E.H. 'A Little History of the World' 30. Terrible Times

Kent Kently
17 Jan 201713:10
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe chapter 'Terrible Times' from 'A Little History of the World' by Gombrich recounts the devastating Thirty Years' War, which began with the Defenestration of Prague in 1618 and continued for three decades, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The conflict initially centered around the struggle between Catholics and Protestants, but evolved into a broader power struggle among European nations. The narrative highlights the brutality of war, the rise and fall of commanders like Wallenstein, and the intervention of Sweden and France. The chapter also touches on the post-war period marked by famine, disease, and the rise of witch hunts, reflecting the deep-seated superstitions and fear of the time. However, amidst this turmoil, the chapter also celebrates the scientific advancements and the pioneering work of Galileo Galilei, who faced persecution for his heliocentric theories but laid the groundwork for the mathematical understanding of nature's laws, which underpins modern technology.

Takeaways
  • πŸ“š The Thirty Years' War was a period of religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants that led to widespread confusion and suffering.
  • πŸ‘‘ The Habsburg Emperors sought to reestablish Catholic Church sovereignty but initially allowed Protestant services, which later led to revolt.
  • πŸ—ΊοΈ The Defenestration of Prague in 1618 marked the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, which lasted for thirty years and resulted in massive destruction.
  • 🏰 The war evolved into a brutal conflict with soldiers looting, killing, and causing havoc, driven by the expectation of plunder rather than religious faith.
  • 🀬 The commanders, such as Wallenstein, gained significant power and influence, leading to tensions with the Emperor and contributing to the war's complexity.
  • πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ͺ Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden entered the war to support Protestantism and nearly tipped the balance until his death in 1632.
  • πŸ‡«πŸ‡· France, despite being Catholic, joined the war against the Habsburgs, aiming to weaken their power and elevate France's status in Europe.
  • πŸ”ͺ The war resulted in a massive loss of life and devastation, with Germany's population severely reduced and the land left in ruins.
  • πŸ§™ The post-war period was marked by a rise in superstition and witch hunts, fueled by fear and the desire to find scapegoats for the suffering.
  • πŸ”’ Despite the dark times, the scientific method and mathematical laws of nature were still pursued by individuals like Galileo Galilei, leading to significant discoveries.
  • βš–οΈ Galileo's heliocentric model, which stated the Earth moved around the Sun, was controversial and led to his trial before the Inquisition, but his ideas ultimately prevailed.
Q & A
  • What was the primary cause of the Thirty Years' War?

    -The primary cause of the Thirty Years' War was religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, with the Habsburg Emperors of Germany seeking to reestablish the sovereignty of the Catholic Church throughout their empire.

  • What event is known as the Defenestration of Prague, and what was its significance?

    -The Defenestration of Prague refers to the incident in 1618 where discontented Protestants threw three of the Emperor's Catholic councilors out of a window at a Prague Castle. It marked the beginning of the Thirty Years' War.

  • How did the war evolve over time?

    -Over time, the war evolved from a religious conflict into a broader struggle for power among European nations. It became a dreadful massacre with ill-paid soldiers from various countries rampaging through the land, looting, and killing.

  • Who was Wallenstein, and what was his role in the war?

    -Wallenstein was a poor country nobleman serving as a commander on the Emperor's side. He led his armies into North Germany to capture Protestant towns and nearly decided the war in favor of the Emperor and the Catholic Church due to his skill and strategy.

  • Why did Sweden, under Gustavus Adolphus, enter the conflict?

    -Sweden, led by its powerful and pious Protestant ruler Gustavus Adolphus, entered the conflict to rescue the Protestant faith and establish a mighty Protestant Empire under Sweden's leadership.

  • What was France's motivation for joining the war, and how did it differ from the initial religious cause?

    -France, a Catholic nation, joined the war not for religious reasons but to exploit the general confusion and weaken the Habsburg rulers, who were the dominant powers in Europe. France aimed to elevate itself to become Europe's greatest power.

  • What was the outcome of the Thirty Years' War in terms of religion and territorial control?

