Professor Cripps
2-1-Q
Chapter 5
Student: Anthony Lacaprucia
2 – Offer 2 Specific Details from the chapter. For each, ID/quote and add 3-8 sentences of your own explanation
- “To insist on the original, independent meaning of this rubble would cause trouble and moral perplexity. A passion for antiquity could certainly not be justified on the basis of curiosity alone, for curiosity had long been rigorously condemned 8 as a mortal sin” (Greenblatt page 5 of chapter). It is interesting to note how curiosity would be a mortal sin. I understand the church wanted its followers to not be curious and get sort of rebellious ideas but I still feel like curiosity would be useful for other things. I wonder when this mentality with the church shifted.
- “In order to earn money the young Poggio copied books and documents, probably a very large number of them. His handwriting and his skill in copying—for which he became celebrated in his lifetime—must have been sufficiently remarkable from the beginning to enable him to pay for lessons” (Greenblatt page 6 of chapter). I think this quote gives a good insight into Poggio’s backstory. I still think the job of copying books by hand sounds like torture. It is also interesting how there were handwriting lessons and I’m curious as to how much they would cost in today’s equivalent of money.
1 – Make 1 Connection to Self, to World, or to Text – or Extend by offering a little detail about something mentioned in the text (some light research needed to Extend)
- “It was at some point in the 1390s, well before he turned twenty, that the impoverished young man came to Florence. He probably had in hand a letter of recommendation from his schoolteacher in Arezzo, and he might have acquired as well a smattering of legal knowledge from brief studies in Bologna” (Greenblatt 2nd page of chapter). I just found it very interesting how that in the 1390s letters of recommendation were a thing. We still use them today and I had to get a bunch when I was applying to schools and scholarships. It’s alsop interesting to note that all of mine were digital where as i’m sure Poggio’s were all handwritten and had to be well kept.
Q – Give us a Good Question to chew on – 1-3 sentences
- “It is much sweeter 3 to spend money than to earn it,” wrote Giovanni Rucellai, whose family had grown rich in wool dying and banking; “spending gave me deeper satisfaction” (Greenblatt 2nd page of chapter). Would you agree with Giovanni Rucellai that spending money is always sweeter than earning it?
