HIST 214 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Middle Ages, Pope Innocent Iv, Reconquista
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
1492 - end of the middle ages
(discovery of the new world)
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
He is a merchant and the ships captain who gets credit for being such a great
world traveller
Owe his discovery to Marco Polo
○
-
Marco Polo (1254-1324)
Explorer and trader
-
Travelled between Europe and Asia
-
Allowed for the exchange of ideas
-
He recorded his travels
Writes one of the best selling books of all time
○
Circulates quite widely
○
The book is so successful because of the unique combination of
information in it
He is jailed because he got himself in a battle
§
His jail mate was a writer (crafter of tales) and therefore there is a
unique book because of the combination of the two's specialties
§
○
Written almost as a travel guide and many people used this as a travel
guide
What spices you could expect in certain places
§
How much taxes merchants had to pay in certain cities
Everything that is fancy in Europe comes from the east which
people thought was a land of limitless wealth
□
§
Because of Marco Polo's descriptions the Europeans have the idea of
limitless wealth in the Orient
§
○
-
Christopher Columbus was one of Marco Polo's greatest fans
Annotated Marco Polo's book and took it as his own inspiration in his life
○
The things he tends to highlight and spend more time on are the "nuts and
bolts" - how far from this place to this place, the ports
○
-
Notre Dame de Poitiers
Spices and rarities
Chance to display your worldliness
People could wear certain clothes and this is transferred to foods as well
(creates a hierarchy)
Spices were the "bling" of the middle ages in many ways at it allowed
people to show their financial elite status in front of other people
§
They are very expensive - didn't necessarily want the spices, but the
price made it desirable to display wealth
Causes for something to be expensive:
Intrinsic rarity (not very much of this thing, if a lot of
people want it then it will be expensive) Example:
truffles and caviar
®
Circumstantial rarity (rarity is artificially created - process
involved in producing the thing that makes it expensive)
Example: saffron, coffee beans (animal naturally chooses
the optimally ripe coffee beans but fails to digest them
and then people sell the coffee)
Only spice produced in Europe itself
◊
®
Artificial rarity (prices are artifically maintained -
production of the good is limited in a way that makes the
good artificially rare)
®
□
§
○
-
Eastern Hemisphere (1500)
As the economy becomes larger and has more disposable wealth, it drives the
prices of the spices up
Also makes the spices harder to get
○
-
If you break up the Mongol empire, it means that there are powers in the way
and are competing for travel
-
Prices dictated at the price of origin vs. prices dictated at the price of sale
-
Hundreds of steps involved in producing and selling the spices
Prices added on because there are numerous people involved in the spice
trade
○
-
Europeans realize that they are enriching the Ottoman Empire through the
involvement in the spice trade
Problematic because are Muslims and by trading with them, they are
inhibiting the success of reclaiming Jerusalem and are enriching their
enemies
○
-
This is why Christopher Columbus wanted to find a direct route to the spice
islands in order to cut out the middle man (apparently not true)
-
1492 last empire in Iberian peninsula that had been conquered by the Spanish
-
Isabelle and Ferdinand use this as a way to legitimize their rule
By conquering Grenada they were able to legitamize the Spanish rule
○
Convert the Mongols to Christianity and retake Jerusalem
○
They will become the most Catholic kings in the world and establish a
hegemonic rule over everyone (extension of the Crusades)
○
-
Genghis Kahn
Establishes a giant empire (Mongol empire) and dominates all of Asia and a bit of
Eastern Europe
Seen as being bringers of the apocalypse because of the violence that
comes out of the East
○
They are not Muslims so they are seen in allies in the war against the
Muslims
○
-
1245 Pope Innocent IV sends missionaries to the Mongols
Sends missionaries to the Mongols as part of the missonizng movement
(Fransiscans and Dominicans)
-
Pope authorizes missions to try and convert the Mongols
Not terribly successful because they didn't convert to Christianity - some
converted to Muslim and Buddhism
○
-
1289 Letter from Arghun Kahn to Philip the Fair proposing an alliance against the
Muslims
There is the fragmentation of the Mongol empire
-
Mongol leaders are more willing to establish an alliance to get rid of the Muslims
-
Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli
Back and forth between Christians to conquer the holy land and convert people
-
There is a huge desire among the Europeans to retake Jerusalem especially when
it is under Muslim control
-
Attended dinner in Rome with Mongol emissaries around 1492
-
He is a Fransiscan cleric
-
Wrote a letter to Christopher Columbus in 1481 relating the story of the
Mongols, and their desire for Christianity
-
Expounded a mathematical theory that presented the Earth as being much
smaller than it is
Putting the idea of Mongols who could be converted to Christianity
○
Sells theory about his own size of the world
○
-
Libro de la Profecias
Scrapbook (Columbus) kept
-
Book of prophecies that were maintained throughout his voyages but he
continues up until his death
Records prophecies that have to do with the retaking of Jerusalem, second
coming as Christ and the coming apocalypse
○
Columbus sees it as his mission in life to bring about the second coming of
