Education in the Middle Ages: Scholasticism

Beginning in about the 12th century, the writings of Greek and Roman philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, which had been little read in Europe for centuries, were brought back to Europe from Byzantium, where they had been studied for centuries in Arabic.

During this period, these "classical" texts were translated back into Latin and into other European languages. These translations took place primarily in monasteries, such as the monastery of St. Denis in France (outside Paris), where these texts were translated and studied by monks.