Kevin Stilley

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Early Western Civilization Final Exam

The following is a final exam that I gave to my Early Western Civilization students back in 2007. How would you have performed on it?
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Final Exam – Early Western Philosophy

Match the following emperors with the events at right that occurred during their reign.

____ Nero A.     Destruction of Jerusalem
____ Diocletian B.      Edict of Milan
____ Titus C.      1st to spend time fighting barbarian invaders
____ Tiberius D.     Burning of Rome
____ Octavian (aka. Augustus Caesar) E.      Birth of Christ
____ Marcus Aurelius F.      Death of Christ
____ Constantine G.     “The Great Persecution” of Christians

 

Match the following places and entities with the best description or event  from the second column.

____ Rome A.     Located in North Africa
____ Jerusalem B.      Cradle of Western philosophy
____ Mesopotamia C.      Cradle of Western civilization
____ Miletus/Ionia D.     Destroyed in 70 A.D.
____ Carthage E.      Aristotle’s school
____ Hadrian’s Wall F.      Located in Britain
____ Bosphorus G.     City of seven hills
____ Lyceum H.     Plato’s school.
____ Academy I.       Strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

 

Match the stories, statements, literary works, and cultural constructions below with the best correlate in the second  column.

____ Romulus & Remus A.     Plato
____ Agrarian Law B.      Aristotle
____ “Veni, vidi, vici” C.      Designed to provide plebians with land.
____ The Aeneid D.     Oracle at Delphi
____ “You can never step in the same river twice.” E.      Written by Julius Caesar in a letter to the Senate.
____ “Man is the measure of all things.” F.      Protagorus
____ No living man is wiser than Socrates G.     Babylonian creation epic
____ Nicomachean Ethics H.     Founding of Rome
____ Enuma Elis I.       Early collection of laws from ancient Babylon
____ Hammurabi Code J.       Heraclitus
____ Theaetetus K.      Publius Virgilius Maro (Virgil)

 

Fill in the blank.

“All western philosophy is a __________ to Plato.” (Alfred North Whitehead)

Match the people below with the best correlate from the second column.

____ Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus A.     Teacher of Alexander the Great
____ Hannibal B.      Roman general/dictator to whom George Washington is often compared.
____ Spartacus C.      Julius Caesar’s chief rival for power in Rome.
____ Pompey D.     Argued against the possibility of motion.
____ Xerxes E.      Carthaginian general in 2nd Punic War.
____ Thales F.      Leader in the Gladiatorial War
____ Zeno G.     King of Persia
____ Aristotle H.     Early western philosopher who predicted an eclipse.

 

From Student Presentations:  Select any ten of the following and in one sentence share with me a general description of each person selected.  (Nitocris, the Amazons, Helen & Paris, Leonidas, Lycurgus, Plutarch, Solon, Pericles, Themistocles, Parmenides, Zeno, Cimon, Nicias, Alcibiades, Agesilaus, Antisthenes, Diogenes, Democritus, Alexander, Cato the Elder, Aemilius Paullus, Tiberius & Gaius Grachus, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Antony, Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, the Cynics, the Skeptics, Philo, Plotinus).

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

Short Answers

Name one conspirator in the death of Julius Caesar.

What school of early western philosophy is noteworthy for its interest in numbers?

What did Francis Schaeffer say was the main reason the Romans could not tolerate Christianity?

What is henotheism?

What is an oligarchy?

What is a polis?

What role did a Tribune play in Roman society?

 

Chronology

____  Select the correct order for the following births.

  1. Birth of Christ 2. Birth of Socrates    3.  Birth of Julius Caesar   4.  Birth of Daniel the prophet
  2. 1, 2, 3, 4
  3. 4, 3, 2, 1
  4. 3, 2, 4, 1
  5. 4, 2, 3, 1

____  Select the correct order for the following philosophers, earliest to latest.

  1. Thales 2. Socrates    3.  Plotinus   4.  Augustine
  2. 1, 2, 3, 4
  3. 1, 2, 4, 3
  4. 1, 3, 2, 4
  5. 1, 4, 2, 3

 

____  Select the correct order for the time in which the following kingdoms/empires were prominent.   1. Egyptian     2.  Babylonian      3.  Roman     4. Greek    5.  Medes & Persians

  1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
  2. 5, 1, 2, 3, 4
  3. 1, 5, 2, 4, 3
  4. 1, 2, 5, 4, 3

True/False (circle the correct answer)

True / False The sophists were more concerned about what is objectively true, than with what is useful or expedient .
True / False Socrates’ book “Escape From Reason” played an important role in leading Augustine to Christianity.
True / False When condemned to death, Socrates was given the chance to propose an alternative penalty and he suggested the he receive free meals in the Pryntaneum.
True / False Aristotle did not believe that politics was an appropriate subject for philosophy and that Plato was wrong to have inquired into the nature and practice of politics.

 

Essay Questions:

On separate sheets of paper, give comprehensive well-ordered treatments to the following topics.

  1. Either, (a) based upon our discussions in class, define history and explain its importance for those holding a Christian worldview, or (b) explore some Biblical texts which have been intertwined with our study of Early Western Civilization.

 

  1. (a) Julius Caesar’s rise to power, or (b) Daniel’s visions and the flow of human history.

 

  1. Compare and contrast Plato and Aristotle, their ideas, and their influence.

 

 

 

Grading for this exam:

Essay questions  – 10 points each

Short answer & chronology – 2 points each

All other questions – 1 point each

 

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Preview of 100 Events We Will Cover In Church & Empires

  1. All history is His story.
  2. We must work to differentiate between civilization and Christianity.
  3. The past is a “foreign country.” – hermeneutics emic vs. etic
  4. Persecution of Christian during the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D) came to forefront in Asia Minor where the imperial cult was centered.
  5. Persecution resulted in two significant literary productions: apologetics and martyrdom.
  6. Heresy promoted doctrinal systematization.
  7. Irenaeus important for representing orthodox reaction to heresy (Against Heresies).
  8. Tertullian’s writings tell us much about alternative understandings of Christianity.
  9. Origen produced the first systematic theology.
  10. Claims against Christians included obstinacy, disloyalty, atheism, cannibalism, incest.
  11. Philosophers such as Celsus, Galen, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius argued that Christians were “weaklings”, irrational, gullible, and fanatics.
  12. Persecution was sporadic but “always present as a possibility.”
  13. The early church fathers gave us a rich theological inheritance, but were not immune to error.
  14. Irenaeus – Trinitarian, fought Gnosticism, but also apostolic succession, emphasis upon tradition, priority of Roman bishop
  15. Perhaps the most influential second century apologist was Justin Martyr. Others included Tatian, Athenagorus, Thophilus and Minucius Felix.
  16. The Logos was prominent in apologetic literature (a) The Logos as the reason or wisdom of God, (b) the Logos as God’s spoken word, (c) the Logos as immanent in the world, (d) the Logos as the revealed word of God in the prophets, (e) the incarnate Jesus.
  17. Martyrdom literature took three forms, letters, passions, and acts.
  18. “Beginning with Constantine, the church entered imperial history in such a way that one cannot deal with the secular history of the fourth century without discussing the church and cannot deal with the religious history without considering the state.”
  19. Arius believed that, “Thee was when Christ was not” — that Jesus was the first and highest of God’s creations – a god.
  20. Arianism was addressed at the Council of Nicea, called by Constantine in 325.
  21. The council adopted the word homoousious to describe Christ’s relationship with the Father.
  22. The first four ecumenical councils were Nicea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451).
  23. The fourth century dealt with the Trinitarian conflict. The fifth century with the Christological controversy.
  24. Apollonarianism = the belief that the divine Logos replaced the human soul/spirit of Jesus.
  25. Nestorianism = Christ exists as two natures, the man Jesus and the divine Son of God, or Logos, rather than as a unified person.
  26. Eutychianism = Monophysitism – only one nature of Christ, the human nature overcome by the divine nature.
  27. Ebionites – Denied the full deity of Christ (As the Christ, he functioned as God on earth)
  28. Docetism – Appeared to be a man
  29. Eutychianism – Human nature became absorbed into the God nature such that
  30. Monarchianism/Seballianism – Modalism
  31. Adoptionism – man in the beginning but adopted as the Son of God and became deity
  32. Kenoticsm – God became less God to become man, he set aside part of his deity
  33. We must watch out for language games – equivocation
  34. Constantine moves capital in 330
  35. The Eastern Empire becomes seat of power and wealth
  36. Roman bishop left as single most powerful person in the West
  37. By the end of the 4th century barbarians serious problem in the west (Visgoths, Huns, etc)
  38. After the sacking of Rome in 410, Christian views of society and history were put forth, including the most prominent which was Augustine’s City of God.
  39. Compare Augustine’s Two Cities with Genesis 4-5.
  40. Other important works of Augustine which we will discuss include his Confessions, and On the Trinity,
  41. Augustine – bridge between ancient world and Middle Ages
  42. Roman bishop won primacy over other bishops
  43. When imperial throne falls into the hands of the barbarians in 476 people look to the Roman bishop for political leadership as well as spiritual leadership
  44. Western civilization was created in medieval Europe (institutions, mentalities, struggles, books, etc.) No more Roman Lake.
  45. Spontaneous mission work in 4th & 5th centuries
  46. “Medieval history, from one point of view, is the story of the movement of the centre of gravity of civilization from one side of the Alps to the other.”
  47. “The movement of the centres of civilization from south to north and from east to west during the medieval centuries involved a change from the empires of Rome, Byzantium, and the Arabs, empires of vast geographical extent and great military power but which were relatively loosely controlled.”  Creation of new societies.
  48. Christians among the Britons by the end of the second century.
  49. When Roman missionaries came England in 6th century they found three distinct expressions of Christianity (1)Romano-British Christians in the South, (2) Irish Christians, and (3) Celtic Christianity.
  50. Boniface evangelizes Teutonic tribes occupying modern Germany
  51. In the East, political stability achieved through reducing taxes and trimming expenses. (common vision)
  52. Syriac speaking Christians took gospel to Persian where there was interest in medicine, philosophy, advanced education.
  53. Persians make peace treaty with Justinian in 532
  54. Justinian had eyes on Africa and Italy
  55. 539 Khosru declares War on “Rome”
  56. Bubonic plague, Slavs, Goths keep Eastern empire from “glory” – Justinian’s reign relentless, austere quality
  57. Persia becomes stronger than at any time since Darius I
  58. Time of weak leadership makes susceptible to be conquered.
  59. In the sixth century many Arabs had converted to Christianity, but most continued to worship tribal deities.
  60. Mohammad lived 570-632.
  61. Ten years = 65 raids or campaigns
  62. Eventually becomes powerful enough to take Mecca, destroys idols, establishes Islam
  63. Islam means “submission.”
  64. Muslim means “one who submits.”
  65. The century of Muslim expansion is traditionally dated as 632-732.
  66. By 650 his Muslims had overrun the Persian empire, taken Syria, Egypt, and Palestine
  67. Western empire makes gains in the North through evangelism.
  68. Missionary task included making sure converts would be loyal to the pope.
  69. Emperors in Constantinople thought the church should be subordinate to the ruler of the state.
  70. Pope seeks ally
  71. Frankish rulers
  72. Rulers of new empire were Teutons rather than Romans
  73. Franks had accepted the Roman culture
  74. Clovis (466-510) had unified the Franks and conquered most of what would be modern France
  75. Franks accepted Christianity in 496 and became bulwark of papal power in Western Europe
  76. Eastern Empire barely hold its own against Muslims
  77. 718 Eastern empire under Leo the Isaurian stops Muslim advance
  78. Charles Martel stopped the advance of Islam in Spain in 732.
  79. Muslims, influenced by Greek culture, set out to build a splendid Arabic civilization centered in Bagdad
  80. Eastern Influence Diminishes (North African church disappears, Egypt and Holy Land lost to Muslims, Roman bishop has been growing stronger and stronger)
  81. The Franks “snatched western Europe from decline and brought a brief cultural revival” when Charlemagne crowned as true successor to the Roman empire.
  82. Charlemagne had Augustine’s City of God read to him every night and it was his inspiration for a Frankish-Roman empire.
  83. Charlemagne saw “missions” as part of a military strategy.
  84. By the time of the new millennium (1000) almost all of Europe was “officially” Christian.
  85. Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo III on Christmas day of 800, but intentionally avoided having the Pope present when control was passed to his son (816).
  86. “The Constitution romana (824) spelled out relations of emperor and pope. The emperor had supreme jurisdiction, while the pope as a local ruler was to exercise ordinary judiciary and administrative power in his territories.  The pope was to be chosen by the Roman people without constraint.  The emperor was to confirm his election, and before his consecration he was to take an oath of loyalty to the emperor.  The pope had the right to crown and anoint the emperor.
  87. Henry III, German emperor, was the last emperor able to dominate the papacy. Deposed three rival popes and installed his own.
  88. Excommunication of Henry IV by Gregory VII in 1076.
  89. Pope Boniface VII: Unam Sanctum (1302)For when the Apostles say: ‘Behold, here are two swords’ [Lk 22:38] that is to say, in the Church, since the Apostles were speaking, the Lord did not reply that there were too many, but sufficient. Certainly the one who denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter has not listened well to the word of the Lord commanding: ‘Put up thy sword into thy scabbard’ [Mt 26:52]. Both, therefore, are in the power of the Church, that is to say, the spiritual and the material sword, but the former is to be administered _for_ the Church but the latter by the Church; the former in the hands of the priest; the latter by the hands of kings and soldiers, but at the will and sufferance of the priest.
  90. Erastians –
  91. Calvin –
  92. Luther –
  93. Anabaptists –
  94. What Does the Bible Say? Deut 17:8ff
  95. 1 Samuel 13
  96. 2 Chronicles 26:16-21
  97. Luke 20:22ff
  98. First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
  99. Aristocracy = weakness, meritocracy = strength
  100. Six things that lead to cultural change: war, politics, religion, migration, economics, education.

 

 

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Return To Roman Intolerance

Lillian Ladele said her religious beliefs prevented her from conducting same-sex marriages. For that, she has been ridiculed and demoted. Richard Littlejohn has written a thought provoking article on it over at Mail Online. He, an agnostic who is an advocate of same-sex marriage, writes,

But that’s the problem with the diversity nazis.

Diversity doesn’t do dissent. While it embraces the fundamental right of people of just about every creed and colour to behave exactly as they please regardless of the law of the land, it doesn’t run to devout Christians.

Had Miss Ladele been a Muslim objecting to same-sex weddings on religious grounds, does anyone seriously believe she would have been hounded, ridiculed, persecuted and demoted by the Guardianistas who run Islington Council?

She’s not the only victim of this intolerant legislation, either.

Why is is it that diversity and toleration rarely extends to those who hold orthodox Christian beliefs?

It takes two steps to get to the answer.

1) Tolerance has been redefined such that it no longer means allowing others to hold viewpoints with which you disagree. Tolerance is now the codeword for relativity of truth, in which all ideas are supposed to be equally valid – equally right.

2) Why were Christians persecuted in Rome. It wasn’t because they worshiped Jesus, but because they worshiped him alone. Early Christians believed in eternal truths and thus had a standard by which they could judge the beliefs and actions of others. The Romans thought if they could get rid of the Christians they could get rid of criticism of their own way of life.

That is what is taking place today. Western Civilization has backtracked to the old Roman empire and the persecutions that took place in the first three centuries after Christ.

Current events demonstrate an attitude that says “Get rid of the Christians and there will be no standards by which to judge our beliefs and actions.”

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