Pu03e_The Crescent and the Cross: The 1st Crusade

The 1st Crusade

Across

1. A question #11 answer. This was the first Crusader Principality to be deceiptfully acquired. A crusader became king.
4. A question #6 answer. There are two words you must insert here. The first word is the term the Catholic Church uses to identify the action a wrong-doer must take to achieve forgiveness. The second word is the term used by members of the three monotheistic faiths to identify the category of actions classified as ‘Wrongs’. These were important terms used in Pope Urban’s speech. The speech did little to clear common misunderstandings by followers of the Christian faith. (2 words total)
7. A question #2 answer.
9. A question #10 answer. They used long-range… (2 words)
10. A question #3 answer. Pope issues order to send, as well as establish goals of these.
11. A question #10 answer. They fought on…
15. A question #3 answer. Pope wishes this ruler to accept papal leadership. (2 words)
16. A question #1 answer.
18. A question #3 answer. Pope calls for the formation of this.
19. A question #4 answer. May reunite the followers of this institution with The Church. (3 words)

Down

2. A question #4 answer. Sets a precedent for Church authority in certains areas of this segment of society.
3. A question #7 answer. A targetted group ‘other’ than that listed in the Clermont speech.
5. A question #11 answer. This Crusader Principality had a significant portion of it’s population slaughtered- including Christians. A crusader became king.
6. A question #11 answer. At Ma’arat al-Numan, crusaders resorted to this most offensive act.
8. A question #10 answer. Their horses were smaller and…
11. A question #6 answer. Automatic acceptance into this realm.
12. A question #4 answer. Rid Europe of these rowdy persons.
13. Question #1 answer.
14. A question #5 answer. Regain control of the land that this figure once resided in.
17. A question #8 answer. Crusaders often sold this most valuable feudal asset.

Pr03b_The Byzantine Empire was Roman with an Eastern Flavor! (Slide by Slide Description)

The accompanying presentation to this slide by slide description can be accessed by clicking the link above.

Cover Slide: The Hagia Sophia is depicted here. See slide #7 for additional information.

Slide #2: Map of Western Europe in the early 6th C. CE.
A major contributor to the collapse of the Western portion of the Roman Empire was the migration/ invasions of nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples from the North and East. For centuries the Roman imperial army was able to repel these incursions and maintain relatively stable borders. That ended in the 5th C. CE.

These invaders are referred to as ‘Barbarians’ by Western texts. However, most had extensive exposure to the former empire and had diffused with it. The stereotypical image of a barbarian as being little more than a Neolithic nomad is false.

The naming of these ‘barbarian’ peoples is quite inaccurate as well. Goths (Ostrogoths and Visigoths) is a large category of peoples and NOT a distinct people. Major groups listed on the map include: Burgundians, Lombards, Saxons, Vandals, etc.

The Eastern portion of the Roman Empire will continue to live on for another 900 years around the former Greek city of Byzantium, to be renamed Constantinople. Historians in the West will rename the empire ‘Byzantine’ to distinguish it from the former empire that included the Western half. It should be noted, however, that imperial citizens of Constantinople still referred to themselves as ‘Romans’.

Slide #3: Constantinople. It’s location controlled the water passage from the Black Sea to the Mediterannean Sea. It was also a militarily strong location to defend from attackers.

Slide #4: This image shows a surviving section of the dual-wall perimeter that protected Constantinople from a land attack coming from the West. This was part of the wall designed under the Emperor Theodosius in the 5th C.

Slide #5: Mosaic depictions of Emperor Justinian and his wife, Theodora (6th C.).

Justinian reigned as emperor for many years and was at the helm for major achievements. Among these we would include: The Hagia Sophia, Corpus Juris Civilis, and reconquest of the former Western-half of the Roman Empire (temporarily).

Slide #6: Innovation continued under the Byzantine emperors. In this image we see the use of ‘Greek Fire’ to repel a sea attack.

Slide #7-8: The Hagia Sophia is depicted here. An architectural project sponsored by the Emperor Justinian (6th C. CE). Though built to serve as a church, it has gone through additional conversions over the centuries. The four towers around the structure are minarets added by the Islamic (Ottoman) Turks that conquered Constantinople in 1454. It now serves as a museum in the heart of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople).

The use of a dome to cap churches is a Roman cultural tradition that has survived until today. This tradition of placing domes on religious structures reaches back into the Roman classical age with the Pantheon being the stereotypical example.

The European Middle Ages will witness the absence of domed churches as the plans, skill, and materials necessary to construct a dome was ‘lost’ along with the Roman Empire in the West after 476 CE. It will not be until the Renaissance when Western Europe will see its next domed structure.