    -The Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which ended the war, left religious and territorial divisions largely unchanged. What had been Protestant remained Protestant, and the lands controlled by the Emperor, including Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, remained Catholic.

  • How did the war impact the population and society in Germany?

    -The war had a devastating impact on Germany, with barely half the population surviving. Those who did were destitute, and many emigrated to America or joined foreign armies. Society was left in a state of despair, with widespread fear and superstition.

  • What was the role of Cardinal Richelieu in the war, and how did he succeed?

    -Cardinal Richelieu, the intelligent Minister of France, guided his country's involvement in the war to weaken the Habsburgs and elevate France's status. He secured several German fortresses and towns near the Rhine for France, making him the only true victor in the war.

  • How did the fear of witchcraft and sorcery intensify after the Thirty Years' War?

    -The fear of witchcraft and sorcery intensified as a form of madness that infected many people, leading to widespread persecution. Thousands were accused, tortured, and burned, often based on personal grievances or suspicions rather than actual evidence.

  • Who was Galileo Galilei, and what was his contribution to the understanding of nature?

    -Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist who applied mathematical calculations to understand natural phenomena. He observed, analyzed, and described the movements of celestial bodies, supporting the heliocentric model that the Earth moves around the Sun, which was a significant departure from the geocentric model endorsed by the Church.

  • How did Galileo's trial before the Inquisition reflect the conflict between science and religion at the time?

    -Galileo's trial before the Inquisition exemplified the conflict between scientific inquiry and religious dogma. Despite evidence supporting the heliocentric model, his ideas were deemed heretical and in contradiction to the Bible. Galileo was forced to recant his views to avoid execution, illustrating the risks associated with challenging established religious beliefs.

Outlines
00:00
🏰 Terrible Times: The 30 Years War

The first paragraph describes the tumultuous period of the 30 Years War, which was marked by religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. The Habsburg Emperors of Germany, despite their limited power, aimed to reestablish Catholic dominance but faced a significant revolt in Bohemia in 1618, known as the Defenestration of Prague. This event catalyzed a brutal war that lasted for thirty years, involving mercenaries whose primary motivation was plunder. The narrative highlights figures like Wallenstein, a commander on the Emperor's side, and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, a key Protestant leader. The war evolved into a complex conflict with various European powers, including France, seeking to capitalize on the chaos. The paragraph concludes with the mention of the war's continuation despite key events and figures.

05:02
πŸ•Š Post-War Devastation and the Rise of Superstition

The second paragraph discusses the aftermath of the 30 Years War, which resulted in a peace agreement that essentially restored the religious and territorial statuses quo ante bellum. Despite the war's end, Sweden lost much of its influence, and France secured some gains under Cardinal Richelieu's strategic guidance. The devastation was profound, with the population severely reduced and the survivors destitute. This led to mass emigration to America and enlistment in foreign armies. Amidst the despair, a rise in superstition and fear of witchcraft and sorcery took hold, particularly in Germany. The narrative describes how the fear of the supernatural led to the persecution of innocent people, often women, accused of witchcraft. This period saw thousands executed under the guise of witch hunts, which were fueled by the widespread belief in the power of the devil and magic. The paragraph also contrasts this with the scientific pursuits of individuals who continued to apply rational and mathematical principles to understand the natural world.

10:04
πŸ“š The Power of Mathematics: Galileo's Legacy

The third paragraph celebrates the power of mathematics and its application to understanding the natural world, as exemplified by the work of Galileo Galilei. Galileo's observations and writings on the heliocentric model of the solar system, which posits that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, were controversial and at odds with the geocentric model endorsed by religious authorities. Despite the risk of being labeled a heretic, Galileo's work laid the foundation for a deeper comprehension of nature's mathematical laws. The paragraph emphasizes that these laws are consistent and repeatable, forming the basis of modern technology and scientific advancements. It concludes by acknowledging the bravery of those who pursued scientific inquiry in the face of significant danger and prejudice.

