▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁interest ▁in ▁this ▁study ▁was ▁rev ital ized ▁through ▁the ▁translation ▁of ▁Greek ▁and ▁Arab ic ▁scientific ▁texts . ▁Scient ific ▁study ▁further ▁developed ▁within ▁the ▁emer ging ▁medieval ▁univers ities , ▁where ▁these ▁texts ▁were ▁studied ▁and ▁elabor ated , ▁leading ▁to ▁new ▁ins ights ▁into ▁the ▁phen omena ▁of ▁the ▁universe . ▁These ▁adv ances ▁are ▁virt ually ▁unknown ▁to ▁the ▁lay ▁public ▁of ▁today , ▁partly ▁because ▁most ▁theories ▁advanced ▁in ▁medieval ▁science ▁are ▁today ▁ob sole te , ▁and ▁partly ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁car ic ature ▁of ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁as ▁a ▁supposed ly ▁" D ark ▁Age " ▁which ▁placed ▁" the ▁word ▁of ▁religious ▁authorities ▁over ▁personal ▁experience ▁and ▁rational ▁activity ." ▁ ▁Early ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁( AD ▁ 4 7 6 – 1 0 0 0 ) ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ancient ▁world , ▁Greek ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁primary ▁language ▁of ▁science . ▁Even ▁under ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁Latin ▁texts ▁drew ▁extens ively ▁on ▁Greek ▁work , ▁some ▁pre - R oman , ▁some ▁contemporary ; ▁while ▁advanced ▁scientific ▁research ▁and ▁teaching ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁on ▁in ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁in ▁Greek . ▁Late ▁Roman ▁attempts ▁to ▁translate ▁Greek ▁writ ings ▁into ▁Latin ▁had ▁limited ▁success . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁knowledge ▁of ▁Greek ▁decl ined ▁during ▁the ▁transition ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁the ▁Latin ▁West ▁found ▁itself ▁cut ▁off ▁from ▁its ▁Greek ▁philosoph ical ▁and ▁scientific ▁roots .