​Rationale

​

​

​Which of the following is NOT characteristic of the Italian Renaissance?

For the first time since the fall of the western portion of the Roman Empire in AD 476/CE 476 and the rise to prominence of the Christian Church, the leading role of this powerful institution was challenged by the Renaissance Thinkers and artists. Beginning around the first half of the 14th century, these artists and thinkers emphasized individual achievement, as opposed to crediting God for their accomplishments. Many important works of art featured secular and even pagan themes, harking back to the ancient Greco-Roman civilizations for inspiration.

​Rationale

​

​

​Florence was to the Italian Renaissance what...

​

The question asks to compare cities at the center of a specific historically significant eras. Florence was arguably the most important center of the Italian Renaissance, producing such luminaries as Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, and Machiavelli. Athens was the center of classical ancient Greek achievements in art, philosophy, mathematics, and science from 508-322 BCE. Democracy was first practiced in Athens during this time. Socrates, Plato, and Pericles were among the famous philosophers born in Athens during this time.

​Rationale

​

​

What was the effect of the Byzantine intellectuals on the Italian Renaissance?

​

The influx of Byzantine intellectuals who escaped Constantinople after the Ottoman conquest brought with them extensive knowledge of the ancient Greeks. This is thought to have led to the revival of Greek and Roman studies and the development of Renaissance humanism and science.

​~Byzantine art was known primarily for its interpretation of religious doctrines.

​~~Byzantine intellectuals were not connected with particular trade routes, and it was the merchant class's patronage of art that caused art to flourish in Italy at that time.