Western Civ Midterm SG

Objective exam questions: 

1.     Greek city-state: 

a.     It is a Polis that has an urban center and countryside surrounding it and walls for protection, and a central government.

2.     Athens v Sparta:  

a.     The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time. (Athens Won!)

3.     Greek conqueror: 

a.     Alexander the Great

4.     Socrates v pre-Socratic philosophers: 

a.     Socrates - Universal truth in morality. We should all seek this moral life. The law never changes, so people cannot intentionally do evil, so evil is a result of ignorance. (Higher Power)

b.     Pre-Socratic - They emphasized the rational unity of things and rejected supernatural explanations (rejection of higher power as God), seeking natural principles at work in the world and human society. (Natural Law)

5.     Plato’s writings: 

a.     Plato’s Apology 

                                          i.         Apology = Apologia which means offense

                                         ii.         Accusers:

1.     Old ones: general reputations of accusations 

2.     Meletus brings an accusation against Socrates to the men of Athens.

                                       iii.         Accusation: That Socrates is corrupting the youth and he was claiming to be wise. 

                                        iv.         The Oracle of Delphi tells someone that Socrates is the wisest. 

                                         v.         Who did Socrates talk to: politicians, craftsmen, poets. 

                                        vi.         Socrates Defense:

1.     He has voluntary followers.

2.     He said a divine presence told him what to do and what not to do.

3.     He said he was wise because he knew that he did not know everything which was contrary to the politicians, craftsmen, and poets.

a.     He said living an examined life is a life worth living 

b.     Virtue is what it means to be an excellent human being not merely law abiding.

b.     Plato’s Crito 

                                          i.         Private dialogue between Socrates is in prison and not afraid to die and Crito visits him.

                                         ii.         Crito tells him that tomorrow is his last day of life, Socrates said nope, I had a dream and will live for 3 more days, so Crito tells him to try and escape so that people will not think Crito is a fake friend.

1.     Do not care about the thoughts of the many only a close few matter.

2.     Crito tells him why he should escape:

a.     He can teach in other areas

b.     They have money for him

c.      He should not leave his sons without educating and training them.

3.     The Opinions of the wise are good, but the opinions of the many are bad. (gymnastics example)

4.     A just life is a life worth living, so I should not escape because this is my sentence. (uphold the importance of the law)

a.     He could not talk about Justice and virtue.

b.     He wants to follow the will of God.

c.      Allegory of the Cave

                                          i.         In the Republic. 

                                         ii.         The ideal society (justice, truth, beauty)

                                       iii.         Chained facing a wall, and there is a fire and objects walk back and forth, and they think that the shadows are the real thing. Once one of them is released, he sees the real world, and comes to know the sun which is the source of all things that he can see. He goes back and tries to enlighten his chained friends, but they reject his ideas.

                                        iv.         This is an analogy for how philosophers feel - people are hostile to being told that they are stubborn and ignorant.

                                         v.         For theologians, the ideal forms exist in the mind of the creator.

                                        vi.         You cannot group concrete things under abstract terms. 

                                      vii.         Sight = reason and education = turning someone towards the light.

6.     Mythological founding of Rome:

a.     Romulus and Remus were born from Mars and Silvia and condemned to death from birth. (thrown into the tiber in a basket), this is not the will of the gods, but they were found by a shewolf and she raised them.

b.     A Pastor Fostilus found them under a fig tree, and the shepherd raised them.

c.      They were hunters and robbed travelers to their land.

d.     Romulus named it Rome after he killed his brother Remus. 

7.     Roman Republic v Imperial Rome:

a.     Roman Republic:

                                          i.         Senate: sharing rule among independent families

b.     Imperial Rome

                                          i.         Principate: Octavain Caesar Augustus created it and was the first one, and it meant that he was the first among senators and citizens. 

8.     How did Rome extend its territorial control: 

a.     Attacked by the Gauls and developed military capacity as a Navy.

b.     Dominated Italian Peninsula.

c.      Punic wars to control the Mediterranean.

9.     Way of life of Romans compared to Germans-Goths:

a.     The Germanic tribes were a group of various tribal groups which were chiefly an oral culture. The Romans were a highly organized culture with a highly literate culture. Germans were rural and Romans were city and architecture. 

10.  Cicero on a person’s duties:

a.     We have a duty to others.

b.     We have a duty to bring justice to men.

c.      We must keep our agreement with others .

d.     Beneficence and Liberality: in order to help people this brings social connection (friendships)

e.      Duty to politics - be devoted to the Republic. 

                                          i.         Have outward/external actions instead of internal ones.

11.  Roman empire and early Christianity:

a.     At first in Rome, Christianity was hidden and they would have the sign of the Chi Rho which was the symbol of resurrection, and they would honor martyrs like Saint Agnes (a young girl who was raped).

b.     Then once Constantine became emperor, he issued the Edict of Milan that legalized Christianity, and he moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople. 