Mindmap
French involvement in the war for political gain
French Minister aiming to make France the greatest power
Aim to rescue Protestantism and establish a Protestant Empire
Sweden's powerful and pious Protestant ruler
Led armies for the Habsburg Emperor
Poor nobleman with ambition and ability
Religious faith forgotten; brutality and chaos
Ill-paid soldiers rampaged through the land
Beginning of the Thirty Years War
1618 revolt by discontented Protestants in Bohemia
Habsburg Emperors' goal to reestablish Catholic Church's sovereignty
People no longer knew who they were fighting against
Laid foundation for modern technology and scientific method
Galileo's ideas influenced future generations
Brought before the Inquisition; forced to recant
Denounced for supporting heliocentric theory
Galileo's application of math to understand celestial bodies
Discovery that nature follows mathematical laws
Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and Florentine scholars
Despite superstition, some pursued scientific understanding
Thousands accused and executed based on superstition and false accusations
Fear of evil spells, sorcery, and witchcraft increased
Survivors destitute; many migrated to America or joined foreign armies
Germany devastated; population halved
Little change in religious and political landscape
1648 agreement
Cardinal Richelieu
Gustavus Adolphus
Wallenstein
Massacre and Plunder
Defenestration of Prague
Confused Era
Legacy and Impact
Galileo's Struggles
Mathematical Laws of Nature
Continuation of Curiosity
Superstition and Witch Hunts
Devastation and Migration
Peace of Westphalia
Key Figures
Wars between Catholics and Protestants
Enlightenment and Scientific Discovery
Aftermath of the War
Religious Conflicts
Terrible Times: The Thirty Years War and Enlightenment
Alert
Keywords
πŸ’‘Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years War was a series of conflicts that took place in Europe from 1618 to 1648. Primarily a religious war between Catholics and Protestants, it evolved into a broader political conflict involving most of the European nations. The war began with the Defenestration of Prague and resulted in widespread destruction, particularly in Germany, and had profound effects on the political and religious landscape of Europe. In the video, it is depicted as a dreadful era marked by confusion, massacres, and the rise of brutal mercenaries.
πŸ’‘Defenestration of Prague
The Defenestration of Prague refers to an incident on May 23, 1618, where Protestant Bohemian nobles threw two Catholic councilors and their secretary out of a window in Prague Castle. This event marked the beginning of the Bohemian Revolt and, subsequently, the broader Thirty Years War. It is significant as it symbolizes the start of a long period of religious and political conflict in Europe.
πŸ’‘Habsburg Emperors
The Habsburg Emperors were rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and, later, Austria-Hungary. In the context of the video, they are depicted as pious Catholic rulers who sought to reestablish the dominance of the Catholic Church within their empire. Their efforts to suppress Protestantism contributed to the tensions that led to the Thirty Years War.
πŸ’‘Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus was the King of Sweden who intervened in the Thirty Years War on the side of the Protestants. He is known for his military innovations and for leading the Swedish forces to significant victories against the Habsburgs and their Catholic allies. His death in battle in 1632 was a turning point in the war, as it halted the Protestant momentum and led to a prolonged period of conflict.
πŸ’‘Cardinal Richelieu
Cardinal Richelieu was a French clergyman and statesman who served as the chief minister of Louis XIII. In the video, he is portrayed as a key figure who guided French policy during the Thirty Years War. His strategic involvement in the war was aimed at weakening the Habsburgs and enhancing France's position as a dominant power in Europe, rather than religious motives.
πŸ’‘Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein was a military commander in the service of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years War. He is depicted in the video as a commander with immense ambition and ability, leading the imperial forces to several victories. His growing power and perceived disloyalty to the Emperor led to his assassination in 1634.
πŸ’‘Superstition and Witch Hunts
The period following the Thirty Years War was marked by a rise in superstition, particularly regarding witchcraft and sorcery. The video describes how this led to widespread witch hunts, where individuals, often women, were accused of witchcraft, tortured, and executed. This reflects the societal fear and the lack of scientific understanding of the natural world at the time.
πŸ’‘Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer who played a major role in the scientific revolution. In the video, he is highlighted for his contributions to the understanding of the natural world through the application of mathematics. His support for the heliocentric model of the solar system, which placed the Sun at the center, was controversial and led to his trial by the Catholic Church.
πŸ’‘Mathematical Laws of Nature
The mathematical laws of nature refer to the principles that describe the behavior of natural phenomena through mathematical formulas. The video emphasizes the significance of these laws in understanding and predicting natural events, such as the movement of celestial bodies and the behavior of physical systems. This understanding is foundational to modern science and technology.
πŸ’‘Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period of cultural, artistic, political, and economic rebirth that began in Italy during the 14th century and spread throughout Europe. The video mentions the Renaissance in the context of the contrast between the superstition of the time and the scientific and artistic advancements that were also taking place, such as the construction of St. Peter's Church and the works of Leonardo da Vinci.
πŸ’‘Inquisition
The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy. In the video, it is mentioned in the context of Galileo's trial. Galileo was brought before the Inquisition for his support of the heliocentric model, which was considered heretical. The Inquisition's role in suppressing scientific thought is a key theme in the video, illustrating the conflict between religious dogma and empirical observation.
Highlights

