The origins of the great civilization known as the Byzantine Empire can be traced to 330 A.D. Located on the European side of the Black Sea, the site of Byzantium was ideally located to serve as a transit and trade point between Europe and Asia Minor. Though it stretched over less territory, Byzantium had more control over trade, more wealth and more international prominence over others.
The Rise of the Byzantine Empire
Education begins
to rise again
Life settled down, and after the fighting and death of so many people, those who survived began to focus on education once again. About 250 years later, the abacus was brought to Europe. The Muslim nations had developed the abacus, which is used for mathematics, and as more Muslim people migrated west, they brought their teachings with them.
Eventually, scientist and
artists like Donato di
Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, started asking questions. Discoveries in anatomy, math and science caused thinkers to question the authority of the church and to develop a new humanistic school of thought that valued the human creature as God's greatest creation. This influenced the Renaissance.