Study Guide for Exam II: Early Western Civilization - Key Terms and Historical Context - P | Study notes Cultural History of Europe

Study Guide for Exam II

HIST 110: “Early Western Civilization” Professor Bradford Wright

Imperial Valley College Fall 2015

Possible IDs: Be prepared to identify and explain the historical significance of the following

terms:

1. Jesus of Nazareth: (?-30BC) A prophet from Jerusalem that preached about love and

forgiveness. He was executed by crucifixion on the orders of Pontius Pilate, the Roman

appointee to Judea. We still see influence of his message today. He is seen as the Son of God and

now has a following of fans.

2. Judaea: A kingdom ruled by the Hebrews (really pawns of the Romans) where the Jewish

people lived. This is the birthplace of Judaism and modern Christianity. It was also a place with

lots of turmoil. Even today this place is still haunted by turmoil.

3. Paul of Tarsus: (10-65 AD). He was Pharisee that prosecuted early Christians until he had an

epiphany. After hearing that message from God, he converted to Christianity and spread his

message. He is perhaps the biggest reason Christianity is a dominant religion.

4. Pharisees: (70 AD) A set of Jewish people who were devoted to the faith. They shared the belief

of apocalypticism with modern Christianity. Aside from sharing the belief with Christianity, it

also is the basis of modern Judaism.

5. Emperor Diocletian: (R. 284 – 305) His final solution (284 – 302) was to persecute the

Christians for starting trouble in the empire. He ended up resigning his post in 305 AD but not

before splitting the empire into two halves: the West and the East. His choice to split the empire

in two was one of the reasons the Roman empire collapsed.

6. Emperor Constantine: Converted to Christianity in the year 312 AD. The end of the Christian

persecution. It jump started the spread of Christianity and the Catholic Church. He called for the

council of Nicaea which established which Christian beliefs were orthodox and which were

heresy. Influenced modern religions like Christians and the East orthodox church.

7. The Gnostics: A group that acted primarily in North Africa. They believed that the whole world

was evil and the only way to salvation was through living a pious life. Only the Messiah and his

followers knew this. This is one of the beliefs that triggered the council of Nicaea.

8. The Sacraments: The seven sacraments that only the church is able to perform. Baptism,

confirmation, confession, communion, consecration, matrimony, and the last rites. These are still

the services that a modern Catholic church provides.

9. The Order of St. Benedict: A monastery established by Benedict of Nursia in the year 529

under the school of thought that monks should devote their lives to Christ and be humble. He

later had the Abbey of Monte Cassino constructed. His was the first of Christian monasteries, a

practice that would endure until modern times.

10. Donatism: A Christian subgroup active during the 4th and 5th century that held the belief that

sacrament from a sinning priests is no good. This belief was another trigger for the council of

Nicaea, called forth by Constantine.

11. The Council of Nicaea: (20 May to 19 Jun, AD 325) A council called forth by Constantine the

first. It would define what school of thoughts within the groups of Christianity was orthodox and

what was heresy. This would define the modern Christian church.

12. Augustine: Augustine of Hippo (339-390 BC) A defender of the Christian faith. He wrote the

book Confessions (397), which was a biography but a criticism of himself. The first journal so to

say. He also wrote the City of God (Early 5th century) which was a response to the people that

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Study Guide for Exam II HIST 110: “Early Western Civilization” Professor Bradford Wright Imperial Valley College Fall 2015 Possible IDs: Be prepared to identify and explain the historical significance of the following terms:

