Week 1: Historical Context - Medieval Europe & the Mediterranean

Question 1

What are the 2 sister cultures of Medieval Europe?

Answer 1

Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire, Islamic civilization

Question 2

What regions were dominated by which religions?

Answer 2

Northern/Western Europe: Christianity

Mediterranean: Islam

Question 3

When were the Middle Ages?

Answer 3

600-1500CE

Question 4

When was the beginning of the European Renaissance?

Answer 4

1400s

Question 5

What is another name for the period of the fall of the Roman Empire?

Answer 5

Late Antiquity

Question 6

When was Rome founded?

Answer 6

~753BCE

Question 7

Who separated Rome into western & eastern entities?

Answer 7

Emperor Diocletian (ruled 284-305CE)

Question 8

When did Constantine rule the Byzantine empire?

Answer 8

306-337CE

Question 9

Who briefly reunited the Roman Empire?

Answer 9

Theodosius I; died 395CE

Question 10

What are the districts of the Tetrarchy & their capitals?

Answer 10

District of Contanius as Caesar (capital: Trier)
District of Maximian as Augustus (capital: Milan)
District of Galerius as Caesar (capital: Sirmium)
District of Diocletian as Augustus (capital: Nicomedia)

Question 11

What led to the Visigoth rebellion against Rome?

Answer 11

Their displacement from their native lands (modern-day Romania) by the Huns in 376CE

Question 12

When and where did the Visigoths kill Emperor Valens?

Answer 12

378CE, Battle of Adrianople

Question 13

When did the Visigoths unite under King Alaric?

Answer 13

410CE

Question 14

When did the Vandals settle in Iberia?

Answer 14

409CE

Question 15

Where and when did the vandals finally establish a new homeland?

Answer 15

429CE, North Africa

Question 16

When did the Vandals plunder Rome?

Answer 16

455CE

Question 17

What did the remains of Rome have in common?

Answer 17

Legal system, language (Latin), currency (solidus), and eventually Christianity

Question 18

Who were three prominent early leaders of Byzantine?

Answer 18

Constantine, Theodosius, Justinian

Question 19

What did Constantine dream of that inspired him to pivot to Christianity?

Answer 19

A burning cross

Question 20

When/where was the Battle of Milvian Bridge and why was it significant?

Answer 20

312CE, Italian Peninsula; Constantine insisted all his soldiers paint crosses on their shields, denoting Christianity

Question 21

What was the Edict of Milan?

Answer 21

Edict by Constantine declaring that no Christian should be oppressed under the Roman regime

Question 22

Who were the Byzantines battling in the early 7th century?

Answer 22

Sassinids of Ctesiphon (modern-day Iraq)

Question 23

What did the Sassinids do in 614CE?

Answer 23

Seize Byzantine Jerusalem and take piece of the original cross

Question 24

When did Mohammed begin receiving revelations from Jibril (Gabriel)?

Answer 24

610CE in Mecca

Question 25

What tribe did Mohammed belong to?

Answer 25

Banu Quraysh

Question 26

What communities had Mohammed united by 630CE?

Answer 26

Mecca & Medina

Question 27

When was the first caliphate formed and what was it?

Answer 27

661, Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus, Syria

Question 28

What is a caliphate?

Answer 28

Muslim religious-political civilization

Question 29

When did Muslims begin conquest of Visigothic Spain?

Answer 29

711d

Question 30

After fall of Rome, what was Europe's relationship to the outside world? Itself?

Answer 30

Europe cut off from global trade routes. Geography made political unity difficult but coastlines & rivers facilitated internal exchange and moderate climate facilitated population growth

Question 31

What is the traditional date for the fall of the Western Roman Empire?

Answer 31

476CE

Question 32

What were the outcomes in Europe from loss of centralized rule?

Answer 32

Europe population decreased 25% because of war and disease Contraction of cultivated land Contraction of urban life No more Italian long-distance trade routes Decline in literacy

Question 33

What became principle driver of European civilization after fall of Rome?