The 30 Years War was a dreadful era marked by confusion and violence between Catholics and Protestants.

The Habsburg Emperors of Germany had limited power and sought to reestablish Catholic Church sovereignty.

The Defenestration of Prague in 1618 was a pivotal event that signaled the start of the 30 Years War.

The war evolved into a brutal massacre with ill-paid soldiers looting and killing across the land.

Religious faith was overshadowed by the expectation of plunder, leading to alliances based on convenience rather than belief.

Wallenstein, a commander on the Emperor's side, gained significant power and influence through his military strategies.

Sweden's entry into the war under Gustavus Adolphus aimed to rescue the Protestant faith and establish a Protestant Empire.

France joined the war not for religious reasons but to exploit the chaos and elevate its own power in Europe.

Wallenstein's ambition grew to the point of considering himself a rightful sovereign, leading to his eventual murder in 1634.

The war continued for 14 more years after Wallenstein's death, causing widespread destruction and suffering.

The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 ended the war but left Germany devastated with a significant loss of population.

Cardinal Richelieu was the only true victor, securing several German fortresses and towns for France.

The post-war period saw a rise in superstition, fear of witchcraft, and the persecution of alleged witches.

Despite the chaos, some individuals continued to pursue scientific inquiry, discovering the mathematical laws of nature.

Galileo Galilei's observations and theories on the heliocentric model of the solar system were deemed heretical by religious authorities.

Galileo's forced recantation of his heliocentric theory did not prevent the spread of his ideas and methods.

The application of mathematical calculation to natural phenomena was seen as a form of magic that could predict and control nature's behavior.

The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of mathematical laws in understanding and manipulating the natural world.

