Medieval History - SG 1

Question 1

Who was Constantine?

Answer 1

passed Edict of Milan that legalized Christianity, Western emperor of Rome, allied with Licinius, conquered Maximinus because opposed Christianity, and exile and later hung Licinius for persecuting Christian spies (excuse for war with him, way to united empire and become sole emperor)
How God uses even wicked men to accomplish his righteous plans, emperor’s right to rule

Question 2

How did he come to power?

Answer 2

Battle of Milvian Bridge and Licinius, God’s providence, right to rule

Question 3

What was the Edict of Milan?

Answer 3

the document that legalized Christianity, divisions of religion

Question 4

Why did Constantine move the capitol of the Roman Empire?

Answer 4

planning to attack Persia

Question 5

Was Constantine a Christian?

Answer 5

used Christianity as tool (to unite people and gain loyalty), legalized it, Council of Nicea (attempt to unite empire), end of life baptism (reassurance), killed wife and son, how God uses even wicked men to accomplish his righteous plans

Question 6

When and how did Constantine die?

Answer 6

As he planned to attack Persia, he died of illness on May 22, 337.

Question 7

What happened to the empire after his death?

Answer 7

divided up into 3 sections with his 3 sons as the 3 rulers: Constans, Constantine 2, Constantius

Question 8

Who was Arius?

Answer 8

He was a heretic and monotheist, was considered anathema (enemy of the church), and was excommunicated, heterousios, ideas did not take root in church but much debate, division of religion, sinful ambitions, God uses wicked men

Question 9

Who was Athanasius?

Answer 9

bishop of Alexandria, one of the few bishops who stayed firm to homoousios when surrounded by arians, “contra mundune” (“do you not know that you are against the world?” to which he famously replied: “it is the world against me.” canonized the Bible, division of religion

Question 10

What is Arianism? Homoousios? Homoiousios? Heterousios?

Answer 10

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. (Arianism)
Council of Nicea declared homoousios as church doctrine but debate continued for years, division of religion

Question 11

What was/happened at the Council of Nicea?

Answer 11

Jesus is of the same essence of God (homoiousios), C might’ve organized it to unite emperor, continued debate, division of religion

Question 12

Who was Theodosius 1?

Answer 12

• Eastern emperor, going to secretly attack Persia but they ended up splitting Armenia in half
• debate with Ambrose (8 months repentance)
• co-emperors: Maximus and Valentinian 2
• Battle of Frigidus (east vs. west see below)
• claimed Honorius as emperor when V 2 dies and is replaced by Eugenius

Question 13

What was the Edict of Thessalonica?

Answer 13

Christianity declared the state religion, trying to remove Roman religions - any means of worship is treason
God uses wicked men, providence, division of religion

Question 14

Why did Ambrose of Milan rebuke Theodosius?

Answer 14

Theodosius starting riots in Thessalonica, killing revolters and bystanders, Ambrose excommunicates him from the church, eventually repents and is admitted back in
Right to rule, God uses wicked men

Question 15

What does this rebuke and Theodosius’ reaction to it tell us about the authority of the Church at this time and Theodosius himself? What significant shift has happened to the Roman Empire?

Answer 15

the church was gaining precedence over the government (christian bishops over pagan rulers), rulers now listened to the church, T was involved too much in church
Right to rule, providence, wicked men

Question 16

What happened to the Roman Empire after Theodosius’ death?

Answer 16

he was the last emperor of the united Rome, then Rome faded away

Question 17

Who was St. Augustine? What was his book, City of God, about? What events caused him to begin writing City of God?

Answer 17

important patriarch and church, Nicene Christianity, converted 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. The sack of Rome and the Vandal invasion (dying during Vandal invasion), fading away of Rome
Wicked men, providence, rise of barbarians

Question 18

Who is Ambrose? How was he influential in the early church?

