People-focused ideas grew from studying ancient Greeks and Romans.
This happened during the 1400s and 1500s, starting in Italy.
Humanists studied old texts to become better citizens and speak well.
They wanted to bring back Greek and Roman thinking and writing.
This new education included grammar, history, poetry, and ethics.
Humanism began small but aimed to change society.
Many early humanists were Christians wanting a purer church and Bible.
They searched for old texts to understand Christianity better.
Humanism reacted against complicated medieval thinking.
It mixed classical learning with Christian values.
This created a new way of thinking.
It valued human potential and achievement.