Christ, or to make it possible
○
Engages in biblical and geographic mathematics in order to calculate when
the end of the world is going have happen (1556)
○
In order to allow Christ to come back, Jerusalem has to be in Christian
hands again
○
He sees in himself as a tool for God
○
Attracted to prophecies by a Christian Monk
○
-
Another sign of the mission is the name himself (St. Christopher)
His name means Christ bearer
○
Christopher Columbus changes his signature to emphasize that he is the
bearer of Christ
○
His duty to carry Christ and Christianity into the lands that he conquers
○
-
Columbus is not the only one who sees it as his responsibility to bring Christianity
to the new world
-
Patron Saint of the reconquista was St. James of Compostela
Idea of St. James is associated with the Christian (re)conquest
○
-
Santiago Matamoros
Idea that the reconquistadors have a patron saint that watches over them and
binds them together as a chivalrous society
-
Patron saint of travellers as well because of the pillgrams that go to Santiago
-
First recorded battle where Santiago is described as having intervened in a battle
in the new world
Battle against the Incas in Peru and gives them victory over Cusco
○
-
His new name is Santiago Mathapatriotas (Peru 19th century) or Mataespanos
Spreader of Christianity in chivalrous form
○
Extension of Europe outside its borders and into other places
○
Travellers take Eastern Europe with them
○
-
Eastern Europeans thought that the world was flat
Educated Europeans knew the world was round
○
They didn't know how big the globe is (size of the world)
○
Gets help from people in other places
○
-
Al-Farghani
9th century persian astronomer
-
Summarized Ptolemy's Mathematical Treatise
-
(mis)calculated the diameter of the Earth
His work inspires Toscaenelli's work
○
-
Martin Behaim (1459 - 1507)
-
Erdapfel (1492)
-
Depicts a smaller globe than what we actually have
Columbus calculates how long it would take him to sail from the Canary
Islands to Japan
○
Calculations did not take more than 3 weeks
○
Columbus doesn't just rely on Toscanelli's calculations, he tries to do this
by calculating the size of Asia (he uses Marco Polo's descriptions to
calculate the size of (Eur)Asia) but Marco Polo exaggerated this
○
-
There is rupture and separation between antiquity and the modern world
Owe what came before them to what is new and different
○
-
Lecture 13 - Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, and the End of the World
Thursday, November 9, 2017
1:33 PM
1492 - end of the middle ages
(discovery of the new world)
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
He is a merchant and the ships captain who gets credit for being such a great
world traveller
Owe his discovery to Marco Polo
○
-
Marco Polo (1254-1324)
Explorer and trader
-
Travelled between Europe and Asia
-
Allowed for the exchange of ideas
-
He recorded his travels
Writes one of the best selling books of all time
○
Circulates quite widely
○
The book is so successful because of the unique combination of
information in it
He is jailed because he got himself in a battle
§
His jail mate was a writer (crafter of tales) and therefore there is a
unique book because of the combination of the two's specialties
§
○
Written almost as a travel guide and many people used this as a travel
guide
What spices you could expect in certain places
§
How much taxes merchants had to pay in certain cities
Everything that is fancy in Europe comes from the east which
people thought was a land of limitless wealth
□
§
Because of Marco Polo's descriptions the Europeans have the idea of
limitless wealth in the Orient
§
○
-
Christopher Columbus was one of Marco Polo's greatest fans
Annotated Marco Polo's book and took it as his own inspiration in his life
○
The things he tends to highlight and spend more time on are the "nuts and
bolts" - how far from this place to this place, the ports
○
-
Notre Dame de Poitiers
Spices and rarities
Chance to display your worldliness
People could wear certain clothes and this is transferred to foods as well
(creates a hierarchy)
Spices were the "bling" of the middle ages in many ways at it allowed
people to show their financial elite status in front of other people
§
They are very expensive - didn't necessarily want the spices, but the
price made it desirable to display wealth
Causes for something to be expensive:
Intrinsic rarity (not very much of this thing, if a lot of
people want it then it will be expensive) Example:
truffles and caviar
®
Circumstantial rarity (rarity is artificially created - process
involved in producing the thing that makes it expensive)
Example: saffron, coffee beans (animal naturally chooses
the optimally ripe coffee beans but fails to digest them
and then people sell the coffee)
Only spice produced in Europe itself
◊
®
Artificial rarity (prices are artifically maintained -
production of the good is limited in a way that makes the
good artificially rare)
®
□
§
○
-
Eastern Hemisphere (1500)
As the economy becomes larger and has more disposable wealth, it drives the
prices of the spices up
Also makes the spices harder to get
○
-
If you break up the Mongol empire, it means that there are powers in the way
and are competing for travel
-
Prices dictated at the price of origin vs. prices dictated at the price of sale
-
Hundreds of steps involved in producing and selling the spices
Prices added on because there are numerous people involved in the spice
trade
○
-
Europeans realize that they are enriching the Ottoman Empire through the
involvement in the spice trade
Problematic because are Muslims and by trading with them, they are
inhibiting the success of reclaiming Jerusalem and are enriching their
enemies
○
-
