HY101 Western Civilizations Exam III
1.) What kinds of measures did the people of Florence take to try to combat the plague? Boccaccio speculates that the plague is the result of what factors? 2.) Why were doctors of little help? What were some of the methods that common people tried to avoid contracting the plague? 3.) What happened to civil society, for respect for the law, in the wake of the plague?
1. "...enormous amounts of refuse and manure were removed from the city by appointed officials, the sick were barred from entering the city, and many instructions were given to preserve health..." "...either because of the operations of the heavenly bodies, or because of the just wrath of God mandating punishment for our iniquitous ways...turning westward its strength grew monstrously." (Workings of the heavens/god) 2. There was no known cure, even if you went to the doctor they would have no idea what to do. "...to avoid and run away from the sick and their things; by doing this, each person believed they could preserve their health." 3. "...everyone behaved as if they were going to die soon, so they cared nothing about themselves nor their belongings; as a result, most houses became common property, and any stranger passing by could enter and use the house as if he were its master."
1.) How does Procopius characterize the personality of Justinian? 2.) Why does Justinian cause trouble with the Church or people outside the Byzantine Empire? 3.) What might account for Procopius' feelings about Justinian?
1. "For he was at once villainous and amenable; as people say colloquially, a moron. His nature was an unnatural mixture of folly and wickedness." He was never truthful, but had a cunning intelligence with words and actions. Yet easily deceivable. He is a liar, a deceit, a murderer, rash, etc... 2.He was money driven and bored. 3. He perhaps feels betrayed by the Emperor paying the Huns, encouraging them to further invade the empire.
1.) To whom is Urban's speech primarily addressed? Why are those people special? 2.) Urban accuses the Muslims of committing what crimes? 3.) How should this "crusade" affect the relations among Christian people? [7th paragraph] 4.) What will the soldiers get in return for going on crusade?
1. "I beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends." 2. The Turks/Arabs attacked and conquered parts of the Greek Empire and the shores of the Mediterranean, killing, capturing, and destroying churches. 3. Unite them? 4. They will be free of all sins in this life and the next.
1.) How did Jews supposedly spread the plague? 2.) Why did some Jews confess to these crimes? 3.) According to your author, what was another reason besides fear that Jews were killed?
1. "This was done after public rumor had become current and a strong clamor had arisen because of the poison put by them into the wells, springs, and other things which the Christians use..." 2. They were being tortured to confess. 3. "The money was indeed the thing that killed the Jews. If they had been poor and if the feudal lords had not been in debt to them, they would not have been burnt. After this wealth was divided among the artisans some gave their share to the Cathedral or to the Church on the advice of their confessors."
1.) According to Damian, why are masturbation and homosexuality sins? 2.) Which of these sins were considered more severe? Who is responsible for these feelings or behaviors?
1. Because its against nature. 2. Homosexual intercourse the most and masturbation the least. It's more sinful to complete the act with others than it is with yourself. Satan is responsible because he wants to bring more unfortunate souls to hell.
1.) What are some of the contrasting "sights" de Born enjoys seeing? 2.) What kind of qualities in a person does he admire? 3.) Why is fighting ability an important part of a man's character?
1. Born is describing a battle taking place and the siege of a castle. However, he speaks fondly of the violent and bloody scene, creating a contrasting situation. 2. He admires the boldness, fearlessness, and courage it takes to go head first into battle. 3. "...for it is better to die than to live in defeat." "Love wants a chivalrous lover skilled at arms and generous in serving who speaks well and gives greatly, who knows what he should do and say, in or out of his hall, as befits his power."
1.) Who has sent Joan to save France from the English? 2.) Why was Joan an unusual "commander" for the French army? 3.) Who does Joan believe to be the rightful ruler of France?
1. God/ King Charles 2. She was firstly a girl and did not hail from a noble family or of the sort. As a last ditch effort King Charles allowed her to take charge of an army. 3. "It is Charles VII, the rightful heir, to whom God has given France, who will shortly enter Paris in a grand company."
1.) Describe the techniques used by Gui. 2.) What was it that the Inquisitor wanted from the accused?