Transcripts
00:00

a little history of the world by eh

00:01

Gombrich chapter 30 terrible times if I

00:06

wished I could write many more chapters

00:08

on the wars between Catholics and

00:10

Protestants but I won't it was a

00:12

dreadful era events soon became so

00:15

confused that people no longer knew why

00:17

or against whom they were fighting the

00:20

Habsburg Emperor's of Germany ruling now

00:22

from Prague now from Vienna had no real

00:24

power outside Austria and part of

00:27

Hungary they were pious men who wished

00:29

to reestablish the sovereignty of the

00:31

Catholic Church throughout their empire

00:33

nevertheless they did for a while allow

00:36

Protestants to hold religious services

00:38

until one day a revolt broke out in

00:40

Bohemia in 1618 discontented Protestants

00:45

through three of the Emperor's Catholic

00:47

councilors out of a window at a Prague

00:50

Castle they landed in a pile of manure

00:52

and so came to little harm nevertheless

00:54

this event known as the diffence tration

00:58

of prague gave the signal for a dreadful

01:01

war to begin which lasted for thirty

01:03

years thirty years just imagine if

01:06

someone heard about the defense tration

01:08

at the age of ten they would have to

01:10

wait until they were forty to experience

01:12

peace yes they experienced it for a note

01:17

for in no time the war had turned into a

01:19

dreadful massacre as hordes of ill paid

01:21

soldiers from countries far and wide

01:23

rampaged through the land looting and

01:25

killing the expectation of plunder was

01:29

what drew the vilest and most brutal men

01:31

of all nations into the ranks of these

01:33

armies religious faith was long

01:35

forgotten Protestants fought and

01:37

Catholic armies Catholics and Protestant

01:39

ones friends and foe suffered alight

01:41

from their opacity whether they pitched

01:44

their tents they did wherever they

01:46

pitched their tents they demanded food

01:47

and above all drink from local peasants

01:50

and if a peasant refused to give them

01:52

what they wanted they took it by force

01:53

or they killed him in the improbable

01:57

patchwork of rags they're great and

01:59

they're great plunder their great plumed

02:02

hats in their in their improbable

02:04

patchwork of rags and they're great

02:06

plumed hats

02:07

swords dangling from their belts and

02:09

pistols at the ready they rode around

02:10

burning killing and tormenting the

02:12

defenseless peasant

02:13

out of sheer wickedness and depravity

02:15

nothing could stop them the only person

02:18

they would obey was their commander and

02:19

if he won their affection they followed

02:21

him with blind devotion once that's

02:24

cooked one such commander on the

02:26

Emperor's side was Wallenstein a poor

02:29

country nobleman of immense ambition and

02:31

ability he led his armies up into North

02:33

Germany to capture the Protestant towns

02:35

thanks to his skill and strategy the war

02:38

was nearly decided in favor of the

02:39

Emperor and the Catholic Church however

02:41

a new country entered the conflict

02:44

this was Sweden under its powerful pious

02:47

Protestant ruler Gustavus Adolphus his

02:50

aim was to rescue the Protestant faith

02:53

and found a mighty Protestant Empire

02:55

under Sweden's leadership the Swedes had

02:57

retaken North Germany and were marching

02:59

on Austria when in 1632

03:01

the 14th year at this dreadful war

03:03

Gustavus Adolphus fell in battle

03:05

nevertheless many of his battalions

03:08

reached the outskirts of Vienna and

03:09

wrought havoc there France also joined

03:12

the war now you might think that the

03:14

French being Catholics would have sided

