Abstract
This paper deals with the humanists’ historical interpretation of the origin of silk in Europe. The lasting progress of Italian sericulture aroused the interest of intellectuals who turned to study ancient texts on the question of sericulture. Within the growing interest to the origin of things, special attention was paid to the beginnings of silk production in Europe. Based on ancient texts humanists cultivated an idea that in ancient times the women of is Island were the first to learn how to unravel silkworm cocoons for the production of bombazine, called in Latin bombyx. When in the first half of 16th century the work of Procopius of Caesarea «History of Wars» came into knowledge, a new revision began. The renaissance thinkers started to criticize the concept of the ancient sericulture on Cos. It was little by little replaced with the idea that the production technology of «real», Chinese silk (called in Latin sericum) was not known in Europe until the reign of Justinian. This conclusion was one of the factors that predetermined a revision of the authority of ancient knowledge for the modern science.
Published Version
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