ABSTRACT
Intellectually the Romans were what Americans mean by a practical people. They were excellent engineers, but they contented themselves with compendiums of Greek science. The early influence of Christianity everywhere is evidenced by the fact that St. Augustine was the most important literary figure of the fourth century. Western Europe found itself ready to develop an interest in science. The drama of the middle Ages came from the liturgy of the Church. In the twelfth century liturgical dramas, written in Latin sentences culled from the Bible and with only clerks as actors, were performed within the church. The lyrics of Medieval Latin are usually called Goliardic poetry, they were songs of wandering students, hugely satirical of the figures of the age, particularly of the clergy, and jovially praise the joys of nature, wine and women. Dante knew in detail the theology of Aquinas and the philosophy of Aristotle and everything the medieval world knew about astronomy and even astrology.