Slide #9: Corpus (Body) Juris (Law) Civilis (Civil) = Body of Civil Law.
Commissioned by Justinian, this compilation of Roman law was a legal and logistical achievement. Justinian had scholars comb the legal archives of the empire to consolidate and edit the statute books of the Roman Empire dating back to the Emperor Hadrian (2nd C.) His goal was to make the legal system nombre efficient by removing laws that were no-longer useful.

Slide #10: Several significant works by one of Justinian’s secretaries- Procopius. Since Procopius’ inflammatory accounts of Justinian’s private life (The Secret History) would surely have had him imprisoned and/ or sentenced to death, he waited to publish it after the emperor’s death.

Slide #11: A map of the Byzantine Empire at it’s height of size under the reign of Justinian.

Slide #12-13: A major holy site for Christians today has it’s origin with the Emperor Constantine, who also established Byzantium as a Eastern Roman capital city in the 4th C.

The church enshrines, on one end, the traditionally accepted site of Jesus’ crucifixion (Golgotha/ Calvary) and Jesus’ tomb on the other end.

Slide #14-15: These two slides begin to show the developing differences between the Christian Church that had developed under a Christian Roman Empire.

After the empire collapsed in the West, the influence of the migrating/ invading peoples contributed to a faith that was developing differently compared to the Eastern half of the empire that remained in Constantinople.

The Byzantine Empire gave birth to the Eastern Orthodox Church (Eastern Church). In this first image we see priests dressed in religious robes.

The Western half gave birth to the Roman Catholic Church (Western Church). In the second image we see a priest dressed in religious robes common to that Church.

Take note how the developing differences are showing up in the garb and the styles of Crosses (Crucifixes).

Slide #16: An image of icons in the form of small statues is shown in the upper-left. The lower-right is a modern image showing the interior of the Hagia Sofia.

A major religious rift between the two Churches was how to treat the use of icons (in the pre-Digital Age, icons were physical and in predominantly in the form of statues and paintings).

A movement referred to as ‘Iconoclasm’ (Icon Smashing) began to appear in the reign of Justinian, but shifted into significance a couple centuries later. The Western Church continued to have icons present in the churches during services, while there was a growing opposition to that practice in the Eastern Church. There were many in the Eastern Church who saw the presence of icons in religious services as a form of idol worship. Those who were against the use of icons were called ‘Iconoclasts’ (Icon Smashers). Sometimes, the dispute became so heated that violence broke out and spread from the churches to the streets of Constantinople in the form of riots.

Slide #17: Since 1054, when the Western and Eastern Churches officially split apart (The Great Schism), there have been repeated attempts by leaders of both Churches to reunify. All attempts, thus far, have failed to achieve that unity.

Pr03a_Islam: A Global Faith (Slide by Slide Description)

To view the presentation that accompanies the slide descriptions below, please navigate to
Pr03a_Islam: A Global Faith

(Cover) Slide #1: Images of Muslims depicting the diversity of cultures and races.

Slide #2: This satellite image encompasses the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia, Levant, and Nile River Delta). To the south, midway on the Arabian Red Sea coast is Mecca. A commercial center for for over 1000 years and the birthplace/ home of The Prophet Muhammad. This is the holiest city in the Islamic faith for another reason as well.

Slide #3: Mecca’s commercial success was primarily attributable to it’s proximity to caravan trade routes of the peninsula, access to the sea, hospitable living conditions, and proximity to markets in Africa and the Mediterranean Sea basin. To a lesser degree, the city was inviting to merchants because their deities were, or could be, represented in the oldest structure in the area, The Ka’aba.

The people of the interior of the Arabian peninsula were predominantly bedouin in culture. That nomadic lifestyle still thrives on the peninsula and North African desert. Historically, nomads are very protective of their independence and will become a major obstacle to anyone trying to unite them as a single people.

Slide #4: Common, but often poorly translated Arabic words.
ISLAM- To surrender your Will to God.

MUSLIM- Someone who surrenders their Will to God.

ALLAH- “God” This is the God of Abraham, Moses, Ezekiel, Jesus, etc.

QUR-AN- “Recite” The word or command from Allah to The Prophet via the Arch Angel Gabriel (“Jibril” in Arabic). The Prophet was illiterate and could only memorize the words by repeating them after hearing them spoken. The words were compiled in what is now the holiest Islamic source, the book known as the Qur-an.

HADITH/ SUNNA(H)- The Hadith and Sunna(h) are texts containing the “Sayings” and “Practices”, respectively, of The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They serve as authoritative religious texts, but are still secondary to the Qur-an.

