture, the cathedral at Cluny, France, is completed. The architectural style is based on the use of the Roman (really the Etruscan) arch.

1100's and 1200's - We find many other entertainers appearing in plays. Dancers show up in plays that include Salome* and a tumbler is vital for productions of Le Tonbeur Notre Dame*. The ancient puppet and marionette plays are always popular, too.

1101-1128 Now that Jerusalem* is finally in Christian hands, the knights who did it start to get religious. They begin to found a bunch of military "Orders." The first is The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. These are the guys with the white surcoat and big red cross. Then there is the Order of the Knights of St. John who are more widely known as the Hospitallers*. They get black robes with an eight point white cross. This order specializes in providing a hospital and hostel for pilgrims. The next order is the Templars*, who get the so-called Temple of Solomon as their headquarters and they get to wear the same outfit as the first group. The various orders are given huge gifts of land and money from kings and barons. They rapidly become as wealthy as many European kings. At the start they all have strict rules that have a lot in common with the Jomsvikings* [remember them?]. The Templars get a reputation as really fierce fighters, but power and wealth corrupt and they soon get a reputation for arrogance.

1104 Champagne Fairs begin. What with all that loot from the Crusade, improved productivity with that Cistercians* agriculture, and those mills, the crossing points of trade routes start having regular fairs. Towns, about five of them, in the region of Champagne, set up regular fair times. Some will hold summer and winter fairs, the others May and autumn ones. Great for trade, and probably pretty good for the entertainers. This also leads to progress in finance, letters of credit, that kind of stuff.

1120 The earliest record of a Miracle Play* at Dunstable in England. 1120's Meanwhile back in Spain that intellectual revolution is getting started. An Englishman

from Bath named Adelard* goes to learn about astronomy and picks up a lot more. He goes home with a translation of Euclid's* geometry and a good understanding of the new method from Bath named Adelard* goes to learn about astronomy and picks up a lot more. He goes home with a translation of Euclid's* geometry and a good understanding of the new method

Lots of others take off for Spain from all over Europe. Some stay in Toledo to work for Raymond the Archbishop. He sets up a bunch of translators to cope with all the manuscripts flowing in from the "Reconquest" in Spain. The range of sciences becoming available is mind boggling. But even more of a bombshell is the philosophy, especially the works of our friend Aristotle. His system of nature and the logic of argument comes complete with Arabic commentaries to make the whole thing easier to understand. This new system provides the intellectuals with a really usable tool for arriving at a truth. It'll make things pretty dangerous later when these new views come up against the old Augustian head-in-the-sand thinking of the church. Universities begin to be founded around Europe, starting with Salerno.

1127 Guillaume de Poitou* (b. 1070), one of the first troubadours whose name is known, dies. 1130's *Peter Abelard*, a Breton philosopher and the guy who has the memorable affair with

Heloise*, also picks up all that wonderful learning from Spain, and is now using the new logic in his teaching in Paris. This will become very dangerous for his health when the Church realizes what a can of worms this new learning can be.

14 The beginnings of Gothic* architecture show up with the church of St. Denis outside Paris. For the next sixty years Gothic cathedrals will rise all over Europe. This involves the pointed arch so widely used by the Arabs.