Clas276 exam 2

Medieval Scholasticism

intellectual movement that originated in 11th century AD and peaked in 13th century.

attributed to thomas aquinas

philosophical and deeply religious approach to the liberal arts

LOGIC was the key attribute, favored math heavily, thus the quadrivium over the trivium

Renaissance humanism

Most important and intellectual influence in early american colleges

generally believed to have occurred in western europe 13th-16th century

marked period of “rebirth” of knowledge from ancient greek and roman civilizations

also signifies the period of rebirth of european civilizations as they rediscovered knowledge from ancient greek and roman civilizations

goal of this movement/study was the shaping of character, believed the study of roman/greek literature would provide a good way to live ones life, and in turn cause them to be good

Cleisthenes

one of the two main “players”/political figures in the infighting following the removal of the pisistrinan tyranny.

to boost his political base, vowed that he wanted Athens to be run by all male adult citizens instead of just the wealthy

Was (nearly?) exiled by the spartans after isagoras got scared of his potential political power, commoners in athens besieged Isagoras and the spartans until they gave up

cleisthenes wins politics, deemed founder of democracy in athens

Athenian democracy

political power belongs to the demos/ people residing in a region, instead of aristocratic lineage

increased council to 500 members chosen by lot; ensured broader representation

isonomia/equal political rights as well as wider civic participation

Polybius and the founding fathers

polybius' works had an impact on montesquieu

direct and indirect major impact on the us constitution

believed the best constitution would be a blend of kingship, aristocracy, and democracy

key figure of checks and balances

Book 6 of polybius’ histories

stated Romes mixed constitution was especially stable because of the blend of types of rule (Kingship/monarchy with the consuls, aristocracy and the senate , and democracy with voting assemblies)

each constitutional form naturally decays into its corrupt counter part (kingship →despotism, Aristocracy→oligarchy, democracy→mob rule)

real power in Rome lies in the interdependence of the institutions

Mixed constitutions

Was thought/shown(?) to prevent the natural decay of government by having each part (kingship,aristocracy,democracy) check each other and keep balance

each component had defined power that counteracted the excesses of the others

Romes strength and durability came from the interdependence of these 3 elements

Aristotle

greek philosopher, had great influence on founding fathers (as well as polybius)

The mid roman republic

mediterranean militaristic power after the punic wars, large expansion

military sucess didnt stop social and economic strain at home, due to expansion there were a lot of new slaves, also led to wider gap bw poor and elite

political instability due to elite competition for power

The federal convention of 1787

Delegates essentially “redid” articles of confederation, shifted to amendments/ US constitution

struggle mostly concerning representation, though based on mixed constitution

Joseph Addisons Cato: A tragedy

One of most popular plays pre revolutionary America, fictionalized discussion of very important moment in the roman republic

washington used this play to rally/encourage troops for the next fighting “season” after devastating losses

overall theme of the play, Cato shows it is better to fight to the death for the cause of liberty than to give in to adversaries/tyranny

“give me liberty or give me death”

Cato the Younger

M. Porcius Cato, from utica, stoic-anti revolutionary

deeply influential opponent of the first triumvirate, and uncompromising opponent of julius caesar, wanted traditional roman virtue

chose suicide at utica rather than submission to caesar

Cato the Elder

Roman Politician, “cato the Censor", called a new man

greek culture was decadent and ruinous(?) to the roman elite, complex view on greek culture

wrote works in latin in order to prove that latin was a suitable language for prose literary works, concerning farming

father of latin prose, origines

Andrew Jackson

President of US from 1829-1837

political opponents described him as julius caesar, namely henry clay, after he had two brits murdered by court marshal

seen as a very serious “manly” president due to the court marshal, but view by political opponents as using underhanded and extreme tactics to gain political traction

