A high medieval construction site from the Maciejowski Bible . Artes Mechanicae or mechanical arts, are a medieval concept of ordered practices or skills, often juxtaposed to the traditional seven liberal arts Artes liberales . Also called "servile" and "vulgar",See for instance Cicero'sDe Officiis, Book I, xxlii. from antiquity they had been deemed unbecoming for a free man, as ministering to baser needs. Overview Johannes Scotus Eriugena (9th century) divides them somewhat arbitrarily into seven parts: vestiaria (tailoring, weaving) agricultura (agriculture) architectura (architecture, masonry) militia and venatoria (warfare and hunting, Military education, "martial arts") mercatura (trade) coquinaria (cooking) metallaria (blacksmithing, metallurgy)In his commentary on Martianus Capella's early fifth century work, The Marriage of Philology and Mercury, one of the main sources for medieval reflection on the liberal arts. The classification of the Artes Mechanicae as applied geometry was introduced to Western Europe by Dominicus Gundissalinus (12th century) under the influence of his readings in Arabic scholarship. In the 19th century  "mechanic arts" referred to fields of which some are now known as engineering. Use of the term was apparently an attempt to distinguish these fields from creative and artistic endeavors like the performing arts and the fine arts  which were for the upper class of the time, and the intelligentsia. The mechanic arts were also considered practical fields for those that did not come from good families. Related phrases, "useful arts , " or "applied arts" probably encompass the mechanic arts as well as craftsmanship in general.
A high medieval construction site from the Maciejowski Bible Artes mechanicae (mechanical arts) are a medieval concept of ordered practices or skills, often juxtaposed to the traditional seven liberal arts (artes liberales) . Also called "servile" and "vulgar",See for instance Cicero'sDe Officiis, Book I, xxlii. from antiquity they had been deemed unbecoming for a free man, as ministering to baser needs. Overview Johannes Scotus Eriugena (9th century) divides them somewhat arbitrarily into seven parts: (tailoring, weaving) (agriculture) (architecture, masonry) and (warfare and hunting, military education, "martial arts") (trade) (cooking) (blacksmithing, metallurgy)In his commentary on Martianus Capella's early-fifth-century work, The Marriage of Philology and Mercury, one of the main sources for medieval reflection on the liberal arts. The classification of the as applied geometry was introduced to Western Europe by Dominicus Gundissalinus (12th century) under the influence of his readings in Arabic scholarship. In the 19th century , "mechanic arts" referred to some of the fields that are now known as engineering. Use of the term was apparently an attempt to distinguish these fields from creative and artistic endeavors like the performing arts and the fine arts , which were for the upper class of the time, and the intelligentsia. The mechanic arts were also considered practical fields for those that did not come from good families. Related phrases, "useful arts " or "applied arts" probably encompass the mechanic arts as well as craftsmanship in general.
R
. Artes Mechanicae or mechanical arts,
Artes mechanicae (mechanical arts)
R
Artes liberales
(artes liberales)
D
vestiaria
D
agricultura
D
architectura
R
militia and venatoria
and
R
Military
military
D
mercatura
D
coquinaria
D
metallaria
R
early fifth century
early-fifth-century
D
Artes Mechanicae
A
,
R
fields of which some
some of the fields that
A
,
D
,