Question 1

All of the following are indications of new intellectual trends from the eleventh century through the fourteenth century, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle was not abandoned in favor of a literal interpretation of scripture during the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries. Instead, Aquinas' work, which synthesized Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy, became a cornerstone of medieval scholarship and remained influential in the Church.

Question 2

Representative assemblies developed in two areas:

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B because the Estates-General was indeed established in France by Philip IV (the Fair) to gain support against the Pope, and the English Parliament's roots can be traced back to the reign of John, particularly with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the king's power and laid the groundwork for the development of Parliament.

Question 3

Pope Gregory I did all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

St. Boniface, known for his missionary work in Germany, was not recalled by Pope Gregory I for failing to convert the Irish. This task was not associated with Gregory I, as St. Boniface's main missionary efforts were focused on the Germanic peoples, not the Irish, and his activities occurred after Gregory's papacy.

Question 4

All of the following were true of medieval Jews EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

In medieval Europe, Jews were often segregated into separate quarters or ghettos and faced various restrictions on where they could live, which contradicts the statement that they lived in integrated neighborhoods among non-Jews in most European cities.

Question 5

The Fourth Crusade is notable because:

Accepted Answer

The Fourth Crusade is notable for the crusaders' attack on Constantinople, a Christian city, which led to their excommunication by the Pope. This event marked a significant deviation from the original goals of the Crusades, which were to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control.

Question 6

St. Thomas Aquinas:

Accepted Answer

St. Thomas Aquinas is known for his efforts to reconcile faith and reason, particularly through his work in the Summa Theologica. He argued that reason and faith are complementary rather than contradictory.

Question 7

The founder of the Merovingian dynasty was:

Accepted Answer

Clovis was the founder of the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled the Franks for nearly 300 years starting in the late 5th century.

Question 8

The following order of events is correct:

Accepted Answer

The correct chronological order is: Foundation charter of the University of Paris (c. 1150), Magna Carta, England (1215), St. Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica (1265-1274), and the Council of Constance (1414-1418).

Question 9

All of the following contributed to cross-Mediterranean trade and commerce EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Improvements in astrological tables, while important for navigation and understanding celestial movements, did not directly contribute to the mechanics or efficiency of cross-Mediterranean trade and commerce in the same way that innovations in ship design or the adoption of navigational techniques did. Astrology, concerned with divining information about human affairs and terrestrial events through the observation of the stars and planets, is distinct from astronomy, which is the scientific study of celestial bodies. The question likely intended to refer to astronomical tables, which would be relevant to navigation, but as stated, astrological tables do not have a direct impact on trade and commerce.

Question 10

All of the following are true of the Hundred Years' War EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The Hundred Years' War, despite being primarily fought on French soil, did cause harm to the English in various ways, including economically and politically. It was not a conflict that left England untouched by its consequences.

Question 11

Charlemagne's empire did not long survive his death for several reasons, including all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The Pope continued to support the resulting kingdoms and principalities after Charlemagne's death, as the church's influence and power were intertwined with the legitimacy and governance of these realms. The withdrawal of papal support as a form of punishment for disobedience is not historically accurate in this context.

Question 12

During the period between the ninth century and the year 1300:

Accepted Answer

During this period, Europe saw the emergence of more centralized and effective forms of governance following a time of disorder and fragmentation. This era was marked by the consolidation of power by monarchs and the establishment of foundational governmental structures that would shape the future of European states.

Question 13

Which of the below correctly identifies the "liberal arts" as taught in the monasteries?

Accepted Answer

The "liberal arts" traditionally include the Trivium (grammar, rhetoric, logic) and the Quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy), as outlined in choice B. These subjects formed the basis of medieval education, particularly in monastic and cathedral schools.

Question 14

The need for reform of the Western Church during the period 1000 to 1300 seems to have arisen:

Accepted Answer

The need for reform of the Western Church during the period 1000 to 1300 seems to have arisen from a long period of decentralization and decline of learning.

Question 15

All of the following contributed to a more advantageous economic atmosphere in Europe after 1000 EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The key factors contributing to a more advantageous economic atmosphere in Europe after 1000 included an increasing population due to dietary improvements, a rising demand for consumer goods, and technological advancements like more efficient watermills. However, a greater supply of trade items in high demand across Asia would not directly contribute to Europe's internal economic atmosphere; it relates more to international trade dynamics rather than internal economic conditions.

Question 16

The following issues can be considered a part of the inspiration for the Crusades EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The Crusades were primarily motivated by religious fervor, the desire to reclaim the Holy Land, and to aid the Byzantine Empire against Muslim expansion. Protecting European trade routes to southeastern Asia was not a direct inspiration for the Crusades, as the focus was more on the Middle East and religious objectives rather than economic interests in Asia.

Question 17

Some of the changes of the eleventh and twelfth centuries included:

Accepted Answer

The appearance of the military as a new social class is a notable change from the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This period saw the rise of knights and the militarization of the aristocracy, which significantly impacted the social structure of medieval Europe. Choices A, B, and D describe events or trends that are not accurately associated with the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Black Death occurred in the 14th century, not the 11th or 12th, and the use of coinage and urban life were actually growing during this time, not diminishing or being abandoned.

Question 18

Problems faced by fourteenth-century Europeans included all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Muslim invasions were not a significant problem for Europeans in the fourteenth century. The main issues were the Little Ice Age (dramatic climate change), the Black Death (plague), and a shortage of arable land leading to famine.

Question 19

The "investiture controversy" was:

Accepted Answer

The "investiture controversy" was a significant conflict during the Middle Ages, primarily involving a power struggle between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Popes over who had the authority to appoint (invest) church officials such as bishops and abbots. This controversy highlighted the broader conflict between church and state power.

Question 20

Scholasticism was:

Accepted Answer

Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that sought to reconcile Christian theology with classical and late antique philosophy, primarily through the use of Aristotelian logic. It was not specifically about encouraging aristocrats to attend universities, nor was it a field of study that focused on astrophysics. While it did involve dialectical reasoning, it is more accurately described as a method of determining truth through Aristotelian logic rather than directly derived from the Socratic dialectic.

Quiz 11: Innovation and Adaptation in the Western Christian World, 600-1450 C.E