oni ates ▁in ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁and ▁George ▁Ak ropol ites ▁a ▁generation ▁later . ▁D ating ▁from ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁is ▁also ▁Tim ar ion , ▁an ▁Orth odox ▁Christian ▁anticip ation ▁of ▁Div ine ▁Com edy . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁the ▁so - called ▁By z antine ▁novel ▁rose ▁in ▁popular ity ▁with ▁its ▁synth esis ▁of ▁ancient ▁pag an ▁and ▁contempor aneous ▁Christian ▁them es . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁southern ▁France ▁gave ▁birth ▁to ▁Occ itan ▁literature , ▁which ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁trou bad ours ▁who ▁sang ▁of ▁court ly ▁love . ▁It ▁included ▁elements ▁from ▁Latin ▁literature ▁and ▁Arab - infl uen ced ▁Spain ▁and ▁North ▁Africa . ▁Later ▁its ▁influence ▁spread ▁to ▁several ▁cult ures ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁not ably ▁in ▁Portugal ▁and ▁the ▁Minn es änger ▁in ▁Germany . ▁Pro ven ç al ▁literature ▁also ▁reached ▁Sic ily ▁and ▁Northern ▁Italy ▁lay ing ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁" s weet ▁new ▁style " ▁of ▁D ante ▁and ▁later ▁Pet rar ca . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁poem ▁of ▁the ▁Late ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁the ▁alleg or ical ▁Div ine ▁Com edy , ▁is ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁degree ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁the ology ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Aqu inas ▁and ▁the ▁largely ▁sec ular ▁Occ itan ▁literature . ▁ ▁Music ▁ ▁The ▁surv iving ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁High ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁is ▁primarily ▁religious ▁in ▁nature , ▁since