The Middle AGES

The Middle AGES Fill in the blanks: 1. In European history, the thousand year period following the fall of the West Roman Empire in the fifth century is called the Middle Ages. 2. Between the fifth and eleventh centuries, West Europe was the scene of frequent wars and invasions. 3. The Middle Age is a period in which classical, Hebrew and Gothic heritage merged. 4. Feudalism in Europe was mainly a system of land holding – a system of holding land in exchange for military service. 5. In 732 Charles Martel, a Frankish ruler gave his soldiers estates known as fiefs as a reward for their service. 6. The center of medieval life under feudalism was the manor. 7. By the 12th century manor houses came to be called castle, which were made of stone and designed as fortress. 8. As a knight, he was pledged to protect the weak, to fight for the church, to be loyal to his lord and to respect women of noble birth. These rules were known as code of chivalry, from which the western idea of good manners developed. 9. In the medieval days a knight was trained for war by fighting each other in mock batters called tournaments. 10. After 1054, the Church was divided into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. 11. The most important of all the leaders of Christian thought was Augustine of Hippo who lived in North Africa in the fifth century. （奥古斯丁：罗马帝国基督教思想家; 北非希波主教)） 12. Under feudalism, people of Western Europe were mainly divided into three classes: clergy, lords and peasants. 13. The Pope not only ruled Roman and parts of Italy as a king, he was also the head of all Christian churches in Western Europe. 14. In the Medieval times the Church set up a church court – the Inquisition(宗教审判所) to stamp out so-called heresy. 15. One of the most important sacraments（圣礼） was Holy Communion（圣餐礼）, which was to remind people that Christ had died to redeem man. 16. To express their religious feelings, many people in the Middle Ages went on journeys to sacred places where early Christian leaders had lived. The most important of all was Jerusalem（耶路撒冷：巴勒斯坦著名古城)）. 17. With a return attack against the Moslems, the Western Christians launched a series of holy wars called the Crusades. 18. Charlemagne, who temporarily restored order in western and central Europe, was perhaps the most important figure of the medieval period. 19. Charlemagne was crowed “Emperor of the Romans” by the Pope in 800. 20. The Summa Theologica（《神学大全》） by St. Thomas Aquinas （阿奎那：神学家和哲学家；经院哲学杰出代表）forms an enormous system and sums up all the knowledge of medieval theology. 21. Roger Bacon was one of the earliest advocates of Scientific research and called for careful observation and experimentation. 22. “National epic” refers to the epic written in vernacular(本国的) languages – that is, the languages of various national states that came into being in the Middle Ages. 23. Beowulf is an Anglo-Sexon epic, in alliterative verse, originating from the collective efforts of oral literature. 24. Dante Alighieri was the greatest poet of Italy, his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is one of the landmarks of world literature. 25. Chaucer was a great English poet, The Canterbury Tales were his most popular work for their power of observation, piercing irony, sense of humor and warm humanity. 26. Chaucer writers in dialect used by Londoners, and by the sheer weight and popularity of his writings he sets it firmly on the way towards Modern English. 27. The style of architecture under Romanesque art is characterized by massiveness, solidity and monumentality with all overall blocky appearance. 28. The Gothic style started in France and quickly spread through all parts of Western Europe. Choice: 1. In the later part of the 4th century, which of the following tribes swept into Europe from central Asia, robbing and killing a large numbers of the half civilized Germanic tribes? A. the Mongolians B. the Huns（匈奴人） C. the Turkish D. the Syrians 2. The Middle Ages is also called the _________. A. “Age of Christianity” B. “Age of Literature” C. “Age of Holy Spirit” D. “Age of Faith” 3. According to the code of chivalry, which of the following is not pledged to do for a knight? A. To be loyal to his lord B. To fight for the church C. To obey without question the orders of the abbot（修道院） D. To respect women of noble birth 4. In 732, who gave his soldiers estates known as fiefs（封地, 采邑） as a reward for their service? A. Charles Martel, a Frankish ruler B. Charles I, a Turkish ruler C. Constantine I, a Frankish ruler D. St. Benedict, a Italian ruler 5. When was the Church divided into the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church?_________ A. after 1066 B. after 1296 C. after 1054 D. after 476 6. Which of the following about the knight or noble in the Middle Ages in Western Europe is NOT true?____________ A. Almost all nobles were knights in the Medieval days. B.A noble began his education as a page at the age of seven. C.As a knight, he was pledged to fight for the church. D.At about fourteen, the page became a knight. 7. When was a noble crowned as a knight in the Middle Ages in Western Europe? _______ A. At the age of 14. B. When he was taught to say his prayers, learned good manners and ran errands for the ladies. C. At a special ceremony known as dubbing（骑士爵位的授与）. D. When he was pledged to fight for the church. 8. Which of the following is NOT true about what the monks must do before entering the monastery according to the Benedictine Rule? A. They had to attend service 6 times during the day and once at midnight. B. They could promise to give up all their possession before entering the monastery. C.They were expected to work 5 hours a day in the fields surrounding the monastery. D.They had to obey without question the orders of the abbot. 9.Under feudalism, what were the three classes of people of western Europe?