Quiz 12:
The High Middle Ages and the Reniassaince
Instructions: Write a 1-2 page essay addressing one of the options below. All essays should
quote material from the selected source.
Option 1 – In Our Time: The Siege and Fall of Constantinople
Based on this podcast, describe the siege and conquest of the Byzantine capital of
Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. How had Constantinople stood for over a
thousand years, and what enabled the Ottoman Turks to capture the city after 53 days?
What were the consequences of the fall of Constantinople for the Byzantine Empire, the
Ottoman Empire, and Europe as a whole?
Option 2 – In Our Time: The Black Death
Based on the podcast, describe the impact of the Black Death on Europe in the 14th
century? How did Europeans react to this plague, and what sort of social conditions did
this plague leave behind?
Option 3 – In Our Time: Dante’s Inferno
Based on this podcast, describe the life of Dante and the nature of his masterpiece The
Divine Comedy. In particular, what does his work The Inferno tell us about Italian society
in the 14th century, and why has this been a distinctive work of art and literature?
Option 4 – In Our Time: Ghengis Khan
Based on this podcast, describe the life of Ghengis Khan, and his impact on world
history. How did Ghengis Khan unite the Mongolian people? What made the Mongols
such a feared people? How did Ghengis Khan conquer a vast empire?
Option 5 – In Our Time: Humanism
Based on this podcast, describe the intellectual movement known as Humanism. What
principles defined Humanist scholarship, and what impact did Humanists have on
European society?
Option 6 – In Our Time: The Medieval University
Based on this podcast, describe the origins and importance of the medieval university.
What types of education did these first universities provide, and what impact did these
universities have on the development of Western Civilization?
Option 7 – In Our Time: Machiavelli and the Italian City States
Based on this podcast, describe the life and writings of Niccolo Machiavelli. What sort of
political worldview did he advocate among leaders of Italian city states during the
Renaissance? What are some of the most important arguments Machiavelli makes in his
masterpiece The Prince?
Option 8 – In Our Time: The Renaissance
Based on this podcast, describe the achievements and accomplishments of the
Renaissance Era. Why did Europe experience a “rebirth” of culture and learning did this
period? How was this rebirth seen in art, architecture, literature, and science?
Option 9 – In Our Time: St. Thomas Aquinas
Based on this podcast, describe the life and accomplishments of St. Thomas Aquinas.
How did his theological and philosophical works reflect the culture of the High Middle
Ages? What made his masterpiece, the Summa Theologica, an important contribution to
the Catholic Church?
Option 10 – John Wyclif and the Lollards
Based on this podcast, describe the life and John Wyclif and how his religious
interpretations inspired one of the first Protestant movements, the Lollards. What did
Wyclif do that set him apart from the traditional religious views of the Catholic Church,
and what happened to him and his movement?