1. He would first interrogate them, testing their faiths of the "true" Christianity. 2. They want them to swear to God (willingly/not on their orders) that they are not heretics or the like.
1) At Crecy, how does Froissart contrast the attitude and discipline of the English and French soldiers? 2) Think about the weapons described: at Crecy, what weapon gave the English an advantage? 3) In what kind of conditions did soldiers have to march and fight? 4) At Poitiers, compare how the captured French king was treated by the knights and soldiers to how he was treated by the opposing leader (his cousin, the Prince of Wales). 5) How does Froissart characterize the behavior of English soldiers against civilians at the siege of Limoges?
1. The English were orderly and erected themselves calmly as they filed into formation. The French soldiers were messy and not organized, soldiers and lord arriving at different times. 2. The longbow, its a heavy bow that can shoot arrows that pierce through armor. 3. Heavy rain had fell (making the land wet?) and the sun were in the Frenchmen's eyes. 4. The knights/soldiers fought over him on who was to take the credit for capturing the king. The Prince of Wales sent two lords to capture him, calming the situation. Once captured, Prince Wales set up a nice dinner for all the captured lords/king. They think that he is a noble man. 5. "and all other foot-men, readv apparelled to do evil, and to pill and rob the city, and to stay men, women and children, for so it was commanded them to do. It was great pity to see the men, women and children that kneeled down on their knees before the prince for mercy; but he was so inflamed with ire, that he took no heed to them, so that none was heared, but all put to death, as they were met withal, and such as were nothing culpable."
1.) Why is Caesar's account valuable? 2.) How does German religion differ from that of the Gauls? 3.) What kind of "government" do the German tribes have? How do they establish honor or status among their people? 4.) What is the German attitude toward "guests"?
1. The early Germanic tribes did not have many written records, so the only known things about them come from Roman writers like Caesar. 2. "for neither have they Druids to preside over religious services, nor do they give much attention to sacrifices. They count in the number of their gods those only whom they can see, and by whose favors they are clearly aided; that is to say, the Sun, Vulcan, and the Moon. Of other deities they have never even heard." 3. They have magistrates and chiefs that come together to make decisions. "they regard it as the best proof of their valor that their neighbors are forced to withdraw from those lands and hardly any one dares set foot there; at the same time they think that they will thus be more secure, since the fear of a sudden invasion is removed." 4."To mistreat a guest they consider to be a crime. They protect from injury those who have come among them for any purpose whatever, and regard them as sacred. To them the houses of all are open and food is freely supplied."
1.) What basic similarity is there between Islam on one hand, and Judaism and Christianity on the other? 2.) What sorts of things are promised to those who believe in Allah? 3.) In dealing with the non-believers in battle, how does the Qu'ran seem to differ from the "Sermon on the Mount" (47:5)? 4.) What attitude toward this life and its meaning does the Qu'ran seem to advocate (47:37)?
1. There are notable similarities in notions of sacrifice, good works, hospitality, peace, justice, pilgrimage, an afterlife and loving God with all one's heart and soul. Same god Abraham. 2. "HE removes from them their sins and sets right their affairs." 3. "And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, by causing great slaughter among them, bind fast the fetters - then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom - until the war lays down its burdens." Disbelievers have no protection from Allah. 4. "The life of this world is but a sport and a pastime, and if you believe and be righteous, HE will give you your rewards, and will not ask of you your wealth." To Allah life is something he can simply overlook, but if you worship him he shall give back to you.
1.) What kind of activities do Sidonius' friends enjoy? Do they seem to lack anything? 2.) What does Sidonius do when he finds that his hosts' baths are out of order? Does Sidonius seem to think that he will have to change his way of living anytime in the future? 3.) In the second letter, how does Sidonius describe Theodric, physically and intellectually?