Answer 18

bishop of Milan, converts and baptizes Augustine to Nicene Christianity, church father. continued precedent of Christian bishops exerting authority over pagan rules: Theodosius starting riots in Thessalonica, killing revolters and bystanders, Ambrose excommunicates him from the church, eventually repents and is admitted back in
Right to rule

Question 19

What was happening with the Christian Church during the late 300’s-early 400’s?

Answer 19

church gaining authority (see Ambrose answer), division between east and west empire (Constantinople and Rome), election of 1st pope (see answer for Leo the Great), Ambrose and Augustine establish doctrines and orthodoxy (put down Donatists who believed that baptism could only be done by a believer - 1st puritan church)
Division of religion

Question 20

In general, what was happening in the Roman empire, politically, during this same period?

Answer 20

• Vandals invade North Africa, Rome cannot afford to protect it or regain it because of broken state
• 400- Visigoths attack Milan, forcing Honorius to Ravenna
• 402- Stilicho defeats them
• 407- Britannia claims Constantine III emperor and takes Gaul and Hispania
• Visigoths attack Rome (1st: paid off; 2nd: laid siege to Rome until they got Illyricum but instead Alaric is made magnus militum to Attala in Rome)
• 3 emperors (division)
• 410- Alaric and Visigoths sack Rome
• rise of barbarians, providence, right to rule

Question 21

How were the barbarian generals like Stilicho and Alaric useful to the emperors of this period?

Answer 21

• magnus militums - top military official; job = to protect young emperors but can never usurp power because of barbarian blood, no reason to assasinate
• right to rule, rise of barbarians

Question 22

Why do emperors need to find a ‘right to rule’? How do they find this right? (22 and 23)

Answer 22

validation of authority to gain respect and trust from their people

1. divinity- son of god, the god, chosen by god
2. heredity- inherited position
3. usurpation/warfare- conquer and raise nations
4. marriage- example of Ataulf (trying to begin new Roman empire but failed) gave him claim to power

Question 23

What is a magister militum?

Answer 23

top military official to the emperor

Right to rule

Question 24

What is the obvious difference between the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths?

Answer 24

Visigoths = west in Gaul
Ostrogoths = east in Germany
Rise of barbarians

Question 25

What did SWB mean when she said the Visigoths were a nation created by ‘ethnogenesis’?

Answer 25

ethnogenesis- beginning of a people
used to be individual tribes wandering around but Alaric united them for a common purpose and made a united people
Rise of barbarians

Question 26

What was the common motivation that united the tribes which formed the Visigoths?

Answer 26

hatred of Romans. Battle of Frigidus = Goths used in battle. After Theodosius’ death, Alaric not made magnus militum
Sinful ambitions

Question 27

What was the ambition Alaric, King of the Visigoths?

Answer 27

revenge for magnus militum and land for new people

Sinful ambition

Question 28

How did Alaric feel about Rome and Romans?

Answer 28

hatred for Battle of Frigidus and not made magnus militum to Theodosius after his death
Sinful ambition

Question 29

What happened in 410?

Answer 29

-sack of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths after 2 sieges of Rome (1. siege but goes away by money bribe; 2. demands Illyricum - says no - but offers magnus militum position to Alaric beside Attalus)
-ends up defeating Attalus
Rise of barbarians

Question 30

Why were barbarian rulers like Ataulf interested in marrying Roman women?

Answer 30

sought power and a claim to Roman rule, combining Visigoth and Roman kingdoms, wants to build new and better Roman Empire
Right to rule, sinful ambitions

Question 31

Who was Attila? Rua? Bleda? What happened to Bleda? (32 and 33)

Answer 31

Attila- became sole ruler of the Huns, completely united them, attacked Rome several times
Rua- warrior chief, uncle to Attila, started to extend his power over other tribes in 432 - unity
Bleda- brother to Attila, ruled with him, 434 succeeded Rua, killed by Attila for ultimate power
Rise of barbarians, right to rule

Question 32

How were the Huns able to extort money from the Romans?

Answer 32

either raided Roman villages on frontier or payment each other. Theodosius II chose payment which rose every year. Marcian stops these because he thinks it will go unnoticed since he is attacked the west.
Sinful ambitions

Question 33

Martially, how were the Huns so effective?

