The ancient Greeks, for whom, as for all pre-written cultures, trained memory was incredibly important, created a complex system of mnemonic techniques. Inherited and recorded by the Romans, this art of remembrance passed into European culture and was revived (thanks in large part to Giordano Bruno) in occult form during the Renaissance. The book by Frances Yates, first published in 1966, served as the basis for all subsequent studies on the history of philosophy, science and literature.