Raphael painted School of Athens after he arrived in Rome, 1510- 1511. The School of Athens depicts a gathering of ancient philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras. This work illustrates the revival of classical thought, especially pertaining to harmony and order, during the Italian Renaissance.

Civic humanism was an ideal that emerged in the Italian Renaissance, 1400.Many people believed that the only way to truly mature as an individual was to participate in the life of the state. They believed that the study of humanities could be used to ensure the overall wellbeing of …

At it's height, in the fifteenth century the House of Medici was the most prominent banking family in Europe. Originally a cloth producer, the Medicis gained great power in commerce, real estate and finance that spread throughout northern Italy, France, and even into England. The Medici family's power declined after …

The Hanseatic League was formed in the thirteenth century. Several German coastal towns, including L"ubeck, Hamburg, and Bremen formed a commercial and military league to obtain commercial breaks and to protect themselves from pirates. The League grew rapidly and by 1500 it had grown to as many as eighty …

1302 -- The Unam Sanctam was letter or "papal bull" written by Boniface~VIII to assert his authority to control taxation of the clergy. Boniface wrote that "if earthly power errs, it shall be judged by spiritual power," with the obvious implication that Popes supersede kings in all matters.

The Jacquerie was a French peasant revolt which broke out in 1358. The peasants were frustrated with the turmoil that resulted from the Black Death and the Hundred Years' War. The peasants were persecuted by both Merchants, who lived off of peasant lands as they traveled, and the military who …