Deck 11: The Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity in the West, 31 BCE-600 CE

Question 1

For centuries,many German commoners remained aloof from Christianity,in part because

A) they refused to give up their own pagan ways.
B) they failed to really understand the concepts of Heaven and Hell.
C) the laws seemed too complex.
D) they had no one to interpret church doctrine for them.
E) they had little use for those not true to their pagan past.

Answer 1

they had no one to interpret church doctrine for them.

Question 2

Evaluate the reforms of Constantine and Diocletian,as to how constructive they were.Which would you consider to be more effective? Explain your answer.

Answer 2

Answers would include Diocletian (284-305)general,absolute control,division of empire,Tetrarchy,price control and Roman coinage,and Constantine (313-337)built upon some of Diolcletian's policies,transferred capital,Constantinople,acceptance of Christianity,Edict of Milan and Christian church organization and the role of the state.

Question 3

Discuss the early history of Christianity and elaborate on the significance of its early leaders and ideas.

Answer 3

Answers would include Jesus of Nazareth,Paul,appeal of Christianity,Edict of Milan,Constantine,organization of bishop and doctrine,Council of Nicea,and the role of the state.

Question 4

Describe the impact of the Germanic migrations/invasions upon Western Europe.

Question 5

Which of the following groups felt least threatened by Jesus's teachings?

A) Romans
B) Zealots
C) Saducees
D) Pharasees
E) All felt equally threatened.

Question 6

The Edict of Milan

A) established four-man rule.
B) established religious toleration.
C) issued price ceilings on consumer goods.
D) "Germanized" Roman armies on the frontiers.
E) stipulated that Christianity would be officially tolerated.

Question 7

Christianity was first spread to the non-Jewish world through the efforts of

A) Peter.
B) Paul.
C) John.
D) Thomas.
E) Ambrose.

Question 8

As a part of their system of government,the Germans

A) elected their leaders, whose total authority covered times of both war and peace.
B) immediately settled down in cities and fortified towns where their leaders held court.
C) had kings who sometimes lived at least part of the year in castles inside towns named for them.
D) rejected the concept that tribute should be made to the office of king rather than to the man himself.
E) used war tactics that were so different from those of the Romans that they rejected virtually everything Roman.

Question 9

Evaluate Charlemagne as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.Compare his reign to that of Constantine.

Question 10

When the emperor Constantine officially recognized Christianity,fellow Christians would most likely have accepted which of the following reasons for his decision?

A) To help the new faith to grow.
B) To recognize God for helping him win an important battle.
C) To appease the large number of his subjects who had accepted the faith.
D) To create a greater sense of unity between his government and the people.
E) To make his mother, who was a Christian, happy.

Question 11

Wealthy Romans built their tombs beside well known

A) buildings.
B) monuments.
C) roads.
D) aqueducts.
E) religious shrines.

Question 12

Early Christian emperors allowed bishops to

A) participate in their coronations.
B) make church law independently.
C) create the position of Pope as supreme head of the Church.
D) operate completely separately from the civil authorities.
E) collect and retain a share of the taxes within their dioceses.

Question 13

Which of the following correctly describes the Germanic invasions?

A) The Vandals began their attempted conquest by invading Rome itself.
B) The Franks made their mark in France during the fifth century.
C) The Angles and the Saxons set up their kingdom in northern Germany.
D) The Angles took over Spain.
E) England became home to both the Saxons and the Franks.

Question 14

The early Christians would not have appeared to be too concerned about the fall of the Roman Empire to the Germanic invaders,because

A) their faith preached religious toleration, and that included German barbarians' pagan rituals.
B) they were more concerned about mixing Christian beliefs with existing Roman pagan practices.
C) they believed that the Lord was returning soon, and no earthly empire would be in control.
D) after Theodosius, they could keep their faith and help defend the empire at the same time.
E) they believed their faith would help them repel the invaders.

Question 15

What were the significant challenges of the Roman empire from the beginning of the millennium through the Byzantine empire?

Question 16

Elaborate on the significance of Christianity to European history through the Byzantine Empire.

Question 17

Diocletian was the first leader of the western world to

A) move his capital city to the East.
B) make Christianity the religion of the state.
C) make use of tax collectors.
D) place price ceilings on consumer goods.
E) collect taxes from the peasants.

Question 18

During the age of the Barracks Emperors,

A) Rome experienced a last, brief period of peace.
B) Rome maintained the existence of the ordinary people through agriculture.
C) barbarians from the east entered the Roman Empire for the first time.
D) the Roman military was able to repel all invasions due to its cohesiveness.
E) long-distance trade became profitable.

Question 19

Constantine formally transferred his government to the East,to the new city of Byzantium (Constantinople),because

A) he thought the government should be centered in the world's largest city.
B) the cultured Greeks were the dominant force there.
C) he feared the encroachment of the Germans.
D) the Germans were advancing from the west and he wanted the capital to be in a safe place.
E) the eastern half of the empire needed protection, and the new capital city had a good strategic position.

Question 20

Which of the following was not a reason for the appeal of Christianity in its early stages?

