Abstract
In many ways the Renaissance of the Twelfth Century in Europe was a critical formative period for the west. Centuries, of course, are purely arbitrary units, but if we look at the period of some 200 years from about 1050 to 1250 we see a series of remarkable developments which changed the whole face of Europe. It was a period of tremendous expansion territorially, marked by the clearing of vast tracts of forests, by the settlements in the eastern marches, by the conquest of the Holy Land by the Crusades. Towns and commerce grew rapidly and central administrations, both secular and clerical, took form. Law, Roman and canon, was developed into a science once again. In 1050 the west knew very little of Greek learning. By 1250 it has access to virtually all of it. In 1050 there were no universities. By 1250 there were several of them, distinct institutional creations of the period. These two centuries were truly remarkable, and this very short list can no more than hint at the dynamism of the age. It is important for rhetoricians for several reasons, not least of which is that medieval study of classical rhetoric reached its zenith in this period.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Speech Communication
Volume
15
Issue
2
First Page
1
Last Page
8
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Bliese, John
(1983)
"The Role of Rhetoric in the "Renaissance of the Twelfth Century","
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 15:
No.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol15/iss2/4
Copyright
©1983 Iowa Communication Association