1. They seemed to be playing/gambling with die and balls. There was also a wide variety of books to read from; organized by author. Sidonius discusses the books with his host/friends while waiting for food to arrive. 2. He made his servants dig a hole near a river/stream, fill it with hot-stones, and cover the holes with goats' hair. It seems like he enjoys his stay there. 3. Theodric is taller than average, with curly hair to his eyebrows, has bushy/arched eyebrows, long lashes, "nose is finely aquiline; the lips are thin and not enlarged", and has a rich beard. "forearms strong and hard ; hands broad, breast prominent; waist receding. The spine dividing the broad expanse of back does not project, and you can see the springing of the ribs ; the sides swell with salient muscle, the well-girt flanks are full of vigour." "You see the strategist when be moves the pieces ; his one thought is victory. Yet at play he puts off a little of his kingly rigour, inciting all to good fellowship and the freedom of the game: I think he is afraid of being feared. Vexation in the man whom he beats delights him; he will never believe that his opponents have not let him win unless their annoyance proves him really victor."
How/why did the Germanic and Roman societies fuse to create medieval Europe? Was Roman civilization destroyed or transformed?
Before the Roman Empire fell Diocletian separated the empire into the west and the east to better govern them as they had many differences like wealth and population. Eventually, after Constantine named Constantinople the capital, the western side fell to the hands of barbarians, and the Eastern Roman side came to be known as Byzantium. The fall of the Roman empire was essential a bunch of tribes splitting the land between themselves while adopting some aspects of Roman culture and law. Not only that, many rulers/kings coined the name the "Holy Roman Empire" to solidify their right to rule. Kings like Charlemagne and Frederick. The Islamic countries also collected ancient records of The Roman empire, translating them into Arabic.
Throughout this era that we've studied, where do you see instances in which the environment, climate, or other natural factors (such as pests) influenced human history?
During the Medieval Climate Optimum, the climate was the perfect condition to grow crops which helped increase the population. Lands such as Greenland and Vinland were actually farmable, allowing Vikings to travel and explore the world. They eventually hit Europe and invaded, traded, and interacted with them. Another two factors contributed to a major change in Western Civilizations. After the Climate Optimum, a Little Ice Age occurred quickly cooling the earth and causing longer winters and fewer crops. Because the population had accumulated many people were left starving and had weakened immune systems. Then! The Black Death rolled in killing half the population. However, this sparked changes as people began to think and question the authenticness of the Church and other forms of social construct and government.
What are some of the characteristics of medieval society and of feudalism?
Medieval society was a system of Aristocrats, involving titles like the prince, duke, count, lord, marquis, etc... Kings would grant fiefs to their vassals who would pledge "fealty" (oath of loyalty till death, it does not transfer). In exchange for the fiefs, vassals would provide service. Many fiefs were plots of land which vassals developed and employed serfs/people. This was serfdom and without the lord's permission, one could not leave or marry. Contrary to slaves, serfs had rights that were protected by the government. If the serfs served, the lords would protect them. In addition, there were also hereditary occupations (if your dad was a blacksmith he would teach you and you become a blacksmith).
What are some of the causes and consequences of the Crusades? (Think about the video that you watched.)
The crusades were first started after the Emperor of Byzantine (Alexius I Komnenus) sent a letter to Pope Urban II asking for an army to help defeat the Seljuk Turks that threatened to invade them. Pope Urban II thought this was a great opportunity to create a personal army for the church by using the excuse to liberate Byzantine from infidels and reclaim the holy land (Jerusalem). The People's crusade ended in disaster with many of them dead or captured by the Turks. The official crusade army managed to capture the holy land. The crusade opened up interactions with the eastern world and displayed the differences in culture and lifestyle. It also made the West greedy for these exclusive/luxury goods like spices and silk. These thoughts made them question
What factors brought about the Crises of the 14th Century? How does this era make modernity possible?
The fourteenth century is often seen as a time of crisis: famine and plague cut fearful swaths through the population; war was a brutally recurrent fact of life; and the papacy spent seventy years in continuous exile from Italy, only to see its prestige decline further after its return to Rome. But this was also a time of extraordinary opportunity and achievement. The exhausted land of Europe recovered from centuries of overfarming. Workers gained the economic edge; and eventually, some even gained social and political power. Meanwhile, popular and intellectual movements sought to reform the Church. A host of intellectual, artistic, and scientific innovations contributed to all of these phenomena.