JIHAD- “Struggle” The struggle for every Muslim is to determine God’s Will and to make it their own. That is diificult to do, and thus a struggle that lasts a lifetime.

Slide #5: An excerpt from the Qur-an that forbids the forced-conversion of others. The once common Western view that the Islamic Civilization, and thus all of Islam, forcibly converted it’s subjects as a traditional practice is erroneous.

Slide #6: Pivotal elements of the story of the birth of Islam. In keeping with the prophetic stories of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, The Prophet Muhammad is persecuted by the pagan inhabitants of Mecca. They were polytheistic and The Prophet’s teachings were monotheistic. The Meccans could have easily interpreted as a threat to their commercial lifestyle since the Ka’aba played a role in attracting business to the city.

The Prophet was forced to flee Mecca and setup residence in the nothern city of Medina (Madinah). This ‘journey’ from Mecca to Medina is called the “Hijra” (‘Journey’ in Arabic). It marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Their, he built a community of followers, the first Islamic community ever formed. He gained an enormous amount of respect and loyalty from the inhabitants he met and preached to. This would lay the foundation for an attempt to regain Mecca and re-dedicate the Ka’aba to God.

Slide #7: The Five Pillars: These five statements are meant to encapsulate the essence of the faith’s quest to do God’s Will. No faith could be so easily described or explained, so students are cautioned not to extract much from these statements. While these are traditional requirements for observant Muslims, they do not fully reveal all that there is to know about Islam. Using The Five Pillars of Islam as a way to introduce the Islamic faith to non-Muslims, is just another poor method the education system uses to teach a complex human culture.

Statement #1: Monotheism. Stating the importance of The Prophet Muhammad.

Statement #2: Keep God on your mind and do so while facing his ‘house’ in Mecca. The ‘house’ is the Ka’aba.

Statement #3: You must use the Islamic (Lunar) calendar month of Ramadan to fast. The fast serves the same purpose here as in other faiths- Keep God on your mind. Make all other desires (food, comfort, pleasures, etc) secondary to your focus on God.

Statement #4: Aid the poor and those in need.

Statement #5: Visit the Ka’aba and the city of Mecca once in your life, at least.

Slide #8: A table showing some of the commonality between the three great monotheistic faiths.

Slide #9: Here are concepts that Islam adheres to.
Item #1: Though there are many types of Muslims, they are all united in One faith.

Item #2: The world was granted to Humanity as a trust. To be studied, but to never enter the realm of the divine. To determine the nature of God is fruitless and a poor use of time/ resources.

Item #3: All people will have to face God’s final judgment.

Item #4: This phrase refers to Jews and Christians, who are people that accept God’s revelations via the prophets of the Bible.

Item #5: The revealed words/ commands of God. Often revealed to Humanity via the prophets.

Slide #10:  The Grand Mosque in Mecca. This mosque can hold as many as one million people. The small cube-shaped structure in it is the Ka’aba. ‘Ka’aba’ means ‘Cube’ in Arabic. It is traditinally accepted as the first temple built to God. Built by Abraham and his eldest son, Ishmael. It is the holiest site in Islam.

Slide #11: Closeup of the Ka’aba. The black netting shrouding the structure has quotes from the Qur-an stitched in gold.

Slide #12: An example of Unified Diversity.

Slide #13: The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem. Contains the rock that tradition says was being used by Abraham to sacrifice his son. It was on this site that the temple built by Solomon was erected. That temple held the Ark of the Covenant (Torah). This convergence of two faiths has led to many disputes. Often violent, the disputes have spread worldwide in the form of terrorism.

Slide #14: Another view of the Dome of the Rock and the ‘Western Wall’. The latter is the holiest site in Judaism, representing the only remains of the temple built by Solomon.

Pr02b4_Ancient Rome: Rise of Christianity and the Collapse of the Empire in the West (Slide by Slide Description)

Pr02b4_Ancient Rome: Rise of Christianity and the Collapse of the Empire in the West (Slide by Slide Description)

Click on Pr02b4_Ancient Rome: Rise of Christianity and the Collapse of the Empire in the West to view the slides that accompany these descriptions.

Cover Slide: “SPQR”. Represents republican Rome’s creed. As an acronym, it stands for “Senatus Populusque Romanus” => The Senate and People of Rome. Such a phrase/ Acronym would be affixed at the end of official documents and public monuments.

We enter the period of gradual decline and ultimate collapse of the empire in the Western half. The eastern half, later to be known as the Byzantine Empire, will continue on for another nine centuries. If we were to mark off the period of Roman decline and collapse, we would first have to decide what the signs of ‘decline’ are. This would be beyond the scope of our course. Instead, we’ll look at a few of the major decisions in the empire’s two to three centuries before the collapse that later came to aggravate the conditions that brought on a political collapse.

