Question 1

What was Abelard's Sic et Non (1122-1123)? Why is it considered innovative?

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the following. Sic et Non (Yes and No) was a textbook for Abelard's students that aimed to arrive at truth by presenting questions on 156 subjects. Each question was followed by answers in the form of quotations taken from various authorities' opinions on that subject. Scholars had earlier recognized that these authorities sometimes contradicted one another, but Abelard's text was the first to pointedly call attention to these conflicts. He was trying to encourage his students to ask questions of authorities and to use logic to reconcile opposing positions.

Question 2

How were universities run, and how did students learn?

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the following. Universities often began as schools connected to monasteries and cathedrals. Each university's curriculum differed from that of other universities in content and duration, but for the most part, students learned by memorizing masters' lectures because books were expensive. Technically, masters and students were considered clerics; thus they were exempt from secular courts and enjoyed other special privileges. Students paid for their education and often sought out especially popular teachers.

Question 3

Describe the common elements in twelfth-century churches built in the Romanesque style.

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the following. Romanesque churches typically boasted massive stone and masonry walls, with interiors lightened by paintings in bright colors and ornamented by jeweled reliquaries and altars. Sculpture was used on both the exterior and the interior, softening the geometric forms of the various parts of the church. The interior was further enlivened by services conducted by priests wearing elaborate vestments.

Question 4

What are the most important facts of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life?

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Question 5

Describe Henry II of England's new judicial visitation (eyres) system. What were its advantages, and for whom?

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Question 6

Which 1194 event changed the administrative system of the French kings? What was changed?

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Question 7

Why was ruling always a risk for emperors such as Frederick I (Barbarossa)?

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Question 8

What were the basic beliefs of the Cathars, or Albigensians?

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Question 9

Describe the main events of the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204).

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Question 10

Describe the Northern Crusades. Include who led them, against whom they were directed, and what they accomplished.

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Question 11

Discuss the most visible reminder of thirteenth-century beliefs: the Gothic cathedrals. How did Gothic architecture differ from Romanesque architecture? What religious purposes were Gothic cathedrals intended to serve?

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Question 12

Describe the universities, schools, and students of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Be sure to consider the curricula, the lives of students, and areas of specialization of study.

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Question 13

How did Frederick I come to power, and what was the significance of his coming to power? What benefits did his rule bring to Germany? How was his rule detrimental to the territories he controlled and, eventually, to his own success as a ruler?

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Question 14

Describe and explain the emergence of troubadours, the various types of literature they wrote in the vernacular, and the values and themes they expressed in elite secular culture. Why did troubadours emerge in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries?

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Question 15

Discuss the crusading impulses of the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries. What impact did these crusades have on the societies of the Middle East, Spain, the Baltic States, and the regions of southern France that were home to the Albigensian heresy?

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Question 16

Which of the following factors contributed to the success and advancement of the Middle Ages?

Accepted Answer

An emphasis on learning led to the establishment of universities and the preservation of classical knowledge, which contributed to the intellectual and cultural advancements of the Middle Ages.

Question 17

Schools and universities were set up in Europe in the Middle Ages to do which of the following?

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Question 18

Students studying the quadrivium focused on

Accepted Answer

The quadrivium consisted of four subjects: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy, which were considered advanced studies in the Middle Ages following the trivium of grammar, rhetoric, and logic.

Question 19

What did Peter Abelard find even more difficult to bear than his castration?

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Question 20

Like Peter Abelard, Peter the Chanter gained renown for his

Accepted Answer

Peter the Chanter was known for his intellectual contributions, particularly his lectures and disputations, rather than for illicit love affairs, religious reform efforts, or attempts to convert non-Christians, which are more closely associated with other historical figures.

Quiz 11: The Flowering of the Middle Ages, 1150-1215