_ A. clergy, knights and serfs B. Pope, bishop and peasants C. clergy, lords and peasants D. knights, nobles and serfs 10. By which year the Moslems had taken over the last Christian stronghold and won the crusades and ruled all the territory in Palestine that the crusaders had fought to control? A. 1270 B. 1254 C. 1096 D. 1291 11. Which of the following was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by the Pope in 800? A. St. Thomas Aquinas B. Charlemagne C. Constantine D. King James 12. Who was the ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex and contributed greatly to the medieval European culture? _________ A. Charles I B. Constantine I C. Alfred the Great D. Charles the Great 13. Does Song of Roland belong to which country’s epic? _________ A. English B. Germanic C. Hebrew D. French 14. Who is the author of the Opus Maius（《新工具论》）? ________ A. Roger Bacon B. Dante Alighieri C. Chaucer D. St. Thomas Aquinas Interpretation: 1. the Middle ages In European history, the thousand-year period following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century is called the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is so called because it came between ancient times and modern times. To be specific, from the 5th century to 15th century. 2. Feudalism Feudalism in Europe was mainly a system of land holding- a system of holding land in exchange for military service. The word "feudalism" was derived from the Latin "feudum", a grant of land. 3. The Manor The centre of medieval life under feudalism was the manor. Manors were founded on the fiefs of the lords. By the twelfth century manor houses were made of stone and designed as fortresses. They came to be called castles. 4. Carolingian Renaissance Carolingian Renaissance is derived from Charlemagne's name in Latin, Carolus. The most interesting facet of this rather minor renaissance is the spectacle of Frankish or Germanic state reaching out to assimilate the riches of the Roman Classical and the Christianized Hebraic culture. 5. Gothic 1) The Gothic style started in France and quickly spread through all parts of Western Europe. 2) It lasted from the mid-12th to the end of 15th century and, in some areas, into the 16th. More churches were built in this manner than in any other style in history. 3) The Gothic was an outgrowth of the Romanesque. 6. Benedictine（本笃会） Rule It was founded by St. Benedict, a great monk in 529 A.D... The monks who followed Benedict’s rule promised to give up all their possession before entering the monastery. They wore simple clothes and ate certain simple foods. They could not marry and had to obey without question the orders of the abbot. They had to attend service seven times during the day and once at midnight. In addition they were expected to work five hours a day in the fields surrounding the monastery. 7. The Crusades In 1071 Palestine fell to the armies of the Turkish Moslems who attacked the Christians pilgrims, killing many of them and sold many others as slaves. News of this kind roused great indignation among Christians in Eastern Europe. The result was a series of holy wars called the Crusades which went on about 200 years because all the soldiers going to Palestine wore a red cross on the tunics as a symbol of obedience to God. There were altogether eight chief Crusades from 1096 to 1291. Although the crusades did not achieve their goal to regain the Holy land（圣地巴勒斯坦）, they had an important effect on the future of both the East and the West. They brought the East into closer contact with the West. And they greatly influenced the history of Europe. 8. The Development of Scholasticism The importance of Christianity in medieval society made it certain that theology would play a central role in the European intellectual world. Theology was the formal study of religion. In the new universities, theology was queen of the sciences. Beginning in the 11th century, the effort to apply reason or logic analysis to the church’s basic teachings had a significant impact on the study of the theology. The word scholasticism is used to refer to philosophical and theological system of the medieval schools. Scholasticism tried to reconcile faith and reason, to show that what was accepted on faith was in harmony with what could be learned by reason. The chief task of Scholasticism was to harmonize Christian teachings with the work of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. In the 12th century, largely because of the work of Muslim and Jewish scholars, Western Europe was introduced to a large number of Greek works and, above all, to the work of Aristotle. However, Aristotle’s works upset many Christian theologians. Aristotle was highly regarded and was, in fact, called “the philosopher”. The problem was that he had arrived at his conclusion by rational thought -- not by faith -- and some of his ideas contradicted with the teaching of church. The most famous attempt to reconcile Aristotle and the doctrines of Christianity was that of saint Thomas Aquinas. While he was teaching in Paris, Thomas Aquinas finished his famous Summa Theologica ( a summa of theology. A summa was a book of knowledge that attempted to bring together all the knowledge on a given subject into a single whole). Aquinas’ fame is based on his attempt to reconcile faith and reason. He took it for granted that there were truths arrived at by reason and truth arrived by faith. He was certain, however, that two kinds of truth could not be in conflict with each other. The natural mind, unaided by faith, could arrive at truths concerning the physical universe. Without the help of God’s grace, however, unaided reason alone could not grasp spiritual truths, such as the Trinity or the Incarnation. Questions: 1. Why is the middle ages called Age of Faith 1) During the Medieval times there was no central government to keep the order. The only organization that seemed to unite Europe was the Christian church. 2) The Christian church continued to gain widespread power and influence. 3) In the Late middle ages, almost everyone in Western Europe was a Christian and a member of the Christian Church. Christianity took the lead in politics, law, art, and learning for hundreds of years. 4) It shaped people's lives. That is why the Middle Ages is also called the "Age of Faith". 