03:15

with the Emperor against the Protestants

03:17

of North Germany and Sweden but the war

03:20

had long stopped being about religion

03:22

each country was out to get what it

03:24

could from the general confusion and

03:26

because the to have and because the two

03:29

Habsburg rulers the Emperor of Germany

03:30

and the king of Spain were the dominant

03:32

powers in Europe the French under the

03:34

guidance of their exceptionally

03:36

intelligent Minister Cardinal Richelieu

03:37

hopes to exploit the situation to make

03:41

it to make Francis Europe's great to

03:43

make France here ups greatest power so

03:46

that's why Frances soldiers fought

03:48

against those of the Emperor

03:49

meanwhile wallenstein as the Emperor's

03:52

general was at the height of his power

03:54

his army worshipped him and his fierce

03:56

soldiers fought for him and for the

03:58

fulfillment of his aims rather than for

04:00

the Emperor or the Catholic faith being

04:03

indifferent to both the effect of this

04:05

was that Wallenstein increasingly saw

04:08

himself as the rightful sovereign

04:09

without him and his troops the Emperor

04:11

was powerless so he took it upon himself

04:14

to hold talks with the enemy about a

04:16

possible peace agreement and ignored all

04:18

the Emperor's commands the Emperor

04:20

decided to arrest him but in 1634 before

04:24

he could do so wallenstein was murdered

04:25

by an English captain

04:26

would once been his friend however the

04:29

war continued for 14 more years becoming

04:32

increasingly wild and confused whole

04:34

villages were burned towns plundered

04:36

women and children murdered robbed in a

04:38

bet

04:39

robbed and abducted there seemed to be

04:41

no end to it the soldiers seized the

04:44

peasants livestock and trampled their

04:46

crops famine disease and roaming packs

04:48

of wolves made westward made wastelands

04:52

of great structure of great stretches of

04:54

Germany and after all these years of

04:56

appalling suffering the envoy's of

04:58

various rulers finally met in 1648 and

05:01

after interminable and complicated

05:03

discussions agreed on a peace which left

05:06

things more or less as they had been in

05:07

the first place before the 30 Years War

05:10

had begun what had the prot what had

05:13

been Protestant would remain Protestant

05:15

the lands the Emperor controlled Austria

05:17

Hungary and Bohemia would remain

05:21

Catholic with the death of Gustavus

05:23

Adolphus Sweden had lost most of its in

05:25

most of the influence that had gained

05:27

and only held on to a few strips of

05:30

conquered land in North Germany and on

05:31

the Baltic coast Cardinal Richelieu and

05:34

voyeurs were alone in succeeding to

05:36

secure a number of German fortresses and

05:38

towns near the Rhine for France which

05:40

made the wily French Minister the only

05:43

true victor in a war which hadn't even

05:44

concerned him Germany was devastated

05:47

barely half the population had survived

05:49

and those who had were destitute and

05:53

many left and made their way to America

05:54

while others tried to enlist in foreign

05:57

armies since they didn't know anything

05:58

about fighting on top of all this misery

06:02

and despair a terrible madness began to

06:05

infect a growing number of people the

06:07

fear of evil spells of sorcery and

06:09

witchcraft people had also been

06:12

superstitious in the Middle Ages and had

06:14

believed in all sorts of ghouls and

06:15

ghosts as you remember but it was never

06:17

as bad as this things had begun to get

06:20

worse during the time of the power and

06:22

splendour loving popes the time we know

06:24

is the Renaissance when the new st.

