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jeidie asked in Arts & HumanitiesHistory · 1 decade ago

Were eyeglasses already invented during the medieval period?

I really really really need an answer, an accurate one. and can you please also give me any historical event on which i could use in my "historical novel making" homework? i mean a historical event which can be connected to feudalism. i mean like a war or something? please please. i really need it! thank you. NO RUDE ANSWERS PLEASE!!!

3 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Apparently the Arabs invented some kind of corrected lenses for eyeglasses sometime during the European Dark Ages. Though the Europeans did not have eyeglasses during the Middle Ages. An Arab text entitled "The Book of Optics" published by Alhazen in 1021 was translated into Latin around 12th century. By this time Europe was coming out of the Medieval period. This Arab book was essential to the development of eyeglasses in Italy around the 13th century.

    So in answer to your question, no there were no eyeglasses in Europe during the Medieval period.

  • Herbli
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    There are records of reading glasses in the later part of the 1200's. What dates are you considering as medieval? You could use the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, but that takes place before the use of eyeglasses. Remember the line "Kill them all, let God sort them out"? That comes from the massacre of the Cathars. It is an interesting little known bit of feudal/religious history. Check the links.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    You may be searching around to find a rare example of an Arab invention but glasses were Italian going back to medieval times

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