2. What is the great significance of the Crusades 1) The crusades brought the East into closer contact with the West. And they greatly influenced the history of Europe. 2) During the wars while many of the feudal lords went to fight in Palestine, kings at home found opportunities to strengthen themselves. Thus among other things, Crusades helped to break down feudalism, which, in turn led to the rise of the monarchies. 3) Besides, through their contact with the more cultured Byzantines and Moslems, the western Europeans changed many of their old ideas. Their desire for wealth or power began to overshadow their religious ideals. 4) The Crusades also resulted in renewing people's interest in learning and invention. By the 13th century, universities had spread all over Europe. Such knowledge as Arabic numerals, algebra, and Arab medicine were introduced to the West. 5) As trade increased, village and towns began to grow into cities. And the rise of towns and trade in Western Europe paved the way of the growth of strong national governments. 3. How did learning and science develop in the Middle Ages 1) Charlemagne and Carolingian Renaissance: A. He was crowned "Emperor of the Romans" by the pope in 800. B. Carolingian Renaissance is derived from Charlemagne's name in Latin, Carolus. The most interesting facet of this rather minor renaissance is the spectacle of Frankish or Germanic state reaching out to assimilate the riches of the Roman Classical and the Christianized Hebraic culture. 2) Alfred the Great and Wessex Centre of Learning: A. He promoted translations into the vernacular from Latin works. B. He also inspired the compilation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. 3) St. Thomas Aquinas and Scholasticism: 4) Roger Bacon and Experimental Science: A. Roger Bacon, a monk, was one of the earliest advocates of scientific research. B. He called for careful observation and experimentation. His main work was the Opus Maius（《新工具论》）. 4. How did literature develop in the middle ages 1) The epic was the product of the Heroic Age. It was an important and mostly used form in ancient literature. "National epic" refers to the epic written in vernacular languages-that is, the languages of various national states that came into being in the Middle Ages. Literary works were no longer all written in Latin. It was the starting point of a gradual transition of European literature from Latin culture to a culture that was the combination of a variety of national characteristics. Both Beowulf and song of Roland were the representative works of the National Epics. 2) Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedy: A. His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is one of the landmarks of world literature. B. The poem expresses humanistic ideas which foreshadowed the spirit of Renaissance. C. Dante wrote his masterpiece in Italian rather than in Latin. 3) Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales: A. The Canterbury Tales were his most popular work. B. Most of the tales are written in verse which reflects Chaucer's innovation by introducing into the native alliterative verse the French and Italian styles. C. Chaucer is thus to be, regarded as the first short story teller and the first modern poet in English literature. D. Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales were representative of the Middle ages. 5. What is the difference between the vernacular language used in the National epics and the vernacular language used by Mark twain 1) The epic was the product of the Heroic Age. It was an important and mostly used form in ancient literature. "National epic" refers to the epic written in vernacular languages—that is, the languages of various national states that came into being in the Middle Ages. Literary works were no longer all written in Latin. It was the starting point of a gradual transition of European literature from Latin culture to a culture that was the combination of a variety of national characteristics. Both Beowulf and song of Roland were the representative works of the National Epics. 2) The vernacular language used by Mark twain refers to both local and colloq language used in the Mississippi area, with a strong characteristic of that region. Mark twain used vernacular language not only in dialogue, but also in narration. 3) His representative works Life on the Mississippi. 6. What were the power and influence of the Roman Catholic church in the Medieval times 1) With a highly centralized and disciplined international organization from priests to Pope, the Roman Catholic Church seemed to be the only unity across the western Europe of the Medieval times. It developed a civilization based on Christianity and helped to preserve and pass on the heritage of the classical cultures by the official language of Latin. 2) With the Pope as the supreme head of all the Christian Churches of the Western Europe, the Catholic (meaning universal) church received heavy taxes from lay people and various supports from nobles and kings. Church could remove any opponent’s political rights or even emperors, with the powerful symbol of the Inquisition, the Church court to punish heresy. 3) The Medieval Church was the center of the Europeans' daily life and almost everyone became a member of the Church. People turned to the Church for comfort and spiritual guidance; the Church also was the center of Holy Communion, recreation, trade and communal activity. 4) Clergy then was the only literate class, so kings and nobles used them to implement important secular governmental duties. 5) The Church took the lead in politics, law, art, and learning throughout the "Age of Faith". For example, Romanesque and Gothic arts were predominantly religious; in learning, it influenced greatly the western thinking with the monks' work on copying and translating ancient books, the Church Fathers' philosophy, Monasticism, Scholasticism and Experimental science. 6) Originally for regaining the holy city of Jerusalem, the Church launched 200-year Crusades, which helped to bread down feudalism and enhanced the cultural contact between the West and the East.