A) Christianity offered a new spirit of optimism and hope to a downtrodden people.
B) The new doctrine promised release from Roman rule in the near future.
C) The Christian doctrine had a spirit of mutuality in which each member was to help the other members out in times of trouble.
D) Its ideals of charity and caring for others were like a breath of fresh air in a world filled with greed.
E) The religion was universal, meaning it was open to all peoples.

Question 21

The original German belief system was

A) monotheistic, with Thor as their deity.
B) polytheistic, and strongly rooted in the concept of an afterlife.
C) animistic and supernatural.
D) based on ethics.
E) rooted in theology.

Question 22

The first major Christian Church council was held at

A) Hippo, where St. Augustine became bishop.
B) Nicaea, where a number of theological questions were settled.
C) Rome, where the doctrine of Petrine Succession was adopted.
D) Constantinople, where clergy and lay people studied many ancient documents.
E) Milan, where Church officials decided to make Rome their official headquarters.

Question 23

All of the following are true of Pope Gregory I EXCEPT

A) He became a Benedictine monk.
B) He was born into a peasant family.
C) He most important legacy was his work at converting German leaders.
D) He initially protested against his own election as pope.
E) He was pope for nine years.

Question 24

When an eastern pope and a stubborn patriarch excommunicated each other in 1054,their act signaled

A) the successful domination of the Christian faith by Rome.
B) the rivalry between Justinian and the Roman pope.
C) the overall weakness of Church authority.
D) the cultural differences between North and South.
E) the division of the Christian Church into Greek and Latin halves.

Question 25

After Constantine,the only non-Christian emperor was ____________________.

Question 26

Significantly enough,some of the major decisions of the Council of Nicaea were implemented by the ____________________.

Question 27

Which of the following convinced Romans to abandon the West?

A) The adoption of Christianity by German leaders.
B) The invasion of the Asian Huns.
C) The pagan rituals spreading from the Franks.
D) The lack of military leaders willing to stay in the west.
E) None of the options are correct.

Question 28

The early bishops claimed to be a direct descendent of

A) Jesus of Nazareth.
B) The 12 Apostles.
C) John the Baptist.
D) The 12 Disciples.
E) Judas.

Question 29

Charlemagne was given the title "emperor," making him leader of the Holy Roman Empire,officially by

A) St. Augustine.
B) himself.
C) Pope Leo III.
D) his father.
E) Clovis.

Question 30

Most of our information on early German tribes comes from ____ sources.

A) Anglo
B) Frank
C) Greek
D) Asian Hun
E) Roman

Question 31

The last emperor to attempt to resurrect the broken Byzantine Empire was

A) Constantine.
B) Diocletian.
C) Hadrian.
D) Charlemagne.
E) Justinian.

Question 32

Under the early Christian emperors,bishops were granted the significant right to have their own ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 33

Identify the outstanding Byzantine accomplishment:

A) The defeat of the Bulgars and Muslims.
B) The re-uniting of the Roman Empire.
C) The Christianization of Eastern Europe.
D) The calling of the Council of Nicaea.
E) The capture of the Jews in Eastern Europe.

Question 34

The feudal system in Europe arose because of

A) economic necessity and the need for workers.
B) fears over invasions and a desire for a sense of order.
C) the conquering of new lands.
D) the establishment of large estates that required many workers.
E) the imposition of Germanic customs.

Question 35

The most important of the Fathers of the Church were ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 36

The concept created by the Byzantine emperor Justinian,that made the monarch the head of the church and state was known as

A) Hagia Sophia.
B) Corpus Iuris.
C) Alcuin.
D) Caesaro-Papism.
E) Missi dominici.

Question 37

The doctrine of Petrine Succession asserted that

A) Christ was not equal to God the father.
B) the Bishop of Rome was the head of the Christian Church.
C) emperors could rightfully direct religious policy.
D) Christ's Second Coming would occur after Rome had fallen.
E) Peter had a special place as the brother of Jesus.

Question 38

The Treaty of Verdun in 843

A) divided Germany between the Magyars and the Christians.
B) created the kingdom of the Franks and made Charlemagne the first Holy Roman Emperor.
C) was a compromise between Eastern and Western Christianity.
D) divided Charlemagne's empire into three states whose borders far outlived their rulers.
E) provided for religious toleration within the Holy Roman Empire.

Question 39

The feudal knights were originally

A) idealistic and loyal to their leaders.
B) romantic visionaries.
C) mercenaries who made a career of fighting.
D) well-educated young men from newly-impoverished families.
E) selfless and well-intentioned do-gooders.

Question 40

All of the following are true of the Dark Ages,EXCEPT

A) literacy rates went up dramatically.
B) there was an increase in piracy and vandalism.
C) towns and cities declined and people increasingly went to live on manorial lands.
D) the churches suffered numerous scandals.
E) the Roman transport network fell to pieces.

Question 41

Charlemagne started the ____________________,which was a group of special officers who reported on courts directly to the emperor.

Question 42

The first Holy Roman Emperor was ____________________.

Question 43

The most serious threat of invasion from the Carolingian empire came from the ____________________.

Question 44

Our chief source of information on Charlemagne comes from the book ____________________.

Question 45

The governmental system set up by Diocletian in an attempt to end civil war was a(n)____________________.

Question 46

Constantine transferred the Empire's capital eastward,to the old Greek city of ____________________.