The Origins Of The Roman Empire - 2949 Words

The roots of the modern university as places of higher learning can trace its roots to the Medieval period in the remnants of the Roman Empire. Although the decedents of the once great empire and their subsequent learning systems (Byzantine and European) produced highly intellectual minds and prolific writings in the fields of theology, philosophy and more, only one of these regions intellectual structures grew to greatness and prestige that are now some of the world’s greatest colleges. How did these civilizations differ in the way education was handled and viewed, particularly by rulers, and what factors lead to their downfall/rise? This question will help explain how the Byzantine civilization, an empire seen as highly wealthy,†¦show more content†¦In terms of actual educational systems, the Byzantines set up shop rather quickly. There had already been existing schooling in the eastern side of the Roman Empire, the Platonic school in Athens for example, and with th e creation of the Byzantine Empire and its first Emperor Constantine came the creation of a university in Sota, later moved to Constantinople. For all intents and purposes the Byzantines seemed to have a clear defined path and interest in education even in its early days. Western Europe, on the other hand, seemed to have a much harder time coping with the destruction of the empire. Most if not all of the schools set up by the former Roman Empire had collapsed and disappeared. Much of what was left of the classics was lost, and what remained was kept in existence by literate, educated monks. Education did exist in some forms, but nowhere on the level of the state funded schools in the wealthier, united east. Education was a rare commodity preserved almost entirely in the Christian monasteries and churches that dotted the land. Much of the populous was left widely uneducated (both peasants and noblemen). These church learning environments were not available for the common man, but f or future priests and others in clerical orders. Even the Carolingian Renaissance, an attempt mainly made by the Frankish king Charlemagne to bring more Latin literacy and education to his kingdom, seemed to produce benefits that only supported the clergy and court