Byzantine Empire / Gothic Wars
What: (330-1453) The eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived after the fall of the Western Empire at the end of the 5th century C.E. Its capital was Constantinople, named after Emperor Constantine. What: The wars wherein the Byzantine Empire reconquered huge portions of northern Italy from the Goths, inflicting immense damage on Italy and lasting from 534-554. Why: Despite reclaiming much of the land of former Rome, the wars left it in ruins. The Gothic wars used taxpayer money to help fund it. However, the war continued for so long that people began to get annoyed. Eventually, in the 6th century the "Dark Ages" began. Trade, population, and literacy declined. It was thought that the Barbarians had ruined the cities but it was really the Byzantine empire.
The Inquisition
What: A Roman Catholic tribunal for investigating and prosecuting charges of heresy - especially the one active in Spain during the 1400s.
Teutoburg Forest / "Imperial Germans"
What: A forest in Germany in which Caesar Augustus' troops (led by Varus) were finally ambushed and stopped. Caesar lamented that he was not invincible after this, but settled to have the Rhine river be one of the boundaries of his empire. Augustus thought it was better for them to join them than to get defeated, so he showed off the benefits of Roman society. What: The Roman empire had always acknowledged the Germans' skill in battle and traded, interacted with, bribed them, etc... The Germans held incredible significance to oral oaths. Weregild, oaths: were oaths where for an exchange of money they provided service. Why: Roman emperors valued German soldiers more due to their incredible loyalty. Once after an Emperor was murdered, his German bodyguards killed any/all suspects while the Roman guards looted the castle.
Avignon Papacy / Western Schism
What: After Pope Clements was appointed Pope, many people shared their distaste as it was easy to tell he was a pawn for the King of France (Philip?). The king then moves the papacy away from Rome in Italy to France in Avignon to protect Clements. What: The Western Schism occurred when cardinals in Rome elected a new Italian Pope. The German empire saw this and decided to elect their own pope as well. In 1414 the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) gathered all the churches/countries/popes together for a meeting. After 3 years of bickering, they came to an agreement that there would be 1 pope named John or something. Why: Because there were 3 popes, the commoners feared following the wrong one would make them go to hell. 3 years was a long time and gave the people time to think. Different ideas of heresy continued to pop-up as the church's power began to dwindle.
Vernacular literature
What: Literature not in Latin, used to make statements. Authors became critical of society and its values and used their vernacular writing to express this.
People's Crusade / Peter the Hermit
What: Peter the Hermit, who claimed (falsely) that he had been prevented by the Seljuks from visiting the Holy Land. Within a year, tens of thousands of warriors, many of them new to battle, were on the march toward Constantinople, where they intended to gather before departing for Jerusalem. They were joined by thousands of women, even whole families, whose presence in the throng was noted by many chroniclers.
Vikings / Eric the Red
What: Scandinavian traders who began to establish colonies through a series of raids and invasions following the fall of the Abbasid caliphate. Most of our knowledge of Vikings comes from European records. However, because of their threat against Europe, Europe began developing faster politically and socially. Who: A Viking who fled Norweigan after killing his neighbor. He discovered a land he called Greenland and advertised it for good farming. In the present day, the land is harsh/icy, but during the Medieval Climate Optimum, it was probably a lush land. Eric's son Lief Eireson travels and discovers VINLAND (land for vines)...
Little Ice Age
What: Temporary but significant cooling period between the fourteenth and the nineteenth centuries; accompanied by wide temperature fluctuations, droughts, and storms, causing famines and dislocation. This ice age also contributed to the common people's weakened immune system, causing them to be more susceptible to the Black Death.
100 Years War / Edward III
What: The 100 Years' war was between Edward III of England and France. It seemed like a dispute about money. Wool was being traded on Edward's III land yet he wasn't getting any revenue that France received. Edward III was also in line for the throne, possessing royal blood. The aristocrats feared Edward's II power if he were to inherit and instead supported the Valois family. The Valois still refused to give Edward III his money, so Edward III invades France. However, despite having a competent army he does not have enough forces to completely conquer France. The aristocrats also refused to give Valois more power, creating a stalemate of war.