Slide #2: Our first crisis decision is about the Roman institution of Slavery. (There are parallels in the Roman institution with the institution of Slavery as practiced in the United States.)

Do you see any problem with maintaining a high population of enslaved peoples who are kept under control with brutal regulations?

Slide #3: A painting of crucified rebellious slaves from Spartacus’ Slave Army.

Slide #4: Under the rule of an Emperor, the Roman government never adequately solved the problem of who would be the next emperor. Except for a ~100 year period where each emperor hand-picked a successor (adopted as a ‘Son’- think of what Julius Caesar had done with Octavian), transfer of power from one emperor to the next was often accompanied with violence and civil war.

Why do you suppose anyone would plunge their society into violent chaos just to be Emperor?

Slide #5: The Five Good (Adopted) Emperors.

Nerva begins the process that ends with Marcus Aurelius. Augustus (Octavian), as the first emperor, starts a period known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) that lasts until the end of the reign of the Five Good (Adopted) Emperors.

Slide #6: Another critical period of Rome’s history involves the issue about the empire’s geographic size.

In the United States, much has been debated about the security of the nation’s borders. Rome had a problem with it’s borders and thus became concerned about the empire’s physical size.

A solution to the problem was enacted by Emperor Diocletian- The Tetrarchy.

What difficulties do you see materializing from a division of the empire into four, semi-autonomous regions with their own local ruler with the title of ‘Caesar’?

Slide #7: Maps that are related to the problem of an empire that’s too large to govern efficiently.

The map in the bottom-center shows a city that one emperor, Constantine, uses as a ‘new’ eastern capital for the empire in the 4th C.

In essence, the empire is divided into two large parts: The Western portion- governed from Rome, and the Eastern portion- governed from Byzantium.

Slide #8: For most of Rome’s history, it reflected similar religious beliefs to other ancient civilizations- Polytheistic, nature-based faiths. The emperors Galerius and Constantine make major social changes in this field. The faith developing from the teachings of a Jewish Rabbi (to become Christianity) become increasingly accepted in Roman society. A persecuted faith gradually becomes the empire’s official faith under the reign of the Emperor Theodosius in the 4th-5th C. At that time the government’s position flip-flops. A formerly persecuted faith becomes the official faith of the government and once accepted faiths become targets of persecution.

What disruptions might you envision for a society that makes such a change?

Slide #9: The issue of troublesome borders comes back to haunt the empire in the 5th C. for the final time. Peoples who were once controlled by Rome’s mighty armies become ‘invaders’. These become the mislabeled ‘Barbarian’ invasions.

While these incursions were often violent, border security doesn’t always involve the movement of violent people. Can movement of people across borders, if done in a non-violent fashion, still endanger a society?

Slide #10 – 13: These slides highlight the divided development of the two former halves of the once mighty Roman Empire.

The Western half becomes divided among the ethnic groups represented by the (Barbarian) invaders in the 5th C.
The Eastern half continues on. Modern historians have labeled this remaining half as the BYZANTINE EMPIRE (records indicate that the people stilled referred to themselves as ‘Roman’). It’s capital city being the one Emperor Constantine established as the Eastern Capital in the 4th C.- Byzantium. It would later be renamed Constantinople.

These two halves will pursue divergent religious and political paths. Slides 11 – 12 illustrate some of the religious differences via the priests of the Eastern Orthodox Church (Eastern Christian Church) and the Roman Catholic Church (Western Church). Both of these ‘Churches’ still exist today.

Developing Ideas of Governance and Faith: Codes of Conduct

Directions: Please read the two excerpts of ancient SW Asian codes presented below (Mesopotamian and Persian). Then, with the collaboration of your groupmates, attempt to identify the distinct quality of each code by referring to the “List of Traits”. Identify and then match the appropriate ‘trait’ in the proper space of the ‘Table’ provided.