1. Jesus of Nazareth: (?-30BC) A prophet from Jerusalem that preached about love and forgiveness. He was executed by crucifixion on the orders of Pontius Pilate, the Roman appointee to Judea. We still see influence of his message today. He is seen as the Son of God and now has a following of fans. 2. Judaea: A kingdom ruled by the Hebrews (really pawns of the Romans) where the Jewish people lived. This is the birthplace of Judaism and modern Christianity. It was also a place with lots of turmoil. Even today this place is still haunted by turmoil. 3. Paul of Tarsus: (10-65 AD). He was Pharisee that prosecuted early Christians until he had an epiphany. After hearing that message from God, he converted to Christianity and spread his message. He is perhaps the biggest reason Christianity is a dominant religion. 4. Pharisees: (70 AD) A set of Jewish people who were devoted to the faith. They shared the belief of apocalypticism with modern Christianity. Aside from sharing the belief with Christianity, it also is the basis of modern Judaism. 5. Emperor Diocletian: (R. 284 – 305) His final solution (284 – 302) was to persecute the Christians for starting trouble in the empire. He ended up resigning his post in 305 AD but not before splitting the empire into two halves: the West and the East. His choice to split the empire in two was one of the reasons the Roman empire collapsed. 6. Emperor Constantine: Converted to Christianity in the year 312 AD. The end of the Christian persecution. It jump started the spread of Christianity and the Catholic Church. He called for the council of Nicaea which established which Christian beliefs were orthodox and which were heresy. Influenced modern religions like Christians and the East orthodox church. 7. The Gnostics: A group that acted primarily in North Africa. They believed that the whole world was evil and the only way to salvation was through living a pious life. Only the Messiah and his followers knew this. This is one of the beliefs that triggered the council of Nicaea. 8. The Sacraments: The seven sacraments that only the church is able to perform. Baptism, confirmation, confession, communion, consecration, matrimony, and the last rites. These are still the services that a modern Catholic church provides. 9. The Order of St. Benedict: A monastery established by Benedict of Nursia in the year 529 under the school of thought that monks should devote their lives to Christ and be humble. He later had the Abbey of Monte Cassino constructed. His was the first of Christian monasteries, a practice that would endure until modern times. 10. Donatism: A Christian subgroup active during the 4th^ and 5th^ century that held the belief that sacrament from a sinning priests is no good. This belief was another trigger for the council of Nicaea, called forth by Constantine. 11. The Council of Nicaea: (20 May to 19 Jun, AD 325) A council called forth by Constantine the first. It would define what school of thoughts within the groups of Christianity was orthodox and what was heresy. This would define the modern Christian church. 12. Augustine: Augustine of Hippo (339-390 BC) A defender of the Christian faith. He wrote the book Confessions (397), which was a biography but a criticism of himself. The first journal so to say. He also wrote the City of God (Early 5th^ century) which was a response to the people that

blamed Christianity for the fall of Rome. These texts were widely read and influenced people even nowadays

13. The Huns: (1st^ to 7th^ century) A group of people from Central Asia that attacked the Visigoths, forcing them to seek asylum within the Roman Empire. They almost sacked Rome but had to retreat when their leader, Atila, died. This set up the chain of events that would have Rome sacked. 14. The Visigoths: Germanic, nomadic tribe pushed to seek asylum in Rome after being attacked by the Huns. They were let in but were treated horribly. They ended up revolting against the Empire and sacked it for the first time in 410 under the rule of Alaric. His sack would leave Rome on life support, ready to crumble. 15. Emperor Justinian: (R. 527 - 565) Byzantium Emperor and husband of Theodora. He was notorious for cheating people so he could have the money to fund his expedition to take back Rome to its full glory. He regained the empire briefly but I all crumbled when his army, Italy, his people, and even himself and his wife caught the plague. He survived but was left different. He pushed the Ostrogoth away from Italy. He also ordered the construction of Hagia Sophia. 16. The Byzantine Empire: (330 – 1453 AD) The Eastern part of the Roman Empire. It was a conservative, corrupt, and not very innovative empire. Most emperors were assassinated by their political leaders but it still kept Roman traditions and laws. It fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. They also preserved most of what we know about the Roman empire. 17. Caesaropapism: (330 AD) Belief that the Emperor of the land was the head of Church. This was seen mostly in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the people from the east rejected the pope as their leader. This was one of the key reasons why there’s a division between Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox Church. 18. The Iconoclast controversy: (716-727 AD )A controversy that arose within the Eastern Orthodox Church in which the people put too much interest/faith in icons and not in the empire. The attention was excessive to the point that the government had to intervene. This was important because it might be one of the reasons this empire was innovative. 19. Greek Fire: An incendiary weapon developed around 672 and used by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect, as it could continue burning while floating on water. It was a chemical burn that helped them defeat the Visigoths. 20. Muhammad: (576 – 637 AD) Prophet of Allah. He was dissatisfied with polytheism and was visited by the angel Gabriel who told him that he was the last prophet. He is the person that started the Islamic religion by force. 21. The Qur’an : (632 AD) The book where the word of Allah, as told by Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad, is written down. This is the Muslim bible and basically outlines how the people of this faith should live their lives. This is the book that modern Islamic people use to worship. 22. The Five Pillars of Faith: 1. Declaration of faith. 2. Prayer 5 times a day in the direction of Mecca. 3. Pilgrimage (if you can) to the city of Mecca and Medina. 4. Fasting during Ramadan. 5. Charity. 23. Cordoba: Muslim capital of Spain during the 10th^ century. It was estimated to be the most populous city at the time. It also was a center of education for Muslim rulers. Al Hakam II opened many libraries in addition to the many medical schools and universities which existed at this time. It was a place of knowledge but non-muslim people were treated as second class citizens.