                                          i.         Constantine supported 3 churches: Saint John Laterian, Saint Peter’s Basilica, and Saint Paul outside the wall. 

12.  Council of Nicaea, controversy that led to:

a.     Constantine called a council together to gather the bishops from the Christian world. 

b.     The aim was to settle and clarify the dispute about Christ’s nature which lead to the idea that Christ was of the same substance as the Father. (this argued against Arianism)

13.  Facts of Augustine’s life:

a.     Born in modern day Libya.

b.     (354-530) Dad = Patricius and Mom = Monica 

c.      Engages with Cicero’s Hortensius and the Bishop of Mulan named Ambrose.

d.     He became the bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa. 

e.      397 - wrote Confessions and the De Trinitite 

14.  Benedict:

a.     He was a monk who became the father of monasticism, and he instituted a vow of obedience which included 8 hours of rest.

15.  Settlers of Great Britain:

a.     Germanic People = Anglo-Saxon and Franks who invade and rule most of Great Britain.

16.  Donation of Pippen:

a.     Traditional name of the oral or written promise made by the Carolingian king Pippin III to Pope Stephen II (or III) granting the pope rights over large territories in central Italy.

17.  Feudalism:

a.     a system of political organization (as in Europe during the Middle Ages) in which a vassal served a lord and received protection and land in return.

18.  Norman Conquest:

a.     Military conquest of England by William Duke of Normandy which was primarily affected by his victory at The Battle of Hastings which results in profound political, social, and admin changes in the British Isles.

19.  Growth in the significance of the papacy:

a.     Bishops were socially and politically powerful, so the King wanted to appoint them so that he would have popularity among the people; however, the Pope wanted that power back.

20.  Magna Carta:

a.     Great Charter - An agreement imposed on King John of England by rebellious Barrens to limit his power and prevent arbitrary royal acts like land confiscation and high taxes. A document that states liberties guaranteed to the English people, and it is Europe’s 1st written constitution. 

21.  Great Schism:

a.     1054 during the 4th crusade: divided Christendom into Western (Latin) and Eastern (Greek) branches, which then became the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

b.     The primary causes of the Great Schism were the dispute over the authority of the Western papacy to make rulings affecting the whole Church, and the Pope's insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed. 

                                          i.         Filioque clause: referring to whether the Holy Spirit "proceeds" from the Father alone or both from the Father and the Son. 

22.  Investiture Controversy:

a.     Conflict between the church and state in medieval Europe in order to choose and install bishops (investiture) and Abbots of monasteries and the Pope Himself.

For essays/possible topics: 

1.     about themes/episodes in Augustine’s Confessions

a.     Our hearts are restless…

b.     Adolescent Lust and Pear Theft = it wasn't because they wanted the pear it was because they wanted to break the law. Sin is enticing and attractive to us sinful humans. 

c.      1 Conversion was through philosophy and 2nd was through Manichaeism 

d.     Death of his friend= his response was deep overwhelming grief because he was a deep friend and he was drawn away from God VS. When his mom dies he does not weep, even at her funeral, but later, he weeps for Monica and is drawn to God.

e.      He ends his confessions by talking about Genesis 1 which shows us that we are called to live a life knowing God, so it does not stop with our conversion.

2.     about themes/concepts in Plato’s Apology and Crito

a.      Look up at the top.

3.     relationship between theology and philosophy in Aquinas

a.      Aquinas was the most significant theologian and philosopher at his time, and he argued for the existence of God. He provided significant accounts of law like eternal, divine, natural, and human laws.

b.     He said that theology and philosophy go hand in hand and in his Suma Theoligica he provided the idea that there are 3 parts to the Godhead and that the 2nd part has 2 natures. (God the Father = Divine, God the Son = Divine and Human, God the Spirit = Divine). 

4.     Early Christianity and early theology disputes in Christianity

a.      Edict of Mulan (that legalized Christianity, and he moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople.) and Council of Nicaea (The aim was to settle and clarify the dispute about Christ’s nature which led to the idea that Christ was of the same substance as the Father. (this argued against Arianism)

b.     The primary causes of the Great Schism were the dispute over the authority of the Western papacy to make rulings affecting the whole Church, and the Pope's insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed. 

5.     what Abelard shows us about medieval Christianity  

a.     Peter shows us that Christianity promotes monasticism. 

                                          i.         He tells Heloise in order to spend time with her because he loves her that Christ has purchased and redeemed her by his blood; he states that Christ's cross has freed us from the dominion of the devil; and he affirms that, in order to accept the punishment due for our sins, Christ was cursed by God in his crucifixion.