List of Traits
– Retaliatory (eye for an eye,…)
– Proactive (Action)
– Gender Bias (Relates to a specific gender)
– Gender Absent (No reference to a specific gender)
– ‘Class’ Bias (Relates to a specific ‘class’ of persons)
– ‘Class’ Absent (No reference to a specific ‘class’ of person)
– State involved (Ex. Punishes for crimes)
– Emphasis on Individual responsibility
– Reactive (A ‘condition’ must exist before a person’s action can be judged)
– Judgement is yet to come

The Zoroastrian Creed

A ‘Creed’ is a set of beliefs that form the foundation of a philosophy or faith. This is an excerpt of the Zoroastrian Creed (Persia). (Zoroaster is referred to as Zarathustra in texts)

1. I curse the Daevas. I declare myself a Mazda-worshipper, a supporter of Zarathushtra, hostile to the Daevas, fond of Ahura’s teaching, a praiser of the Amesha Spentas, a worshipper of the Amesha Spentas. I ascribe all good to Ahura Mazda, ‘and all the best,’ the Asha-owning one, splendid, xwarena-owning, whose is the cow, whose is Asha, whose is the light, ‘may whose blissful areas be filled with light’.
2. I choose the good Spenta Armaiti (Holy Spirit) for myself; let her be mine. I renounce the theft and robbery of the cow, and the damaging and plundering of the Mazdayasnian settlements.
3. I want freedom of movement and freedom of dwelling for those with homesteads, to those who dwell upon this earth with their cattle. With reverence for Asha, and (offerings) offered up, I vow this: I shall nevermore damage or plunder the Mazdayasnian settlements, even if I have to risk life and limb.
4. I reject the authority of the Daevas, the wicked, no-good, lawless, evil- knowing, the most druj-like of beings, the foulest of beings, the most damaging of beings. I reject the Daevas and their comrades, I reject the demons (yatu) and their comrades; I reject any who harm beings. I reject them with my thoughts, words, and deeds. I reject them publicly. Even as I reject the head (authorities), so too do I reject the hostile followers of the druj.
5. [Omitted by Editor]
6. As Ahura Mazda taught Zarathushtra at all discussions, at all meetings, at which Mazda and Zarathushtra conversed — even as Zarathushtra rejected the authority of the Daevas, so I also reject, as Mazda-worshipper and supporter of Zarathushtra, the authority of the Daevas, even as he, the Asha-owning Zarathushtra, has rejected them.
7. [Omitted by Editor]
8. I profess myself a Mazda- worshipper, a Zoroastrian, having vowed it and professed it. I pledge myself to the well-thought thought, I pledge myself to the well-spoken word, I pledge myself to the well- done action.
9. I pledge myself to the Mazdayasnian religion, which causes the attack to be put off and weapons put down; which upholds khvaetvadatha (kin-marriage), which possesses Asha; which of all religions that exist or shall be, is the greatest, the best, and the most beautiful: Ahuric, Zoroastrian. I ascribe all good to Ahura Mazda. This is the creed of the Mazdayasnian religion.

From: the Avesta Web Server.  Thanks to Belle Tuten.  Edited by Mr. V for classroom use. Accessed 1999.

Hammurabi’s Code

A ‘Code’ is a set of rules or laws that governs a society’s (or large group’s) conduct. This is an excerpt from the Code of Hammurabi (~18th C. BCE, Babylonian Empire).

1. If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.
2. If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.
3. If any one steals the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.
4. If any one buy from the son or the slave of another man, without witnesses or a contract, silver or gold, a male or female slave, an ox or a sheep, an ass or anything, or if he take it in charge, he is considered a thief and shall be put to death.
5. If any one steal cattle or sheep, or an ass, or a pig or a goat, if it belong to a god or to the court, the thief shall pay thirty fold therefore; if they belonged to a freed man of the king he shall pay tenfold; if the thief has nothing with which to pay he shall be put to death.
6. If any one steals the minor son of another, he shall be put to death.1
7. If any one takes a male or female slave of the court, or a male or female slave of a freed man, outside the city gates, he shall be put to death.
8. If any one receive into his house a runaway male or female slave of the court, or of a freedman, and does not bring it out at the public proclamation of the major domus, the master of the house shall be put to death.
9. If a man wish to separate from a woman who has borne him children, or from his wife who has borne him children: then he shall give that wife her dowry, and a part of the usufruct of field, garden, and property, so that she can rear her children. When she has brought up her children, a portion of all that is given to the children, equal as that of one son, shall be given to her. She may then marry the man of her heart.
10. If a man wishes to separate from his wife who has borne him no children, he shall give her the amount of her purchase money and the dowry which she brought from her father’s house, and let her go.
11. If a woman quarrel with her husband, and say: “You are not congenial to me,” the reasons for her prejudice must be presented. If she is guiltless, and there is no fault on her part, but he leaves and neglects her, then no guilt attaches to this woman, she shall take her dowry and go back to her father’s house.

