[November
29, 2018 revision. I've once again decided *not* to include a separate question on
Christianity in the Roman empire. I've modified question 2 just a
bit, and some of the Christianity material fits here. Please note
that, because there are only
four study questions, the exam format will be a little different
than I usually use. In Part I of the exam, I will gave you 12
ID's to choose from and ask you to identify and explain the
significance of eight
(8) of those 12 terms. For Part II of the exam, I will assign
give you one (1) of
the prompts, and ask you to write a good essay responding to that
prompt. The ID choices will be from the three groups *not*
associated with that essay.]
REVISED
FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
POTENTIAL ID'S
YEAR OF THE FOUR EMPERORS, (GALBA),
(OTHO), (VITELLIUS), VESPASIAN,
(TITUS), DOMITIAN, (NERVA), TRAJAN, HADRIAN, (ANTONINUS PIUS), MARCUS
AURELIUS
COMMODUS, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, PARTHIANS, CARACALLA, JULIA MAMEA, PHILIP
THE ARAB, DECIUS, VALERIAN, SASSANIDS, GOTHS
DIOCLETIAN, GALERIUS, EDICT OF TOLERATION, CONSTANTINE, EDICT OF MILAN,
CONSTANTINOPLE, ARIANS, COUNCIL OF NICAEA
CONSTANTIUS, JULIAN THE APOSTATE, THEODOSIUS, ATTILA, NESTORIANS,
MONOPHYSITES, ZENO, ALARIC, STILICHO, (JEROME), (ST.
AUGUSTINE), JUSTINIAN
POTENTIAL ESSAYS:
A. During the year following
Nero's death, it began to look like
the governmental arrangement made by Augustus was going to be no more
effective than republican government had been. However, the
events of the next 111 years (69 A.D.-180 A.D.) showed that the
principate could be an effective form of government--if only a way
could be found to ensure that the right type of man became emperor. Comment.
B. The century following the death of Marcus Aurelius (AD
180-284)was a time
of nearly constant crisis. The problems facing the empire during
this period were far too great for even the most competent of emperors
to solve, especially the problems created by the fickle (yet essential)
Roman army. And it certainly didn’t help matters that the emperors
couldn’t quite figure out what to do with Christianity. Comment.
C. In some ways, Diocletian earned for himself the title he
claimed, “restorer of the world.” However, the real turning point in
Roman (and world) history was the reign of Constantine. Comment.
D. The Roman emperors of the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries (AD
337-564) were
probably right in seeing unity as essential to the success and perhaps
even the survival of Rome. Ironically, however, their attempts to
create unity often created as many problems as they solved. Comment.