The Black Death / Danse Macabre
What: The Black Death was an epidemic of bubonic plague that ravaged Europe, Asia, and North Africa during the fourteenth century, killing one-third to half of the population. The Plague contributed to many changing factors of western civilizations. One, it made people question the authority of the church who failed to protect/heal them. Because of many monasteries being destroyed, many others began translating/writing scripts into languages other than Latin such as Italian. Boccaccro was one of these people and who wrote stories of his travels experiencing the black death. Who: Danse Macabre (Dance of the Death) is a style of art first started by Hans Holbein who made series of woodcuts with skeletons hidden in the scene. The style represents the looming of death and how it could kill anyone, even kings/popes/etc... This was one of the stepping stones in challenging authority, breaking social constructs.
Cluniacs / Gregorian Revolution
What: The Cluniac Reforms were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life. The movement began within the Benedictine order at Cluny Abbey, founded in 910 by William I, Duke of Aquitaine. Who: Gregory was a promoter of the papacy's primacy over all Christian rulers/Kings, and the most visible sign of that primacy was investiture (the right to appoint bishops and to equip them with the regalia of office). What: The papal reform movement, developed under Gregory, affirmed liberating the Church from powerful worldly influences in order that the Church itself might become more powerful. The revolution also discouraged clerical marriage, for they wanted to keep property within the church and not pass it down to sons. King Henry IV didn't support him and began to sponsor someone else. Angry at this Gregory began excommunicating his advisor and enemy bishops then eventually Henry himself. Crossing the Alps into Italy in 1077, Henry found Gregory installed at the castle of Canossa under the protection of Matilda of Tuscany. Henry performed an elaborate ritual of penance: standing for three successive days outside the gates of the castle, barefoot, stripped of his imperial trappings, clad in the sackcloth of a supplicant.
West Germanic Revolution
What: The West Germanic Revolution occurred during 200-400. It was when the Germanic peoples invaded Rome because they wanted to avoid fighting the Huns.
Iconoclastic Controversies
What: The dispute as to whether or not it was blasphemous to use images or icons in art, based on the second of the Ten Commandments, in which God forbids the creation and worship of "graven images" the Greek word iconoclasm translates as "image breaking" and refers to the destruction of religious icons within a culture. Who: Emperor Leo III, converted to Iconoclasm and started to round up/destroy icons. Its theorized that Leo was in need of money and many icons were made from gold and gems. The taking away of icons left churches with little funds, they then asked for money to make more churches. This causes the people to start resenting them, especially during times of war.
Investiture Controversy
What: The most significant conflict between secular and religious powers in medieval Europe. It began as a dispute in the 11th century between Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Pope Gregory VII concerning who would control the appointments of church officials.
Pogroms
What: an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular, that of Jews in Russia or eastern Europe.
Monophysite Heresy
What: is an erroneous or heretical view concerning the nature of Jesus Christ. Its name comes from a combination of the Greek words monos, meaning "one" or "alone," and physis, meaning "nature." According to this view, Christ had only a single divine nature instead of two natures, one divine, and one human, as set forth in the orthodox or Chalcedonian position of the hypostatic union of Christ, attacking Christ's humanity. believed that his two natures merged into one, divine nature. Why: This heresy came about due to how confusing the trinity was. After the fall of the Roman empire, Greek philosophy was lost for some time, and so it became harder for common people to understand the theology. Anyways, this heresy was a direct attack against the church, challenging its authority.
Great Schism of 1054
What: sometimes called the Eastern Schism, this is the division that took place within the Catholic Church in 1054 between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Five Pillars of Islam
What: true Muslims were expected to follow (principle of Salvation): -belief in Allah -pray 5 times a day -giving of alms -fasting during Ramadan -pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime.
Medieval Climate Optimum
What: was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region that may also have been related to other climate events around the world during that time, including in China and other countries, lasting from about AD 950 to 1250.It was followed by a cooler period in the North Atlantic termed the Little Ice Age. Some refer to the event as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly as this term emphasizes that effects other than temperature were important.
