Perhaps, but this did not occur to any significant amount till after 1400. By that time, a lot of Greek learning had made its way into Western Europe thru Spain and other Moslem conduits. I contend that this earlier Greek learning was far more influential in the history (even the formation) of Western civilization than some humanistic polishing acquired during the Renaissance.
Without the Greek modes of thought transmitted by the Moslems, it is unlikely there would have been a High Middle Ages or a Renaissance.
Perhaps, but this did not occur to any significant amount till after 1400. By that time, a lot of Greek learning had made its way into Western Europe thru Spain and other Moslem conduits. I contend that this earlier Greek learning was far more influential in the history (even the formation) of Western civilization than some humanistic polishing acquired during the Renaissance.
Without the Greek modes of thought transmitted by the Moslems, it is unlikely there would have been a High Middle Ages or a Renaissance.
Again, I believe that Moslems are being given far too much credit for the transmission of Greek thought.
To say that cultural exchange between Constantinople and the West "did not occur to any significant amount till after 1400" erases the Fourth Crusade and the Latin Empire of Constantinople from the pages of history.
In 1203-1204, the Doge of Venice persuaded the Fourth Crusaders to attack Venice's maritime rival, Constantinople, as payment for Venetian sea transport of the Crusaders. Constantinople was conquered by the Fourth Crusaders in 1204.
From 1204 to 1261, the Catholic West ruled Constantinople as the Latin Empire of Constantinople.
The greatest conduit of Greek thought and Greek treasures into the Europe of the Middle Ages was the Most Serene Republic of Venice and not the Arab world. The Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204 wasn't nice and it wasn't pretty but it did give the West, principally Venice, a 57 year long rule over the direct descendant of the Eastern Roman Empire.