Role of Latin in Medieval Culture. With the end of the Roman Empire in the West during the fifth century, Christian scholars trained in Latin culture remained the primary source of literate civil servants for new European lords. The Church and its scholars perpetuated the Greco-Roman culture they found so invaluable and the primary language of the western Roman Empire: Latin. To be learned in the Middle Ages was to know Latin, and intellectuals used it for writing, reading, and speaking. Although Latin altered over the centuries and new vocabulary was added to meet the new needs of the medieval population, reform movements repeatedly worked to maintain an international standard, and evidence suggests that they were largely successful. Moreover, because of the great improvements in education in the twelfth century, literacy, especially in Latin, improved as well. Important later medieval authors, particularly Dante...