Ireland's contribution to Western civilization is often overlooked from "summary" of How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from by Thomas Cahill
Thomas Cahill sheds light on the significant but overlooked role that Ireland played in preserving and transmitting Western civilization during the Dark Ages. While many people attribute the revival of European culture to the Renaissance or the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, Cahill argues that the Irish monks and scholars played a crucial role in safeguarding the legacy of the ancient world. During the tumultuous period following the fall of the Roman Empire, Ireland emerged as a beacon of learning and scholarship. Monasteries such as Clonmacnoise and Kells became centers of knowledge where manuscripts from antiquity were meticulously copied and preserved. These monastic scribes painstakingly transcribed works of literature, philosophy, and theology, ensuring that they would not be lost to the ravages of time. The Irish monks were not merely copyists; they were also innovators who contributed to the development of Western civilization. They added their own insights and interpretations to the texts they copied, c...
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