| 1. |
Focus Question:
How did Christianity become a major religion in the Empire? |
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What obstacles did Christianity face? What did the authors of
the Gospels believe about Jesus? What does the term, "Jesus
Christ" mean? What were the basic teachings of Christianity? What
was the greatest problem facing the early Christians? What was Paul
of Tarsus’ major contribution to Christianity? Initially how were
bishops selected? What was the role of the episkopoi
in the early church? Why were Christians persecuted? Initially,
who directed most persecutions? What was the "positive" effect the
persecutions? What did the term "catholic" mean? Why necessitated
the changes in the early church structurer? By C.E. 200, where
was the most important center of Christianity? What tradition helped
to enhance the authority of Rome?
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| 2. |
Focus Question: What were
the reasons for the crisis of the third century and what efforts were made
to address it? |
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What peoples threatened the Romans in the east, in the west and north
during the 3rd century? How and why did Septimius Severus change
the Roman army? What measures did he take to strengthen the army?
What factors contributed to Rome's declining economic situation in the
3rd century? What social changes resulted? What changes did
Aurelian and his successors make to the Roman military and to Roman defensive
strategy? What characterized the period from Diocletian to Constantine?
After Diocletian how were the Roman emperors addressed? Why did Constantine
increase imperial remoteness and ceremony? By the end of the 4th century,
what was the condition of the empire? Why was the empired divided
and how did the two halves differ? By the fifth century, what was
the only unifying institution in the empire? How did the east differ
from the west? What were the characteristics of Byzantine civilization?
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| 3. |
Focus Question:
How did the Church and State assist one another and why did the Empire
collapse? |
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What factors contributed to serious imperial persecution in the third
and fourth centuries? Which emperor initiated the greatest persecution
of Christianity? When and under which emperor did Christianity become
the state religion? How did the relationship between the emperors
and the church differ between east and west? What was the position
of Arius of Alexandria concerning Jesus? Which council condemned
his position? Who finally dealt with the issue and how? What
situation is reflected in the writings of the late empire? During
the late empire what was the attitude toward classical learning?
Why was St. Jerome's translation of the bible in Latin important?
What was Eusebius of Caesarea's view of history in his Ecclesiastical
History? Why did Augustine write The City of God
and what was its main position? What reasons have been given for
the collapse of the Roman Empire? Which explanation is most convincing
(according to the author)? What factors helped create the Roman empire
and in what sense was it unique? |
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agape
"enemies of humanity"
Goths
tetrarchy
Edict of Maximum Prices
Constantinope
coloni
villas
Julian "the Apostate" = only emperor after Constantine to return to paganism
syncretism
Battle of Adrianople
"New Rome"
Vulgate
Huns
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