REVIEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST, GREECE, ROME, CHRISTIANITY, AND THE MIDDLE AGES 1. How does the message of the story of Gilgamesh differ from that of the story of Isis and Osiris? The message from the story of Gilgamesh is that you cannot predict your future and you must accept what is coming. The message is to be accepting and to be humble. The message from the story of Osiris and Isist is that bad things you do can come back to bite you. 2. What was the Hebrew name for God and what did that name mean? Yahweh: I am 3. What did the Greeks believe was the most important difference between themselves and barbarians? By being citizens of the polis and not being anyone’s subjects 4. According to Sophocles, what is the most wonderful thing in the world? Nothing is more wonderful then man himself 5. Why was Socrates condemned to death? He asked questions that people didn’t want questioned. He was accused of corrupting the youth. Socrates questioned what authority believed in and created the Socratic method. He was put on trial and founded guilty. When he refused to apologize he was sentenced to death. 6. Who did Plato believe should control the government and why? In what ways did Aristotle agree or disagree with Plato's political philosophy? Plato believed that philosophers should control the government because they form ideas and they focus on things eternal and unchanging. The government is unjust so they need a new a ruler. Aristotle agreed to this fact but believed it should be run by the middle class and not philosopher 7. What was the difference between the Epicurean and Stoic conceptions of the good life? How did Epictetus believe we should respond to the death of those we love and to the prospect of our own death? According to Cicero, what virtues did the Epicureans emphasize? The Epicurean conception in life is surrounded by pleasure and to stay away from bad emotions. The Stoic conceptions of the good life is to follow law, seek justice, and have a sense of self-control. They believe that we shouldn’t be upset over dealth of loved ones and the ones we love. The Epicureans emphasize love, friendship, sex, etc. 8. What political role did patricians and plebeians play in the early days of the Roman republic? Patricians were the aristocrats of Rome and were allowed to hold consul and senate positions where as plebeians were the commoners and could not partake in lawmaking until later on in the Empire 9. What were the Punic Wars and what was their outcome? The punic wars were Rome against Carthage. The outcome was Rome conquered the city of Carthage. 10. Who was Augustus and what did his titles princeps and imperator mean? He was Caesar’s grandnephew and took over as the new dictator of Rome. The titles meant father of the country. Princeps=1st citizen Imperator=emperor 11. In the Sermon on the Mount, whom did Jesus call blessed and how did he tell his disciples to treat others? Jesus called the unblessed and the suffering blessed. He told his disciples to treat others the way they want to be treated. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 12. What did Paul do that helped spread the Christian faith? He persuaded Gentiles(non-jews) to become members of the Church without converting, and also wrote letters to other Kingdoms. 13. What drew people to the Christian faith and why did the Roman authorities persecute the Church? People were drawn to the idea of immortality, a human savior, community; each person is considered equal, and the promise of heaven. The Romans persecuted the church because of secrecy, their unwilling to fight, and the fact that they would only participate in worship of God and not the Emperor. 14. Who was the first emperor to grant Christians religious toleration? Which emperor outlawed the pagan religions of the empire? Constantine was the first emperor to grant Christian’s religious toleration by when he issued the Edict of Toleration Theodosius I outlawed pagan worship 15. What were the principle reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in western Europe? Christians now became the persecutors, there was a constitutional crisis of when one Emperor dies they struggle for next power. 16. Who was Charlemagne and what title did the pope bestow on him? Charlemagne was the powerful king of the Franks and he obtained the title of emperor by the Pope crowning him the Emperor of Rome by acting as the Vicar of Christ. 17. What was the reason for the dispute between Henry II and Thomas Becket? Who was murdered as a result of this dispute? Henry claimed that clerics convicted of serious crimes should lose their clerical status and be handed over to the royal court for sentencing, but Thomas disagreed. Thomas Becket was murdered. 18. What were the obligations of lords and vassals, and of lords and serfs, to one another? A lord almost adopts a vassal, he gives him land, protection, and promises to fight for him. In return a vassal is devoted to their lord. A serf is a poor peasant, the lord provides serf with land and protection. In return the serf must provide rent, labor and obedience. 19. According to Bernard of Clairvaux, what distinguished the new chivalry from ordinary chivalry? 20. According to Thomas Aquinas and other scholastic philosophers, how could people discover the truth about the world and about God? People could discover the truth by reason and revelation. 21. Why was the Mass so important to medieval Christians? The masses were so important to medieval Christians because they served as a portal to the supernatural. During the mass on the altar the people were able to enter into the divine. Created a vision of life that was compelling.
