For long centuries monasteries had been virtually the only institutions that cared about books. Even in the stable and prosperous times of the Roman Empire, literacy rates, by our standards at least, were not high.
This quote from Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve: How the World Became Modern draws attention to the pivotal role monasteries played in preserving knowledge during the centuries when literacy was a rare skill. It reflects on a historical reality that despite the Roman Empire being stable and prosperous, widespread literacy was not common, especially when contrasted with modern times. Monasteries, often seen narrowly as religious institutions, emerge here as crucial cultural custodians....
