Question 1

A direct challenge to the Byzantine emperor arose in the year 800 when the pope gave an imperial crown to the Frankish king,

Accepted Answer

The pope crowned Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, which was a direct challenge to the Byzantine emperor's authority as the legitimate ruler of the Roman Empire.

Question 2

The term Greek fire refers to

Accepted Answer

Greek fire was a Byzantine incendiary weapon used in naval warfare. Its composition is unknown, but it was believed to be a mixture of substances including petroleum, quicklime, and sulfur that was projected onto enemy ships with a device resembling a flamethrower. The weapon was highly effective and played a significant role in Byzantine naval victories.

Question 3

Justinian's most important and long-lasting political achievement was his

Accepted Answer

Justinian's most important and long-lasting political achievement was his codification of Roman law. The resulting body of law, known as the Justinian Code, served as the basis for Western European law and influenced legal systems around the world for centuries.

Question 4

Constantinople withstood sieges in 674-678 and 717-718 by

Accepted Answer

The sieges of Constantinople in 674-678 and 717-718 were led by Arabic forces, specifically the Umayyad Caliphate. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to capture the city, thanks in part to the defensive measures put in place by Emperor Constantine IV and his successors.

Question 5

Byzantium was the Mediterranean basin's leading producer of

Accepted Answer

Byzantium, particularly during the Byzantine Empire, was renowned for its production of silk, which was a highly valued commodity in the Mediterranean and beyond.

Question 6

The theme system

Accepted Answer

The theme system made land available to the peasants in return for military service. This helped to strengthen the Byzantine military and increase its manpower. It also created a class of soldier-farmers who were loyal to the emperor and had a vested interest in defending the empire.

Question 7

Up through the eighth century,the chief foreign organized threat to the eastern Roman empire was

Accepted Answer

The Sasanid dynasty ruled over Persia from 224 to 651 AD, and during this time, they posed a significant threat to the eastern Roman empire. The two empires were often in conflict, with the Sasanids trying to expand their territory and the Romans trying to defend their land. This rivalry was a significant factor in shaping the politics and military strategies of both empires during this time.

Question 8

Hagia Sophia was

Accepted Answer

Hagia Sophia was a magnificent church in Constantinople that was commissioned by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century, and is now a museum.

Question 9

The most important political feature of the Byzantine state was its

Accepted Answer

The Byzantine state was characterized by a tightly centralized rule under a powerful emperor, who had extensive control over political and religious institutions. This allowed for efficient administration and the ability to quickly respond to external threats, as exemplified by the empire's repulsion of Arab invasions in the 7th and 8th centuries.

Question 10

According to Procopius,two sixth-century Christian monks undertook an elaborate smuggling operation to provide Byzantium with the knowledge to produce

Accepted Answer

According to Procopius, the two Christian monks smuggled silkworm eggs and mulberry seeds to Byzantium to establish the silk industry there. Therefore, the best choice is E - silk.

Question 11

The Byzantine ruler who led a resurgence of power in the eleventh century by crushing the Bulgars was

Accepted Answer

The Byzantine ruler who led a resurgence of power in the eleventh century by crushing the Bulgars was Basil II, also known as Basil the Bulgar-Slayer. His victory over the Bulgars at the Battle of Kleidion in 1014 was a major achievement that helped him consolidate Byzantine power in the Balkans.

Question 12

Byzantium's major advantage was its

Accepted Answer

Byzantium's strategic position on the Bosporus made it an ideal location for trade, diplomacy, and defense. The Bosporus also made it easy for the Byzantine Empire to control the movement of ships between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, allowing them to generate significant revenue from tolls and tariffs.

Question 13

Justinian's issuance of the Corpus iuris civilis

Accepted Answer

Justinian's Corpus iuris civilis, which consisted of three parts (the Codex, the Digest, and the Institutes), was recognized as the definitive codification of Roman law and became the foundation of Western legal thought.

Question 14

Which part of the Mediterranean basin was never part of the Byzantine empire?

Accepted Answer

Arabia was never part of the Byzantine Empire. While the Byzantines controlled parts of the Arabian Peninsula's periphery, the core regions of Arabia were not under Byzantine control.

Question 15

The mixture of secular and religious authority that marked Constantine's reign as well as that of the Byzantine emperors is known as

Accepted Answer

The best choice is B) caesaropapism, which refers to the combination of secular and religious authority in the Byzantine Empire, where the emperor acted as both the political leader and the head of the Orthodox Church. This system gave the emperor vast powers, including the authority to appoint bishops and determine church doctrine, and was a defining feature of Byzantine governance. The other options are not accurate descriptions of this system.

Question 16

In the year 962,Otto of Saxony

Accepted Answer

Otto of Saxony claimed to rule as emperor of the old western half of the Roman empire in the year 962, which became known as the Holy Roman Empire. He did not accept the sovereignty of the Byzantine emperors, create a written alphabet for the Slavic people, expand the scope of Byzantine influence by translating Justinian's code into German, or invade and sack Constantinople.

Question 17

Italy,Sicily,northwestern Africa,and southern Spain were brought back under imperial control by the military victories of

Accepted Answer

Belisarius was a Byzantine general who played a crucial role in the reconquest of Italy, Sicily, North Africa, and parts of Spain in the 6th century AD, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I.

Question 18

One of the causes of Byzantine resurgence was the political innovation wherein a general was given military and civil control over an imperial province or

Accepted Answer

The concept of a theme was a political innovation introduced by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century. A theme was an administrative district comprising both military and civil power, and it was ruled by a general who was appointed by the emperor. This system allowed for more effective governance and military defense, and it played a significant role in the Byzantine resurgence during the 8th and 9th centuries.

Question 19

Historians use the term caesaropapism to refer to the

Accepted Answer

Caesaropapism refers to the system in which the emperor has a mixture of political and religious authority. It was prevalent in the Byzantine Empire, where the emperor was both the head of the state and the head of the church. The term is derived from Caesar, referring to the emperor, and papism, referring to the authority of the pope in the Roman Catholic Church.

Question 20

Basil II crushed the Bulgars in 1014 at the Battle of

Accepted Answer

Basil II defeated the Bulgarian forces at the Battle of Kleidion in 1014, which effectively ended the First Bulgarian Empire. The other options listed are not relevant to this specific event in history.

Quiz 10: The Christian Commonwealth of Byzantium