Julius Caesar

Representation of rise of centralized power that threatens old roman republic

opposition to cato in Joseph Addisons story, ambition towards autocracy

not much of an explicit villain (ironically enough even after the murders), more so political change

murdered on ides of march, also of patrician ancestry, used mob(s) to threaten political opponents and before his dictatorship advocated for free grain for the people, somewhat widely loved

pontifex maximus

Assasination of julius caesar

killed on ides of march (15th, 44BCE)

cassius and brutus justified assassination by claiming it as an act to save rome from monarchy

didnt necessarily restore the republic, instead started the course of multiple civil wars, leading to the rise of augustus and thus roman empire

William shakespeares julius caesar

uses caesars rise and assassination to highlight brutus and explain how tyranny can push people into the scope of political violence

brutus is more of the tragic center of the story, stuck between loyalty to caesar and belief that killing him is necessary to save the roman republic

assassination doesnt restore the republic, causes many civil wars

Roman Slavery

cato the elder provides wide views in his book de agri cultura- life for slaves (on his farm at least) was quite brutal, sold off slaves when too old or ill to be productive

seneca was likely the closest thing to an abolitionist, slaves are human, need to treat w respect

usually came thru war, or birth, usually slaves treated very poorly not as humans

deeply woven into romes identity and society, enforced elite status and power roles

American Abolitionist as carthaginians

name often called/compared to abolitionists by pro slavery southerners, thought to be fundamentally unamerican, compared to the way carthage treated rome

allowed proslavery thinkers to see themselves as roman; defenders of tradition and order, while seeing abolitionists as undermining the republic

Carl Richard on Slavey in American Political DIscourse

both abolitionists and proslavery southerners leaned heavily on classical history, mostly rome, to frame their arguments about slavery

Proslavery writers used Rome to argue that slavery and republican liberty could coexist, abolitionists used the same history to argue that slavery corrupted republican virtue and led to tyranny

classical models shaped early American political identity very deeply, Rome most often used as a model and a symbolic reference

Spartacus

Thracian gladiator who led the largest slave uprising in Roman history, 3rd servile war

rebellion drew tens of thousands of enslaved people, exposing the deep instability and brutality of romes slave system

ultimately defeated by Crassus, Spartacus became a lasting symbol of resistance to oppression and the possibility of collective revolt

Crassus

one of the wealthiest men in Roman history and a key member of the First Triumvirate,

crushed the Spartacus slave revolt in 71 BCE, restoring elite confidence in the Republic’s stability and boosting his own military reputation

disastrous campaign against Parthia (and death at Carrhae in 53 BCE) shattered the Triumvirate and helped trigger the civil war between Caesar and Pompey.

Spartacus and the Cold war

Cold War writers and filmmakers recast Spartacus as a symbol of freedom versus oppression, turning his slave revolt into an allegory for resistance to totalitarianism.

1960 Spartacus film became famous for its anti‑authoritarian message, especially because screenwriter Dalton Trumbo used it to break the Hollywood blacklist and challenge McCarthy‑era repression

Spartacus functioned less as a historical figure and more as a moral emblem, a way to frame the struggle between individual liberty and centralized power

Howard Fast

1951 novel Spartacus reimagined the slave revolt as a heroic, democratic struggle, shaping modern interpretations of Spartacus.

wrote the book while briefly imprisoned for refusing to cooperate with HUAC, and its publication became tied to Cold War debates over censorship, dissent, and political freedom

later inspired the 1960 film, helping turn the story into a broader cultural symbol of resistance

Roman Citizenship

Roman citizenship was a graded legal status that granted core protections (like the right to a legal trial, property rights, and freedom from certain punishments) and marked a sharp line between citizens, non‑citizens, and enslaved people

Rome expanded citizenship strategically; first to allies, then to Italian communities, and eventually to many provincial populations, using it as a tool to bind conquered peoples to the Roman state

Constitutio Antoniniana (212 CE) extended citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the empire, transforming it from an exclusive civic identity into a universal imperial one

Roman self identity vs American self identity

Roman self‑identity centered on hierarchy, civic duty, and belonging to a collective political order; citizenship was a graded status that defined one’s legal worth and place in the social pyramid

American self‑identity (especially post‑Revolution) emphasized individual rights, equality before the law, and the idea of a self‑made citizen

Both societies tied identity to republican ideals