P01_The Value of Myths

P01 (Project 01)_The Value of Myths

The Value of Myths

Overview: Throughout Human history, oral and literary traditions are full of incredible ‘Creation’ or ‘Origin’ stories that help future generations understand how their ‘people’ came to be. If you review AN01a3, you’ll see a list of characteristics that most myths share as well as a list of what they reveal about a people. However, those stories may not pass a reliability test in our modern ‘scientific’ routines. Also, they all share qualities of the fantastic event, supernatural being, etc. that may turn any person into a skeptic. If we remember a phrase attributed to Joseph Campbell, it will reveal the value of myths: “It doesn’t matter if the story actually happened as it’s told. It only matters that the story means something to those who hear it.”

Case Study: The Zylon
It is asserted by some historians that the ancestors of the Zylon migrated to central Aztlan from an area that is near the current Bulgarian – Romanian border. Tradition states that they were called Chichimecs at the time (rough translation: “Dog Eaters”).

When they arrived at Lake Vulcan in the Central Bulgarian Valley, the area was already densely populated. The inhabitants, more numerous and powerful than the new arrivals, forced these peoples to live on a swampy, unpleasant island in the middle of the lake. Not having a choice, they did.

The peoples around the lake did not like the new arrivals because of their rituals and appearance. Some accounts explain that these Zylon ancestors smelled horribly and had a preoccupation with blood-rituals.

The Zylon Empire was one of the fastest growing political entities on Earth with a population at, or exceeding, one million subjects. It’s mathematical, technical, architectural, and agricultural impact has spread from the region to permeate all modern societies.

Historians have used archaeological evidence as well as literary evidence produced by the Zylon and foreign explorers/ colonizers to arrive at this understanding of Zylon origins.

Task: Create a Zylon Origin Myth

The historical accounts briefly described above must be incorporated into a mythical story that will convey a purpose and proud heritage to future generations. Use your auxiliary notes, the research primer mindmaps, and digital copies of the textbook (for reference), to create this ‘origin’ myth. Be sure to include three (3) elements that is commonly employed in myths. In essence, you must create a myth worthy of the Zylon Empire.

Origin myths are not usually very long and detailed. They can achieve their purpose without the detail that is normally infused in literary works (eg. Novel) or research paper. For our effort, you must create a myth with a structure that is consistent with all great stories: A distinct Beginning, Middle, and Closing.

The myth must:
-Not exceed one typed page.
-Have at least three paragraphs.
-Be double-line spaced.
-Have 1 inch margins- top, left, right, and bottom of the typed page.
-Have text with a Font size of ‘12’.
-Use the ‘Helvetica’ Font style for the typed text.

Submission
-Due date will be posted on the calendar, but you’ll have at least two class sessions and opportunity at home to work on the story.
-Certain selections will be chosen for publication on the course website. The selected submissions and ‘Honorable’ mentions will be awarded ClassDojo credit. Submissions completed in accordance with instructions and displaying an understanding of cultural value, will receive the highest evaluations.

AN05a_Philosophical Foundations of Absolutism

AN05_Philosophical Foundations of Absolutism

Timeline: 16th – 18th C.

FS: How did philosophy support Absolutism?

Main Idea

During a time of religious and economic instability, monarchs ruled with a strong hand. The developing world view of Renaissance Europe impacted much more than art and science. Creative expression transcended the new scientific theories and artistic masterpieces and entered into the world of governance. Monarchs and philosophers questioned the role of government and ruler. Sometimes, both arrived at conclusions that were mutually supportive. Others generated ideas that were revolutionary and confrontational. All sought clues to the answers in nature, but supported by faith whenever possible.

Ponder: “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”

I. Origins of Absolutism

A. Absolutism: A term used by historians to describe a form of monarchical power that is not restrained by other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or aristocracy.
B. Characteristics of Absolutist Monarchies
C. Historical Precedent
There are numerous examples throughout world history that monarchs justified their exercise of power using religion. Among these we can include:

– Ancient Egypt
– Mesopotamians
– Roman Empire
– China’s Dynastic Period
– Medieval Europe: The Church exercised its influence when it crowned kings of the Franks (eg. Charlemagne) and the Holy Roman Emperors.

D. Philosophy

From the time of the Pax Mongolica, and with increased vigor during the commercial revolution of the High Middle Ages and Renaissance, Europe was on the receiving end of a philosophical exchange with the Asians. During this period European thinkers were able to express their understanding of the human experience through an understanding of the natural world.

The Enlightenment is a period of philosophical expansion. It is nurtured within the Renaissance and is, in essence, Europe’s version of the nature-based philosophies of the Far East. A few of the great Enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Voltaire. These men looked to nature to find answers that will allow them to explain how nature shapes the relationship between ruler and ruled.