This is why Christopher Columbus wanted to find a direct route to the spice
islands in order to cut out the middle man (apparently not true)
-
1492 last empire in Iberian peninsula that had been conquered by the Spanish
-
Isabelle and Ferdinand use this as a way to legitimize their rule
By conquering Grenada they were able to legitamize the Spanish rule
○
Convert the Mongols to Christianity and retake Jerusalem
○
They will become the most Catholic kings in the world and establish a
hegemonic rule over everyone (extension of the Crusades)
○
-
Genghis Kahn
Establishes a giant empire (Mongol empire) and dominates all of Asia and a bit of
Eastern Europe
Seen as being bringers of the apocalypse because of the violence that
comes out of the East
○
They are not Muslims so they are seen in allies in the war against the
Muslims
○
-
1245 Pope Innocent IV sends missionaries to the Mongols
Sends missionaries to the Mongols as part of the missonizng movement
(Fransiscans and Dominicans)
-
Pope authorizes missions to try and convert the Mongols
Not terribly successful because they didn't convert to Christianity - some
converted to Muslim and Buddhism
○
-
1289 Letter from Arghun Kahn to Philip the Fair proposing an alliance against the
Muslims
There is the fragmentation of the Mongol empire
-
Mongol leaders are more willing to establish an alliance to get rid of the Muslims
-
Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli
Back and forth between Christians to conquer the holy land and convert people
-
There is a huge desire among the Europeans to retake Jerusalem especially when
it is under Muslim control
-
Attended dinner in Rome with Mongol emissaries around 1492
-
He is a Fransiscan cleric
-
Wrote a letter to Christopher Columbus in 1481 relating the story of the
Mongols, and their desire for Christianity
-
Expounded a mathematical theory that presented the Earth as being much
smaller than it is
Putting the idea of Mongols who could be converted to Christianity
○
Sells theory about his own size of the world
○
-
Libro de la Profecias
Scrapbook (Columbus) kept
-
Book of prophecies that were maintained throughout his voyages but he
continues up until his death
Records prophecies that have to do with the retaking of Jerusalem, second
coming as Christ and the coming apocalypse
○
Columbus sees it as his mission in life to bring about the second coming of
Christ, or to make it possible
○
Engages in biblical and geographic mathematics in order to calculate when
the end of the world is going have happen (1556)
○
In order to allow Christ to come back, Jerusalem has to be in Christian
hands again
○
He sees in himself as a tool for God
○
Attracted to prophecies by a Christian Monk
○
-
Another sign of the mission is the name himself (St. Christopher)
His name means Christ bearer
○
Christopher Columbus changes his signature to emphasize that he is the
bearer of Christ
○
His duty to carry Christ and Christianity into the lands that he conquers
○
-
Columbus is not the only one who sees it as his responsibility to bring Christianity
to the new world
-
Patron Saint of the reconquista was St. James of Compostela
Idea of St. James is associated with the Christian (re)conquest
○
-
Santiago Matamoros
Idea that the reconquistadors have a patron saint that watches over them and
binds them together as a chivalrous society
-
Patron saint of travellers as well because of the pillgrams that go to Santiago
-
First recorded battle where Santiago is described as having intervened in a battle
in the new world
Battle against the Incas in Peru and gives them victory over Cusco
○
-
His new name is Santiago Mathapatriotas (Peru 19th century) or Mataespanos
Spreader of Christianity in chivalrous form
○
Extension of Europe outside its borders and into other places
○
Travellers take Eastern Europe with them
○
-
Eastern Europeans thought that the world was flat
Educated Europeans knew the world was round
○
They didn't know how big the globe is (size of the world)
○
Gets help from people in other places
○
-
Al-Farghani
9th century persian astronomer
-
Summarized Ptolemy's Mathematical Treatise
-
(mis)calculated the diameter of the Earth
His work inspires Toscaenelli's work
○
-
Martin Behaim (1459 - 1507)
-
Erdapfel (1492)
-
Depicts a smaller globe than what we actually have
Columbus calculates how long it would take him to sail from the Canary
Islands to Japan
○
Calculations did not take more than 3 weeks
○
Columbus doesn't just rely on Toscanelli's calculations, he tries to do this
by calculating the size of Asia (he uses Marco Polo's descriptions to
calculate the size of (Eur)Asia) but Marco Polo exaggerated this
○
-
There is rupture and separation between antiquity and the modern world
Owe what came before them to what is new and different
○
-
Lecture 13 - Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, and the End of the World
Thursday, November 9, 2017 1:33 PM
Document Summary
Lecture 13 - christopher columbus, marco polo, and the end of the world. 1492 - end of the middle ages (discovery of the new world) He is a merchant and the ships captain who gets credit for being such a great world traveller. Writes one of the best selling books of all time. The book is so successful because of the unique combination of information in it. He is jailed because he got himself in a battle. His jail mate was a writer (crafter of tales) and therefore there is a unique book because of the combination of the two"s specialties. Written almost as a travel guide and many people used this as a travel guide. What spices you could expect in certain places. How much taxes merchants had to pay in certain cities. Everything that is fancy in europe comes from the east which people thought was a land of limitless wealth.