Charles Martel / Battle of Tours
Who: "The Hammer of God" Son of Pepin (the Merovingian king's right-hand man). After his father's death, Charles continued to consolidate the Merovingian king's and Frankish royal administration's power. Charles never sought to become king himself, he was so clearly the effective ruler of Gaul that the Franks did not bother to choose a new king when the reigning Merovingian ruler died in 737. What: In 732, Charles gathered an army of franks and goths to fend off Muslim forces. Historians say that Muslim soldiers were marching from Africa through Spain, and when confronted by the Frankish army defended themselves and their loot. However, the Muslims were considered invaders of the Umayyad caliphate, trying to get into Gaul.
Urban II / Council of Clermont
Who: (1042-1099) Instigator of the First Crusade (1096-1099), this pope promised that anyone who fought or died in the service of the Church would receive absolution from sin.
Emperor Alexius I Komnenus
Who: (1057-1118) This Byzantine emperor requested Pope Urban II's help in raising an army to recapture Anatolia from the Seljuk Turks. Instead, Pope Urban II called for knights to go to the Holy Land and liberate it from Muslim captors, launching the First Crusade.
Joan of Arc
Who: (c. 1412-1431) French peasant girl, a heroine and military leader inspired by religious visions; rallied French troops during the Hundred Years War at The Battle of Orleans to resist the English and to have Charles VII crowned king. Why: She was revered by the public and her image threatened the authority of the church and the royalty. She held significance in battle as she greatly boosted the French soldier's morale as they believed she was truly a messenger of god, placing their trust in her. Winning the battle meant that the King owed his throne to her. In addition, the church's ideas were being challenged that a peasant girl would receive god's blessing rather than a man. After being kidnapped, sent to the inquisition, and tortured she recants, but then recants her recants (after being smuggled men's clothing). Despite being able to save her, King Charles VII did nothing. After being burned, she is later named a Saint. However the damage is already done, the church is now seen as a figure that plays in politics.
Thomas Aquinas / Aristotelianism
Who: A monk/scholar who enjoyed reading the classical works of the authors Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, etc... He stated that reason and faith can go hand-in-hand. You can't believe in God unless they existed. He thought that if you questioned something then that means it is real and can therefore be observed. Why: This is significant because during the revival of this philosophy the common people continued to be annoyed by the church. They did not care for this form of thinking as they were not privileged enough to understand. The church was then not fulfilling the commoners' needs, which were to be healed from sickness (Black Death) and get into heaven.
Seljuq Turks
Who: A powerful dynasty of Sunni Muslim horseriders who were building their own empire based in Persia, began to move westward in the latter part of the eleventh century. In 1071, they captured Armenia and moved swiftly into the Byzantine heartland of Anatolia, where they destroyed a Byzantine army sent to deflect them. Why: They are significant as they were part of the reason why the 1st crusade occurred. The Byzantine emperor called for Urban II's help to help defeat the Seljuk Turks.
Muhammad / Qu'ran
Who: A prophet who received messages from God through angels which were later written down in the Qur'an. He was a wealthy merchant who lived in Mecca (Arabia). He wanted to free people from their superstitions and exploiters. He declared that there was only ONE god Allah "the God". He was banned from Mecca. Why: Because Arabia surrounded by deserts many cities in turn were built around oasis. To prevent conflict/fighting travelers went to local temples to "bribe" God into giving them protection. Muhammad thought that this was just a way to exploit travelers who had no other means to protect themselves. If they didn't pay they wouldn't be allowed into the city.
Charlemagne
Who: As king of the Franks (767-813), Charles "the Great" consolidated much of western Europe under his rule. In 800, he was crowned emperor by the pope in Rome. Charlemagne managed to unite the Franks by the tried and true method of attacking a common, outside enemy. To rule his new empire, he enlisted the help of the Frankish warrior class (counts). They supervised local governance within their territories and were administration of justice and the raising of armies. A network of local officials also convened courts, established tolls, administered royal lands, and collected taxes. He created a new coinage system based on a division of the silver pound into units of twenty shillings. He relied on written records to keep his country running. Additionally, he also sent special messengers, known as missi, on tours through the countryside to relay his instructions and report back on the conduct of local administrators.
