Medieval History - Semester 1 Exam Study Guide Flashcards
How many pillars of Islam are there?
five
What is the Shahada?
a confession of faith, the first pillar of Islam, and it is how Muslims are converted: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”
What are the four ways to fulfill jihad?
- The Heart- fighting temptation
- The Tongue- verbal defense
- The Hand- right actions
- The Sword- warring against enemies
What do Muslims believe about Jesus?
They believe he was simply a man and a prophet of Allah.
What does jihad mean?
struggle
What is a ‘hadith’?
A ‘hadith’ is a non-Quranic saying uttered by Muhammad or about Muhammad, but not by Allah.
What is the Koran, and how is this different than a hadith?
The Koran (or Quran) is the revealed word of God spoken by Muhammad.
Why do Muslims pray towards Mecca?
The Ka’aba is in Mecca, and Muslims pray towards this holy site.
What is Ramadan?
a holy month of fasting and meditation during the ninth month of the year
What is sharia law?
A sharia law is civic law based upon the teachings of the Koran.
How many Muslims are there today?
1.6 billion
What is the most common form of Islam?
sunni
What does the word ‘Koran’ mean?
recitation
What is the Hijrah?
when Muhammad left Mecca for Medina in 622AD and marks the first year of the Muslim calender
How did Roman victory over the Persian empire ready the world for the Arab empire? What other factors contributed to the sudden rise of the Arabs?
Persians were in disarray, overthrew their king, military defeat, Romans and Persians were both affected by the plague, Romans were short on money, resources, and soldiers, Romans’ and Persians’ border cities in disarray
Who experienced greater loss to the Arabs, the Romans or the Persians?
the Persians- lost whole empire, Romans maintained their empire but lost Egypt, Italy, Palestine, Hispania, and North Africa to the Arabs
Islam is said to be a religion of peace, what can be said in favor of this opinion? What can be said in contradiction to this opinion?
Pros- 2.5% of wealth goes to poor, stay with family and elderly, Koran says to be peaceful, some desire peace
Cons- 9/11, bombings/terrotists, jihad, women (beatings)
How did Constantine use Christianity as a political tool? How was Christianity politically useful?
unified Romans and empire (used Edict of Milan and Council of Nicea), there were more Christians in the empire than pagans, cross on shields at Milvian Bridge with Constantine, conquered Maximinus, and exile and later hung Licinius for persecuting Christian spies
What is the Edict of Milan?
the document that legalized Christianity issued by Constantine
What is a pontifex maximus?
leader of Christianity, high priest, pope, emperor
What is a magister militum?
the chief official under the emperor (the right-hand-man of the emperor)
What are foederati? How was the widespread usage of them a sign that the Romans were weakening?
mercenaries (non-Roman, paid), not enough resources for the Romans to produce an army, the Lombards: Refugees from Scandinavia settled north of Alps. Hired as mercenaries to the Byzantines to reclaim Italy in return for land and small amount of leadership. Transferred control with few battles because of plague in east and population growth in west. Few battles at Milan and central Italy lead by Alboin (king)
Who, to the Romans, were considered barbarians?
any non-Roman
Were barbarians ever allowed to rule Rome? What was the highest position a barbarian could achieve in Rome? Why were barbarians useful for this position?
No, they were a non-Roman. The highest place they could get was magister militum. job = to protect young emperors but can never usurp power because of barbarian blood, no reason to assassinate. Alaric- hatred of Romans. Battle of Frigidus = Goths used in battle. After Theodosius’ death, Alaric not made magnus militum
Why did the church split between east and west?
dispute between bishops if pope (capitol of church) should be in Rome or Constantinople
Who was Arius and what were his beliefs? What did his beliefs come be known as?
Jesus is not of the same essence of God (heteroousios). He was a heretic and monotheist, was considered anathema (enemy of the church), and was excommunicated. Bishop from Alexandria. Beliefs are now known as heresies.
Describe the difference between homoousios, heteroousios, and homoiousios.
Homoousios = Jesus is of similar essence to God. Homoiousios= Jesus is of the same essence to God. Heteroousios= Jesus is of different essence to God.
Who was Bishop Alexander?
bishop of Alexandria, presided at Council of Nicea, defined Nicean Creed
Who was Athanasius?
canonized the Bible, bishop of Alexandria, presided at Council of Nicea
Who was Augustine? What was his famous book called? What is the core message of this book?
died in Carthage, important patriarch and church father, Nicene Christianity, converted and baptized by Ambrose, bishop of Hippo Regius. As the city of man rises and falls, the City of God is Eternal, so we should be like citizens of that city, meaning we should not do things that are clearly wrong yet under man’s authority. Just war theory. written for the fall of Rome in 410
What does catholic mean?
universal
What happened at the Council of Nicea? What was the central issue being discussed there?
Christian doctrine for Jesus established, Arianism
Who were the major figures in the Council of Nicea? Who called for it and why?
Athanasius, Alexander, Constantine, Arius, Constantine called for it to unify Rome
What is the message of the Nicene Creed?
Jesus is of the same essence as God, Trinity