Answer 33

Germanic culture

Question 34

Who first attempted to revive the Roman Empire?

Answer 34

Charlemagne (ruled 768-814)

Question 35

When was Charlemagne coronated?

Answer 35

Christmas Day, 800

Question 36

Who created the Holy Roman Empire and where was it?

Answer 36

Otto I of Saxony (ruled 936-973), principally in German and Austria

Question 37

How did Spain reorganize itself after fall of Visigoths to Islamic invaders?

Answer 37

Organized into lesser Christian kingdom; Leon, Castile, Navarro (militaristic) and Aragon (economic)

Question 38

Who were the principle political, economic, and cultural leaders of Europe by the end of the first millennium?

Answer 38

The Franks

Question 39

Who began the ascent of the Franks as cultural leaders of Europe?

Answer 39

Charles Martel, palace mayor under Merovingian king (714 - 751)

Question 40

What did Charles Martel do?

Answer 40

Founded Carolingian Dynasty, credited with saving Franks from Muslim invaders in 732 at Battle of Porters

Question 41

Where does the word "Carolingian" come from?

Answer 41

From "carolus", latin for Charles

Question 42

What does Charles de Steuben's Bataille de Portiers en Octobre 732 depict?

Answer 42

Charles Martel, mounted, facing off against Abdul Rahman Al Ghaligi

Question 43

Who is Charlemagne?

Answer 43

Most important of the Carolingian kings

Question 44

Who was Einhard?

Answer 44

Courtier and scholar, wrote The Life of Charlemagne

Question 45

How far did Charlemagne's empire extend?

Answer 45

All present-day France SW into northern Iberian peninsula & Barcelona NE into present-day Germany & Elbe River SE including parts of Croatia & northern Italy

Question 46

What is the Song of Roland?

Answer 46

One of the oldest surviving French literary texts, written in 12th century, depicting life in 8th century

Question 47

Who is the main character of Song of Roland?

Answer 47

Roland, Charlemagne's nephew

Question 48

When was Song of Roland first sung?

Answer 48

1066 by Normal minstrel Taillefer

Question 49

What is the story of Song of Roland?

Answer 49

Roland's betrayal and death defending Charlemagne's rear guard, the Christian struggle against Muslims (Saracens)

Question 50

What is the influence of Song of Roland?

Answer 50

Used by different communities to define Christian identities; the battle depicted never actually recorded by Muslim historians

Question 51

What does the song of Roland depict Charlemagne attempting?

Answer 51

Establishing and maintaining authority over southern France & NE coast of Spain/Catalonia

Question 52

What is the battle depicted in Song of Roland and when is it?

Answer 52

Battle at Ronceseaux, 778

Question 53

What kind of conflict does the Song of Roland actually depict?

Answer 53

Basque/French (as opposed to Muslim/Christian)

Question 54

How are Muslims described in the Song of Roland?

Answer 54

Darker pagans who rule from Carthage to Ethiopia & worship 3 gods

Question 55

What was the basis for the Carolingian economy?

Answer 55

Warfare, trade, agriculture

Question 56

With whom did the Carolingian trade glassware?

Answer 56

The Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, providing many silver dirhams to be re-minted into Frankish currency

Question 57

How did tenant farmers pay their leases and royal taxes?

Answer 57

In-kind or w/product from the land

Question 58

Why were Carolingian kings anointed with oil at their coronations?

Answer 58

Mimicking Old Testament idea of being anointed by God

Question 59

What was a primary upper-class Frank investment as their wealth accumulated?

Answer 59

Political and religious books, and scholarly works (gospels, grammar books)

Question 60

How does feudalism work (essentially)?

Answer 60

A vassal offered allegiance to a lord and is given means to secure living in return

Question 61

What is a caliph?

Answer 61

Head of integrated Muslim religious-political state; describes leader who is head of Islamic communit governed by Shari'a law (umma)

Question 62

What is the significance of caliphs to Muslims?

Answer 62

Inherently the successors of Muhammad, first lead of the Muslim community; originally called Khalifat Rasul Allah