Answer 33

rode on horses, great archers, advanced cavalry

Rise of barbs

Question 34

What indirect influence gave the Huns their power?

Answer 34

weakening of Rome/ division of Rome, unity of Huns, Attila took advantage of this
Rise of barbs

Question 35

What incident led to Attila’s campaign to Rome?

Answer 35

Honoria has an affair with her assistant. When Valentinian finds out, he executes the assistant. She gains revenge by engaging herself to Attila. Her dowry would be 1/2 of the Roman empire. Valentinian says no automatically but Attila feels robbed and attacks.
Rise of barbs, God uses wicked men

Question 36

Who was Leo the Great? How did he come to his position?

Answer 36

bishop of Rome, 1st pope (head of entire Christian church). elected by bishops and approved by Valentinian III in letter written by Leo which said that bishop of Rome should have full authority out of the 2 parts of Rome, good idea for unity but probably another attempt to gain power
Right to rule, divisions of religion

Question 37

What two theories explain why Attila abandoned his campaign at the walls of Rome?

Answer 37

1st raids west (France) but loses that so retreats to Alps but then invades Rome. a lot of small raids. stopped because:

1. convinced by Leo of peace because he had an incredibly divine form (shone)
2. not in good condition to attack Rome
   - plague prospered in Roman heat
   - low on numbers from battles and plague
   - heavy with loot from villages
   - had some back-up coming so it was a good time to retreat and come back as strong as ever
   - providence

Question 38

How did Attila die? What happened to the Huns after Attila’s death?

Answer 38

Attila got a nose bleed while he was passed out from drinking too much, choked on blood, suffocated. faded out of history: no longer raided, went back across the Danube, back to small tribes
- providence

Question 39

What does the Vandal invasion of Africa reveal about the Roman Empire?

Answer 39

the Romans did not have enough power to either hold them off or drive them out when they attacked. North Africa was abandoned. weakening of Rome, couldn’t spare armies or defend territories
- rise of barbs

Question 40

What is happening in Britannia at this time?

Answer 40

1. Rome abandoned Britain. Vortigen- High King of Britain (president of kings), Picts (blue, naked) climbing over Hadrian’s Wall because while Scotland is very beautiful, it has a harsh climate (they were not romanized and civilized, less cultured), Vortigen called Anglos and Saxons (Germanic tribes) to come drive Picts out of territory in turn for their own territory, but also brought Jutes and sent Picts back over (not a part of deal = Jutes) now wanted even more land so they conquered the native Britains and gained southern England
2. Ireland, St. Patrick (Patricius=Roman name) was a slave, escapes by ship to France, converted to Christianity, dream from God saying he should minister to Ireland and christianizes it
   - right to rule, rise of a slave and barbs, division of religion, wicked men, sinful ambitions, providence

Question 41

What contrast exists between the eastern and western empires?

Answer 41

western focusing on church, eastern on war (didn’t help each other out), Marcian felt like the west had way more control over the church and didn’t like that
- right to rule, divisions of religion

Question 42

What was the council of Chalcedon?

Answer 42

supposed to be on Nestorianism (God can change his nature to accomplish his goals - 2 natures of Christ - human and divine) but ended up being a fight for power, Marcian refused for it to be held in Italy because it was in the west so Pope Leo didn’t go
Division of religion

Question 43

Describe, in brief, the dispute between the bishops of Rome and the bishops of Constantinople.

Answer 43

Nestorianism, Marcian wanted his bishop of Constantinople to have more power, declared him a patriarch (over all other bishops but still below Pope Leo), bishops of Alexandria hated this idea, Pope Leo worried that authority wouldn’t be taken seriously
Division of religion

Question 44

As described in your book, what was the final event of the Roman Empire, and who was the final emperor?

Answer 44

10 year old Romulus, conquered by Visigoth king and sent to rule in a separate castle, Rome faded out not because of warfare but because of political and cultural disruption, also, Vandals had robbed Rome of money
Rise of barbs, providence