Scientific discoveries and inventions in the Middle Ages. Science in the Middle Ages

Centuries, called the Middle, in the history of each country take a different period. In general, as a rule, this is the name for the interval from the 5th to the 15th century, counting it from 476, when the Western Roman Empire fell.

The culture of Antiquity died under the onslaught of barbarians. This is one of the reasons why the Middle Ages are so often called dark or gloomy. Together with the extinction of the Roman Empire, the light of reason, and the beauty of art, disappeared. However, scientific discoveries and inventions in the Middle Ages are an excellent proof that even in the most difficult times mankind manages to preserve valuable knowledge and, moreover, to develop them. Part of this contributed to Christianity, but a large proportion of ancient developments have been preserved thanks to Arab scholars.

Eastern Roman Empire

Science in the Middle Ages was primarily developed in monasteries. After the fall of Rome, the repository of ancient wisdom was Byzantium, where by that time the Christian church had already played a notable, including a political role. The libraries of the Constantinople monasteries kept the works of the outstanding thinkers of Greece and Rome. Working in the IX century, Bishop Leo devoted much time to mathematics. He was one of the first scientists to use letters as mathematical symbols, which actually gives him the right to call him one of the founders of algebra.

On the territory of the monasteries copyists created copies of ancient works, comments to them. Mathematics, developed under their arches, formed the basis of architecture and made it possible to erect such a sample of Byzantine art as the temple of Hagia Sophia.

There are reasons to believe that the Byzantines created maps, traveling to China and India, they were known geography and zoology. However, today we do not know much of the information about the state of science in the Middle Ages in the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire. She is buried in the ruins of cities, constantly subjected to enemy attacks throughout the entire period of the Byzantine Empire.

Science in Arab countries

Many ancient knowledge gained its development outside Europe. The Arab caliphate, which developed under the influence of ancient culture, actually saved the knowledge not only from the barbarians, but also from the church, which, while favoring the preservation of wisdom in monasteries, welcomed not all scientific works, trying to protect themselves from penetrating heresy. After some time, ancient knowledge, supplemented and revised, returned to Europe.

In the Arab Caliphate in the Middle Ages, a huge number of sciences developed: geography, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, optics, and natural science.

Numbers and movement of planets

In many respects astronomy was based on the famous treatise of Ptolemy "Almagest". It is interesting that such a title was given to the scientist after he was translated into Arabic and then returned to Europe. Arab astronomers not only preserved Greek knowledge, but also multiplied them. So, they assumed that the Earth is a ball, and could measure the arc of the meridian in order to calculate the dimensions of the planet. Arab scientists gave the name to many stars, thus expanding the descriptions given in the Almagest. In addition, in several large cities they built observatories.

Medieval discoveries and inventions of Arabs in the field of mathematics were also quite extensive. It is in the Islamic states that algebra and trigonometry begin. Even the word "figure" has an Arabic origin ("sifre" means "zero").

Trade relationship

Many scientific discoveries and inventions in the Middle Ages by the Arabs were borrowed from peoples with whom they constantly traded. Through the Islamic countries in Europe from India and China, there were a compass, gunpowder, paper. The Arabs, moreover, were a description of the states through which they had to travel, as well as the peoples that met, including the Slavs.

Arab countries have also become a source of cultural change. It is believed that it was here that the fork was invented. From the territory of Islamic states, it first came to Byzantium, and then to Western Europe.

Theological and secular science

Scientific discoveries and inventions in the Middle Ages in the territory of Christian Europe mainly appeared in monasteries. Until the 8th century, however, the knowledge that was paid attention was paid to sacred texts and truths. Secular science began to be taught in schools with cathedrals only during the reign of Charlemagne. Grammar and rhetoric, astronomy and logic, arithmetic and geometry, and music (the so-called seven free arts) were originally only accessible to the nobility, but gradually the formation began to spread to all levels of society. By the beginning of the eleventh century, schools at monasteries began to be transformed into universities. Secular educational institutions appeared gradually in France, England, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Poland.

A special contribution to the development of science was made by the mathematician Fibonacci, the naturalist Vitellin, the monk Roger Bacon. The latter, in particular, assumed that the speed of light has a finite value and adhered to a hypothesis close to the wave theory of its propagation.

The inexorable progress of progress

Technical discoveries and inventions in the 11th-15th centuries gave the world much, without which it would be impossible to achieve the level of progress that is characteristic of humanity today. The mechanisms of water and windmills became more perfect . A mechanical clock replaced the bell that measured time. In the XII century, seafarers began to use the compass for orientation. Gunpowder, invented in China in the VI century and imported by the Arabs, began to play a significant role in European military campaigns only in the XIV century, when the gun was invented.

In the XII century Europeans also got acquainted with the paper. Opened production, which made it from various suitable materials. In parallel, woodcuts were developed (wood engraving), which was gradually replaced by book printing. Its appearance in European countries dates back to the 15th century.

The inventions and scientific discoveries of the 17th century, as well as all subsequent developments, are largely based on the achievements of medieval scholars. Alchemical searches, attempts to find the edge of the world, the desire to preserve the heritage of Antiquity made possible the progress of mankind in the Renaissance and Modern Times. Scientific discoveries and inventions in the Middle Ages contributed to the formation of a familiar world. So, perhaps, it would be unfair to call this period of history hopelessly gloomy, remembering only the inquisition and the church dogmas of the time.