Download HUM 2210 Review for Exam 3 1. Late Rome and the Rise of

HUM 2210
Review for Exam 3
1. Late Rome and the Rise of Christianity:
a) The first followers of Jesus were
Romans
Jews
Greeks
b) Which of the following features did Christianity took from Judaism?
Which ones did Christianity share with mystery religions? Check as appropriate.
(Some features may belong to both Judaism and Mystery cults)
Christianity
Judaism
Monotheism
The death and rebirth of a god.
Insistence on moral behavior
God who speaks through sacred texts
Dichotomies: body/ soul, sin/reward, good/evil
Birthday of a god on Dec, 24th
Messiah (divine savior)
Promise of immortality through sacrifice of a savior: Osiris,
Dionysus, Orpheus
Rituals of initiation: baptism, communal meal
Sabbath (Sunday), Passover (Easter)
Confluence of attributes of Isis and Cybele (mother
goddesses) in the Virgin Mary
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Mystery
cults
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c) A determining factor in the spread of Christianity was:
idolatry
polytheism
proselytism
iconoclasm
d) Early Christian art was:
propagandistic
symbolic
e) Early Christian art was influenced by:
Byzantine art
Greco-Roman art
cryptic
Persian art
monumental
Germanic art
f) The main reason why early Christians were prosecuted was:
a) Their secrecy and animosity against all other religions and races
b) Their constant quarrels with the Jewish establishment
c) Their refusal to participate in the state religion of the Roman Empire and their
insistence on gaining followers.
g) List the main reasons for the successful spread of Christianity: see class presentation
2. Late Roman Empire.
a) Emperor who divided the empire
Constantine
Justinian
Diocletian
Trajan
b) Emperor who moved the capital to
the Greek city of Byzantium, which he
renamed after himself.
Constantine
Justinian
Diocletian
Trajan
d) First Roman emperor to convert into
Christianity.
Constantine
Justinian
Diocletian
Trajan
3. Islam
1. _T_ The Islamic Empire spread from Spain to India. It was larger than the Roman Empire.
2. __T____Arabic tribes were polytheistic before Muhammad. They worshiped their idols
(tribal totems) in the Kaaba
3. __F___ Muhammad approved of the cult of the tribal totems in the Kaaba.
4. __F___ The hijra marks Muhammad’s flight from Medina in 622. It marks the flight FROM
Mecca to Medina. The year 622 is the year zero for Muslims.
5. ___T__ Muhammad preached his religious teachings in Medina before he went back to
Mecca.
6. __F___ It was customary in the Islamic empire to force other peoples to convert to Islam..
Islamic rulers respected the religious practices of the areas they conquered and even shared
spaces of worship with Christians.
7. ___F__ The Alhambra is a beautiful mosque in Cordoba (Spain). The Alhambra is in
Granada ( Spain). The Great Mosque is in Cordoba.
8. __T___ Muslim Cordoba in the 10th century was the most important cultural center of
Western Europe.
9. __T___ The hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca all Muslims needs to do once in their lifetime
10. ___F__ Muslim scholars often found contradictions between science and the word of God
(Scripture) which prompted them to censor some of the works of the Ancients. They
accepted a separation between science and faith. They saw no contradiction between
scientific inquiry and scripture.
11. __T__ The use of paper is an Eastern invention that reached Europe thanks to the Islamic
Empire.
12. ___F___ When the Crusaders entered Jerusalem they killed all the men, but they spared
Muslim women and children and all the Christians. They slaughtered the inhabitants of
Jerusalem indiscriminately killing Christians together with Muslims, and men, women and
children alike.
13. __F___ When Saladin entered Jerusalem he killed all the Christian men, but spared women
and children. Saladin spared the population of Jerusalem and allowed the Christians to
continue worshiping or to leave with their property.
14. ___T__ The geographic location of Spain was crucial for the transmission of knowledge
from the Islamic Empire to the Christian kingdoms of Western Europe. Spain was a Muslim
bastion in the heart of Western Europe. It allowed Northern Europeans to benefit from
Islamic science. They would visit the centers of learning in Spain such as Cordoba.
-Vocabulary:
Define the following words
HajjHijra-
3. ESSAY TOPICS
a) The Rise of Christianity.
 Describe the religious landscape in which Christianity emerged. What does Christianity
have in common with other religions of the time?
 What factors contributed to the expansion of Christianity?
 How was the relationship between the Roman state and the early Christians? How is this
reflected in early Christian art and funerary customs?
 Think of the story of Vibia Perpetua. How does the story exemplify the conflict between
early Christians and the Roman state?
 Think of the movie Agora. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Christians
according to the film? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the pagans?