06:27

Peter's Church was being built and

06:28

indulgences were sold those popes

06:30

weren't pious but that only made them

06:32

all the more superstitious they were

06:34

afraid of the devil in every conceivable

06:36

form of magic and each of the popes on

06:39

the period or in

06:40

here and each of the Pope's of the

06:42

period around 1500 whose names we

06:44

associate with the most wonderful works

06:46

of art was also responsible for chilling

06:49

decrees calling for witches and

06:50

sorcerers to be hunted down without

06:52

mercy especially in Germany you may ask

06:55

how it is possible to hunt down

06:57

something that isn't there and never was

06:59

and that is precisely why it was so

07:01

terrible if a woman wasn't liked in her

07:04

village perhaps because she was a little

07:05

odd or made people feel uncomfortable

07:08

anyone could suddenly say that woman is

07:11

a witch she's the cause of all those

07:13

hailstorms we've been having or she gave

07:15

the mayor his bad back and in fact both

07:18

an Italian and German people still use

07:20

the expression witch hunt or witch hurt

07:23

when talking about a backache when the

07:27

woman would be then the woman would be

07:28

arrested and interrogated they would ask

07:31

her if she was in league with the devil

07:32

naturally she would be horrified and

07:34

Inayat but then they would torture her

07:36

and torment her for so long and in such

07:39

a dreadful way the half-dead with pain

07:41

she would admit to anything in her

07:42

despair and that was it

07:44

now she had confessed to being a witch

07:46

and she would be burned alive often well

07:49

she was being tortured they would ask if

07:51

there were other witches in the village

07:53

making magic with her and in her

07:55

weakness she might blurt out any name

07:57

that came into her head in the hope the

07:59

torture would stop then others in their

08:01

turn would be arrested and tortured

08:02

until they confessed and were burned the

08:05

year of the devil and witchcraft were

08:07

ripe during the dreadful period after

08:09

the 30 Years War in Catholic and

08:11

Protestant districts alike thousands and

08:14

thousands of people were burned the few

08:16

Jesuit priests who protested against the

08:18

madness were powerless to stop it people

08:20

in those days lived in a state of

08:22

constant fear of the unknown of magical

08:24

powers and the works of the devil only

08:26

this fear can begin to explain the

08:28

atrocities inflicted on so many

08:30

thousands of innocent people what is

08:34

most remarkable however is that at a

08:36

time when people were at their most

08:38

superstitious there was still some who

08:40

had not forgotten the ideas of Leonardo

08:42

da Vinci and the other great Florentines

08:45

people who went on using their eyes in

08:47

order to see and make sense of the world

08:49

and it was they who discovered the real

08:52

magic magic

08:54

lets us look into the past and into the

08:55

future and enables us to work out what a

08:58

star billions of miles away is made of

09:00

and to predict precisely when an eclipse

09:03

of the Sun is due and from what part of

09:05

the earth that will be visible this

09:07

magic was arithmetic of course these

09:10

people didn't invent it for merchants

09:12

had always been able to add and subtract

09:14

but they became increasingly aware the

09:17

number of things in nature they're

09:19

governed by mathematical laws how a

09:21

clock with a pendulum 981 millimeters

09:25

long needs exactly one second per swing

09:27

and why this is so they called these the

09:30

laws of nature Leonardo da Vinci had

09:32

already said nature doesn't break her

09:35

own laws and so it was known with

09:37

certainty that if you take any natural

09:39

event and measure and record it

09:41

precisely you will discover that given

09:43

the same circumstances the result will

09:45

always be the same no matter how often

09:49

it is repeated indeed it cannot be

09:51

different this was an extraordinary

09:53

discovery and a far greater magic than

09:55

anything this was an extraordinary

10:00

discovery and a far greater magic than

10:03

anything the poor witches were accused

10:05

of for now the whole of nature the Stars

10:07

and drops of water falling stones and

10:09

vibrating violin strings was no longer

10:12

just one incomprehensible tangle that

10:14

made people fearful and uneasy if you

10:17

knew the correct mathematical formula

10:19

you had a magic spell for everything you

10:21

could say to a violin string to make an

10:24

A you must be this long and this tight

10:26

and moved backwards and forwards 435

10:30

times in a second and the note the

10:32

string made would prove it the first man

10:37

to understand the extraordinary magical

10:39

power of applying mathematical

10:41

calculation to things in nature was an

10:43

Italian called Galileo Galilei she was

10:46

devoted he had devoted many years to

10:48

observing analyzing and describing such

10:50

things when one day someone denounced

10:53

him for writing exactly what Leonardo

10:54

had observed but had not explained what

10:57

he had written was this the Sun does not

11:00

move on the contrary it is the earth

11:02

which moves around the Sun together with

11:05

the planets this discovery had already

11:07

been

11:07

by a Polish scholar named Copernicus

11:09

after many years of calculation it had

11:12

been published in 1543 not long after

11:14

Leonardo's death and shortly before his

11:16

own but the theory had been denounced as

11:18

unchristian and heretical by Catholic

11:20

and Protestant priests alike they

11:22

pointed to a passage in the Old

11:24

Testament in which Joshua the great

11:26

warrior asks God not to let dusk fall

11:28

until his enemy is destroyed an answer

11:31

to his prayer we read the Sun Stood

11:33

Still and the moon stayed until the

11:35

people had avenged themselves on their

11:37

enemies if the Bible says the Sun Stood

11:39

Still people argued then the Sun must

11:41

normally be in motion and to suggest the

11:44

Sun did not move was therefore heretical

11:46

and contradicted what was written in the

11:48

Bible

11:48

so in 1632 when he was nearly 70 years

11:52

old Galileo who had devoted his whole

11:54

life to scholarship was brought before

11:56

the religious tribunal known as the

11:58

Inquisition and made to choose between

12:00

being burned as a heretic or announcing

12:02

his theory about the movement of the

12:04

earth around the Sun he signed a

12:06

declaration saying that he was adopted

12:08

that he was but a poor sinner for he had

12:11

taught that the earth moved around the

12:13

Sun in this way he avoided being burned

12:16

the fate of so many of his predecessors

12:19

nevertheless when he signed the

12:22

Declaration he is said to have muttered

12:24

under his breath and yet it moves

12:27

none of these fixed ideas was in the end

12:30

able to prevent Galileo's ideas and

12:33

methods and all the discoveries he made

12:36

from influencing and inspiring people in

12:38

ever-increasing numbers and if today

12:40

thanks to mathematical formulas we can

12:43

make nature do whatever we want so that

12:45

we have telephones airplanes computer

12:48

and computers and all the rest of our

12:50

modern technology we should be grateful

12:52

to all those who like Galileo

12:56

investigated nature's mathematical laws

12:59

at a time when it was almost as

13:00

dangerous to do it was almost as

13:04

dangerous a thing to do as it was to be

13:05

a Christian in Nero's day and that is

13:09

the end of the chapter