1. Thomas Hobbes (wrote The Leviathan, a philosophical response to the English Civil War).


a. Nature, originally, made everyone mentally and physically equal and with freedom to choose. Nature has also elevated in Man his own self-interests.

b. The goal of “Absolutism” is to control the natural evil (base nature) of people. It exists to benefit the people and the state which are bound together by the national identity.

2. Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)

II. Absolutist Monarchs of Renaissance Europe


A. France: Louis XIV (Sun King)
B. England: Henry VIII (16th C.), Elizabeth I (Virgin Queen, 16th C.), James I (James VI of Scotland, 17th C.)

As daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth recognizes the importance of securing power and wielding it when necessary to entrench her position. Elizabeth never married (“The Virgin Queen”) and she reinforced the bond between her and the fortunes of the nation-state. Whether her decision to not marry was one based on love or unwillingness to share power, she did expend effort in making it appear publicly that she was “married to the state” (As priests of the Catholic Church are forbidden to marry a woman, they are expected to conduct themselves as if “married” to the The Church.

The Arthurian Legends proclaim Arthur as “The once and future king” because “He and the land are one.” In reality as in legend, the unity of the state depends a great deal on the ability of the monarch to make the destiny of the people, land, and monarch => One!
 Her efforts in the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) opened avenues to the wealth of the Americas that before were limited to raids of Spanish galleons by privateers (you might say “hired pirates”). As great as American specie wealth was, the monarchy’s financial needs were in keeping with other absolute monarchs and it often brought her in conflict with the nobility upon whom she depended for funds. The monarch’s need for funding and the aristocracy’s increasing resentment would take England’s succeeding monarchs on a path toward civil war.

C. Russia: Peter the Great (Czar)

In keeping with other Renaissance monarchs, Peter the Great organized the Russian nation-state by clarifying the Russian national identity. As the state formed, he was able to amass the power that came with it. As monarchs, popes, and businessmen of the period exhibited, Peter the Great used art to reflect the values of the nation-state while glorifying his reign (St. Petersburg).

D. Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Netherlands: Emperor Charles V

III. Summary: Why It Matters Now.

When faced with crises, many heads of government take on additional economic or political powers.

Resources
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– Assorted materials

R03e_Medieval European Jews and Muslims

Note: This document should be read and analyzed in conjunction with R03e_Jean Venette and The Black Death. Mr.V has edited the document for clarity and brevity.

Reading #1
Many of Europe’s Jews lived in the growing towns. Because Jews were forbidden to hold land, they had never been part of the feudal system. Jews were also barred from many businesses, and so, they often did work that Christians could not or would not do. Being literate, Jews sometimes worked as business managers for large landholders. The Church forbade Christians to lend money at interest, yet many people still needed to borrow money. As a result, some Jews became moneylenders. From here, it was a short step to all types of banking. When trade began to revive in the later Middle Ages, Jews were often active in long distance trade. Jewish communities in different cities had the links necessary to arrange credit and transfer of money.

Reading #2
Expelling the Jews and Muslims made Spain a religiously united nation, but it hurt the country economically. Many of Spain’s leaders in business and trade had been Muslims or Jews.

Source:
Reading #1: World History: Perspectives on the Past, p.224-5.
Reading #2: World History: Perspectives on the Past, p.264.

FilmQ03e_Cathedrals

FilmQ03e_Medieval Gothic Cathedrals

How to Use Video as a Source

Step #1: Familiarize yourself with film questions prior to viewing the film. By reading the questions and understanding the vocabulary contained within, you allow yourself the luxury of viewing the film without having to look at the questions continuously.

Step #2: View and Listen Attentively. Unlike a book, a video provides information via visual images and audio. Both forms of data are ‘more valuable together’ than separately. For example, turn the volume off on your TV during your favorite program. Then, raise the volume while ‘blacking out’ the image. Under which conditions was the data most richly delivered? Always make sure that you have unobstructed viewing of a film and that the sound is audible.

As you view the video, pay attention to visual and/ or audio cues that reflect the issues raised by the questions below. Your responses should refer to video content as well as your current knowledge and understanding of history.

Step #3: Organize Your Thoughts. Unlike a book, the data from a video is often delivered at a constant rate. With a book, you can slow your reading speed when you encounter a particular segment that is complicated. You can also turn back to a previous page to review information. A film is a bit different in that you may not always have the option to use ‘slow motion’ or ‘rewind’. Therefore, maintaining focus on the imagery and sound is important. Targeted Notes will reduce the amount of time you’re looking away from the film. By writing quick and simple phrases of a few words each, you maintain greater attention to film events.

Targeted notes use key words/ phrases that will ignite a thought or idea when you read them later. There is no concern for grammar or spelling while doing this. After the film has ended, you look at your targeted notes and manipulate the data to compile responses in complete sentences.

