Question

BYZANTIUM

What was The City of God? What did Augustine want to accomplish with The City of God and why is it important historically.

What basic problem is the subject of The Consolation? What is the solution according to Lady Philosophy?

What was Emperor Justinian’s most important legal achievement? Explain.

Tell us more about Constantinople. What was it before? Why was it important for the Byzantine Empire? What became of it afterward/What is it today?

Why was there a movement in Greece to purge Western influences in icon painting?

THE RISE OF MEDIEVAL CULTURE

Who was Charlemagne and how is he remembered as a ruler? How and when did he come to power? How did he rule his land?

How did Charlemagne encourage commerce throughout the empire? What specific actions did he take to promote economic developments throughout his Empire?

What was the relationship of Charlemagne’s “palace school” at Aachen to the Carolingian Renaissance? For what purpose did he draw scholars to Aachen?

What were the important requirements of the monastic life as set forth by Saint Benedict? Why was monasticism integral to Christianity?

What is the importance of the Quem Queritis trope to the development of western drama?

What is the meaning of the term memento mori? Why is the motif of Everyman a good example of a memento mori?

Answer 1

• Augustine's TheCity of Godis an important historical document in that it reflects the decline of the Western half of the Roman Empire and the growing intellectual coherence of Christianity.
• In a.d.410, a pivotal moment in Western history, the Vandals, under the command of their king, Alaric, captured the city of Rome.
• Rome was known as the Eternal City because the Romans thought that it would literally never fall, and the year 410 shook this belief to its foundations and ultimately led to the collapse of the Roman Empire.
• The world itself seemed to have been destroyed, and everyone sought answers about what to do and what to believe in.
• Those who adhered to the waning pagan faith were quick to blame the Christians, claiming that the gods had abandoned Rome because many Romans had forsaken them and taken the new faith.
• These Romans claimed that Christians were not patriotic enough because they asked people to serve God rather than the state, and they advocated forgiveness toward enemies.
• More important, they said the Christian God had failed to protect Rome, as he should have done, since Constantine had declared him to be the one true God. The angry wrangling between the two communities prompted Augustine to begin writing The City of God in 413.
• The City of God was written in response to pagan claims that the sack of Rome by barbarians in 410 was one of the consequences of the abolition of pagan worship by Christian emperors.
• St. Augustine responded by asserting, to the contrary, that Christianity saved the city from complete destruction and that Rome’s fall was the result of internal moral decay. He further outlined his vision of two societies, that of the elect (“The City of God”) and that of the damned (“The City of Man”).
• These “cities” are symbolic embodiments of the two spiritual powers-faith and unbelief-that have contended with each other since the fall of the angels. They are inextricably intermingled on this earth and will remain so until time’s end.
• Augustine presents the four essential elements of his philosophy in The City of God: the church, the state, the City of Heaven, and the City of the World. The church is divinely established and leads humankind to eternal goodness, which is God.
• The state adheres to the virtues of politics and of the mind, formulating a political community. Both of these societies are visible and seek to do good.
• Mirroring these are two invisible societies: the City of Heaven, for those predestined for salvation, and the City of the World, for those given eternal damnation.
• This grand design allows Augustine to elaborate his theory of justice, which he says issues from the proper and just sharing of those things necessary for life, just as God freely distributes air, water, and light. Humankind must therefore pursue the City of Heaven to maintain a proper sense of order, which in turn leads to true peace.
• The City of God was one of the most influential works of the Middle Ages. St. Augustine’s famous theory that people need government because they are sinful served as a model for church-state relations in medieval times.
  
• Due to time limit,remaining questions can be asked as another question,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation