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).
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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.
- Birth of Christ 2. Birth of Socrates 3. Birth of Julius Caesar 4. Birth of Daniel the prophet
- 1, 2, 3, 4
- 4, 3, 2, 1
- 3, 2, 4, 1
- 4, 2, 3, 1
____ Select the correct order for the following philosophers, earliest to latest.
- Thales 2. Socrates 3. Plotinus 4. Augustine
- 1, 2, 3, 4
- 1, 2, 4, 3
- 1, 3, 2, 4
- 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, 2, 3, 4, 5
- 5, 1, 2, 3, 4
- 1, 5, 2, 4, 3
- 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.
- 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.
- (a) Julius Caesar’s rise to power, or (b) Daniel’s visions and the flow of human history.
- 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
