Western Civ Essay Exam

1) Augustus was a key factor in bringing stability to Rome. Augustus was the first emperor and ruled from 31BC-14AD. Augustus intends to restore the Republic form of Government. He forms the New Order, which gives him full power and he rules as consul until 23BC. He is popular among the people because he brings peace after 60 years of war. He does this by reorganizing the army, which causes social stability, and he makes it so non-Romans can earn citizenship if they are a good fighter. He also creates the Praetorian, which are 9,000 of the best soldiers who act as the emperors body guards. Also, he reduces the number of members in the senate. He allows equestrians to become patricians, which causes social mobility. He throws parades and celebrations where the plebs can get free food. Augustus believes social moral has declined mainly in the rich and limits their extreme parties. He believes religion can cure so he builds many temples. He pioneers domes and arches. One famous temple is called the Pantheon, which is a temple for all Gods. The Cult of the State is formed and temples are built to worship Rome and Augustus’s spirit. Augustus makes adultery and crime and banishes his daughter after she cheats. He encourages marriage by heavily taxing single people. He leaves the Julio-Claudian legacy and his family rules for almost 100years. Augustus was the first good emperor in the Pax Romana. After Augustus dies, Rome’s stability ends and Tiberius takes over. 4) Yes, at least ancient Rome fell. Rome began its decline after the Julio-Claudians made Tiberius the new emperor. Tiberius was killed by his successor Caligula who goes crazy and ends up killing his entire family except his handicapped uncle Claudius. Claudius becomes emperor after Caligula dies until his stepson Nero murders him. After Nero dies 4 emperors who are all generals start a civil war. An equestrian named Vespasian rules and openly calls himself emperor. He funds the building of the coliseum using pay toilets. After he dies Rome has the five Good emperors, the Pax Romana. 31BC-180AD. Rome has wealth and power until the last of the 5 good emperor’s son, Comidus, takes over and turns out to be insane. His wife and her lover drowned him. Rome became a military dictatorship and Emperors appoint military officials to government positions. This brings stability and competition. Persians break away from Rome and Aurelian builds a new series of walls around Rome. Economic and Social crisis begins when they have massive plagues killing 1/3 of Romans. The army hired Germans who did not care for Roman culture. Diocletian and Constantine changed Rome so much it was called the Late Roman Empire. Causing the fall of the Ancient Roman Empire.
7) The most important effect of the Crusades is the contribution to the rise in trade, because the rise in trade effects the spread of culture and historical artifacts. The Crusades lasted from 1000AD-1250AD with only one being truly successful. The Pope called the first Crusades when the Byzantine emperor Alexis writes to the Pope, Urban III and asks for help fighting against the Seljuk Turks. Urban III calls for a holy war to help the Byzantines and regain the Holy Lands. It is debatable why people answered the Pope’s call because it is not one’s obligation to fight. Since it takes months for knights to gather their armies peasants decide to march to Constantinople and help. Alexis sends the peasants off in ships to their deaths. Knights gather 35000-40000 soldiers and when they arrive Alexis sends them off to fight again leaving the crusaders feeling betrayed. Only 10,000 soldiers make it to Jerusalem where a traitor lets them in and they kill everyone. They succeed and set up the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which lasts about 100 years. When Seljuk Turks rally the 2nd crusades are called and it failed. 1187 Salah Al-Din reunites Muslim Empires and captures Jerusalem. Pope called for 3rd Crusades, which ended up with Salah Al-Din and King Richard I taking turns killing prisoners until a treaty is signed. Richard I was kidnapped by Germans and ransomed. The ransom was so high England goes bankrupt. Crusades created slack for Constantinople. Venice opens trade boats causing a boom in trade. Trade wars between Venice and Genoa triggered the 4th Crusades, which ended with the Pope excommunicating Venice because they attacked Constantinople for money.
8) The Plague has major social and cultural effect on Western Europe. Mongols, who got infected in ancient villages, brought the plague into Europe. The plague was extremely contagious and had a high death rate. The symptoms began with a nosebleed and escalated into swollen lymph nodes, boils and open sores. The fact that one could catch the plague by mere touch this caused social decline because people avoided each other. Half of the population dies, law is abandoned and farms fall apart. People begin to live for the moment and people flee from cities and there is a rise in violence, sexual activity and homicide. Extreme religious groups pop up and there is a rise in medicine. Christians blame Jews and Pogroms are created, which are Jewish massacres. People become morbid and new art forms are developed. The Dance of Death art personifies death and portrays dancing skeletons. Momento Mori art is art so one will remember they will die. Cadaver tombs are graves decorated with pictures of the decaying bodies. Creates the idea death is everywhere.
9) The Renaissance is similar and different than the Middle Ages for may reasons. Stretching from 1350-1600 the renaissance began in Italy and was the rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman culture. An interest in subjects such as art, literature and architecture began to come back. Italy experimented with capitalism, which is where the people control the money. Monasteries began to make goods and putting their name on them making brand names. This caused the revival of currency and modern banking systems. Widespread labor shortages caused technological innovations such as sailboats and the printing press. Books were printed causing an interest in Greek philosophy, Homer and other works. There is a rebirth of humanism and stress on individual achievement. They felt they could be experts in everything and virtue meant one is responsible to use their talents to be active citizens. The difference between the renaissance and the Middle Ages, is people begin to revive individualism and realism. While the Middle Ages were about death and the present the Renaissance celebrated life and the past. The similarities were that they both created long lasting and great works of art even if one was morbid and the other celebratory. In the Middle Ages cadaver tombs were created and the painting the Triumph of Death, and in the Renaissance there was Donatello’s first David sculpture and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. These ages also brought about advancements in technology, the Middle Ages with longbows and the renaissance with sailboats and the printing press.