Abbasid Caliphate / Islamic Golden Age
Who: Claiming to be descendants of Muhammad, the Abbasid family in 750 successfully seized from the Umayyads control of Muslim territories in Arabia, Persia, north Africa, and the Near East. They modeled their rule on that of the Persian Empire, imposing heavy taxation to support a large professional army and presiding over an extravagant court. What: Philosophers, artists, and poets flocked to both. Not to be outdone by their rivals in Baghdad, the caliphate's capital in Córdoba amassed a library of more than four hundred thousand volumes—at a time when any Christian monastery that possessed even a hundred books qualified as a major center of learning. The people of Islam thought ancient text/records were put there by God for a reason, so they went and collected them then translated it into Arabic. Astronomy, Morals, math, philosophy, etc...
Norman Conquest / William the Conqueror
Who: In 1066, Duke William of Normandy claimed that he was the rightful successor of the English king, Edward the Confessor, who had just died. But the English elected a new king, Harold, ignoring William's claim. So William crossed the English Channel to take the kingdom by force, killing Harold at the Battle of Hastings. What: The Norman Conquest (1066), William had conquered England but was still part of France/Normandy. Although he didn't live in England, he appointed officials to take care of his things. Because the distance between them caused trouble, William improved roads, laws, and administration so he could rule effectively. e. As kings of England, William and his successors also inherited the right to collect a national land tax, supervise justice in royal courts, and raise an army. They even retained the Anglo-Saxon officers of local government, known as sheriffs, to help them administer their rights.
Jan Hus / Heretics
Who: Jan Hus was one of the "heretics" that began appearing after 1414. He questioned the church as an institution that did not include the lay people (commoners). Many priests spoke/read in Latin and performed the eating of Christ on the behalf of the commoners. In addition, the interpretations/translations of the Bible were also in the hands of priests. Jan Hus asked the question, "what if I were to translate it myself?". This challenged the church's authority to control the meanings of the bible. He was later tricked and burned by the church but his message is still out there. What: there were other heretics too such as John Wycliffe who argued that corrupt priests could not perform sacraments properly, even through the church's power. God had direct links to individuals.
Saladin / Third Crusade
Who: Saladin united the Muslims together to recapture Jerusalem. He thought that the holy land should be open to all who wanted to pilgrimage. For a period of time, a stalemate allowed for trade to flourished. Trade routes like the Silk road brought in many different goods that the west had never seen before. Things like spices, perfume, silk, and many other luxury items.
Emperor Qin
Who: Unified the warring states into one empire; used slave labor to construct Terra Cotta Army and the first Great Wall. Why: Because of his unification of China and building the wall, he essentially pushed back the warring tribes westward toward the Byzantine, Frankish, and Germanic civilizations. However, as the tribes traveled there would be less and less space to settle, causing them to invade those empires.
Goths / Franks / Huns
Who: Visigoths The tribes of "west" Goths who sacked Rome in 410 C.E. and later established a kingdom in the Roman province of Hispania (Spain). Who: Huns were nomadic horsemen from Asia. They were led by Attila, The Scourge of Good. The tribe was violent and they would steal/kill/burn villages for fun. They didn't bother settling and simply continued to ransack whatever was in their way. As they approached Rome, the local tribes begged to be taken in as refugees to avoid being killed. Who: Of all the European kingdoms that emerged during the fifth and sixth centuries, only the Franks succeeded in establishing a single dynasty from which leaders would be drawn for the next two hundred and fifty years. This dynasty reached back to Clovis (r. c. 481-511), a warrior king who established an alliance between his family and the powerful bishops of Gaul by converting to Roman Christianity —emulating the example of Constantine.
William of Ockham
Who: William argued against Aristotelianism, stating that faith and reason could not go together. He explained that trying to find evidence of God's existence was a weakness in faith. God exists without logic or reason, but gave us intelligence to question other things. He began the process of inductive reasoning and scientific method. I ask question, don't know answer, look for evidence, conclude an answer.