Monks are known for preserving and copying Greek and Roman classic writings. During the European Dark Ages, the Catholic monasteries served as some of the only centers of education and scholarship. Monks, who had taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, devoted their lives to the study of the holy texts and to the preservation of knowledge. As a result, they became the primary custodians of the texts from ancient Greece and Rome, many of which would have been lost otherwise. Monks meticulously copied these texts by hand onto parchment, which were then preserved in monastic libraries and were passed down through the generations. These copies of classic texts were very important in preserving the literary and historical heritage of the ancient world, and played a key role in the Renaissance, the revival of learning that occurred in the 14th-17th century in Europe.