most of the Scandinavian words and other elements that are still seen today. The English language has much of this influence as well.

36. Alfred the Great: (871 – 899) King of Wessex that saved his kingdom from the Vikings by building forts across his nation. He ended up striking a deal with them, which gave them land to cultivate and to live off. This is one of the reasons why England was so diverse in ethnicities back then. And also why the English language is so weird. 37. Feudalism: The dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. These were the beginning of government in a place where there had been no laws. 38. Chivalry: A code of ethics followed by the Calvary. It dictated what to do during war, with captured lords, and how to act around women. the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, especially courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak. A German set of values. This was something that also kept the order, sometimes, and would further reinforce the social hierarchy.

The Peace of God: A movement in the Middle Ages by the Catholic Church that applied spiritual sanctions to limit the violence of feuding. There were to be no wars during Christmas, Easter, and certain St’s. Days. Women, children, the sick, and poor were to be kept out of these feuds as well. This was an attempt to keep the bloodshed. 40. The Medieval manor: A farming incentive during the middle ages. People (the serfs) were allowed to live on the land as long as they farmed it. These lands kept the lord’s wealthy because land was wealth. 41. The Three-Field system: A system during the middle ages in which people would harvest 1/3rd of their land during fall, 1/3rd^ of their land during spring. That way the land would have time to recuperate and there would be less chances of their being a bad crop. This lead to the rise of population as there was more food available. 42. Serfs: Lowest class of people during the middle ages. They worked the lands of the lord for three days, paid rent, and provided the food for everyone by farming. They were also bound to their land and lord, who in turn gave them protection and justice. They were the lowest but very important aspect of the medieval hierarchy. Possible Essays. Be prepared to write a well-organized essay, on the following.
1. Discuss the origins, popular appeal, and spread of Christianity and Islam during the early centuries of the two faiths. Explain why Christianity appealed to so many and explain why and how it changed and came to dominate the Roman world. Discuss some of the important political/social factors, heresies, and theological ideas that shaped the early history of the Catholic Church. Explain how and why Islam rose to become the dominant faith of the Arab world. What were some of the similarities between early Christianity and Islam?
2. Discuss what happened in Western Europe between 410 and 1000. Why did the Roman Empire in the West finally collapse, and what kind of societies took its place? What was life like in Western Europe’s “Dark Ages?” How and why did the kingdom of the Franks emerge as the greatest power in the West? What role did the invasions of the 800s-900s play in the shaping and destabilization of society in the West? How did the rise of the feudal system help to restore some order in Western Europe?

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