Organizational Tip: Vertically divide your sheet of paper (where you’ll write your responses). On the ‘left’ half, take targeted notes for each question given. After viewing the video, use the targeted notes to compose complete responses to each question (on the ‘right’ half of the sheet).

Your responses to these film questions will form the foundation of, or supplement, your notes for this lesson. While the focus of the film is the spiritual and economic forces that made the construction of Gothic Cathedrals possible, take time to consider the social and political implications as well. Rivalries of a religious and economic nature are eventually going to severely challenge feudal norms.

SOURCE: Millennium Video Series, The 12th Century: Century of the Axe ! CNN Productions, Inc. ©1999. [~8 Min. total]

___________________________________________________________________

Context: Northern Europe, 12 C.

1. What impression did you get when the narrator stated “…the light of the cathedral contrasted with the darkness of the forest…”? How would it motivate Europeans to construct more cathedrals at the expense the forests?

2. What are two characteristics of the “Gothic” style of architecture that these cathedrals exemplified?

3. How did these two characteristics contribute to an understanding of Man’s relationship to GOD?

4. What information were you able to garner that indicated a developing interest and competition among other towns?

5. Despite the criticism that such structures were expensive to build and adorn, the final product was too overwhelming a vision to criticize. What would you recommend to the local parish, community, and King as a plan to finance such efforts?

6. If I told you that this would not have been possible without the metal-blade plow and similar technology- how would you defend that?

Pu03de_The Medieval Church

Pu03de_TheMedievalChurch

Across

6. This Medieval scholar taught that the authority of the Bible was higher than that of the pope. This stance ultimately cost him his life when he was burned at the stake in 1415. 2 words
8. Area of a monastery where religiously significant objects are safeguarded or displayed.
9. An artistic style of expression that develops in the Gallic region of what was once the Roman Empire (Gaul). Presently, it’s the area of Europe where France and Germany are.
10. Justification for the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome over all other Christian clergymen. 2 words
12. The sector of society and personal lifestyle that is removed from religion.
15. A member of the Church, including Priest, Bishop, and Cardinal.
19. A successful military campaign conducted on the Iberian peninsula from the High to Late Middle Ages with the expressed goal of expanding Catholic Christian territory at the expense of Muslim controlled territory. (Spanish word)
20. This Englishman preached that Jesus Christ, not the pope, was the true head of the Church. He was much offended by the worldliness and wealth many clergy displayed. 2 words
22. An architectural design often applied to church buildings. From above, it resembles a cross.
24. A conceptual understanding of the Christian community as a kingdom.
25. A significant Medieval Church theologian. In his “Summa Theologiae”, he incorporated Classical Greek logic to support Church teachings. 3 words
27. The split (1054) between the Roman Catholic Church of the West (Rome) and the Eastern Orthodox Church of the East (Constantinople). 2 words
28. A task of religious significance that all observant Catholics are expected to achieve within their lifetime.

Down

1. An area within a monastery where monks can contemplate, pray, and tend gardens.
2. The pope who calls for the first Western-led crusade in 1092-1093.
3. This 6th C. monk established one of the earliest monastic orders. He was an Abbot and wrote a popular set of rules to organize monasteries. 2 words
4. In Medieval Europe, a military campaign with religiously inspired goals.
5. A complex of structures that served as centers for religious communities beginning in the Early Middle Ages. They were homes for monks and contributed to ‘fixing’ moving populations.
7. Area of a monastery where church objects made of precious metals are safeguarded.
10. That which is of, or associated with, the office of the Pope.
11. The selling of Church ‘offices’.
13. The Infallibility of the Pope is directly connected to this title, which reveals the Pope’s Earthly role on behalf of Jesus. 3 words
14. An empire that develops in Central Europe during the High Middle Ages and inherits the Frankish bonds with the Church. These bonds were started by Clovis, strengthened by Pepin the Short, and expanded by Charlemagne. 3 words
16. The act of awarding a Church ‘office’ by a non-clergyman (Ex.: King). 2 words
17. A venerated object used by, owned by, or part of, a religiously significant figure of the past.
18. Rules within the Roman Catholic Church carrying the weight of ‘Religious Law’. 2 words
21. An office within the Medieval Church tasked to identify and ameliorate heresies. Then, it consisted of Friars from the Dominican Order tasked to ‘Inquire’ about activities or teachings that were not in accord with official Church doctrine. Today, that office is called the “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”.
23. A prescribed quantity to donate on a routine basis to the Church.
26. The secular and non-secular head of a monastery.