Exam Question 10

  I feel like a learned a lot this semester. We learned the most when we worked in groups and did the Google Presentations. I learned how to write an academic paper and cite sources correctly, and it will be really useful for my upcoming academic research papers. We also learned a lot about the Roman Empire and Alexander the Great. We accomplished a lot and I enjoyed the Renaissance Fair. Thank you Mr. Wojo!

Exam Question 9

            Renaissance Man is a term used to explain a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different areas. William Shakespeare was a Renaissance Man because he wrote his poetry using the iambic pentameter, wrote many plays with certain poetry tools, and created a skillful language used in his plays and poems. He has popular sonnets in a certain rhythm pattern and thinks precisely of the words that he uses for imagery and sound devices.

He has many famous quotes from his admired works of literature.  "To be, or not to be: that is the question," is the opening line of a soliloquy in Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet. “Et tu, Brute?” is a quote from Shakespeare’s tragedy play Julius Caesar meaning “And you, Brutus?” Another quote is from his Sonnet 116 “Let me not to the marrage of true minds/ Admit impediments. Love is not love/ Which alters when it alteration finds,/ Or bends with the remover to remove.” Shakespeare was a very influential writer and person.

Sources:

Wikipedia. (2011). Sonnet 116. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_116

Wikipedia. (2011). To be, or not to be. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_be,_or_not_to_be

Wikipedia. (2011). Et tu, brute. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Et_tu,_Brute%3F

Exam Question 8

            Romanesque architecture in churches began in the ninth century. It is very similar to Roman architecture. Cathedrals with Romanesque architecture had round arches around their doors, small windows, and big, round columns. They are generally symmetrical. There were no windows on the first floor for safety from the outside world. St. Philibert’s Church, an abbey in France, is a great representation of Romanesque architecture. The interior of St. Philibert’s Church shows enormous columns along the walkway to the altar (see figure 1). It also shows round arches along the ceiling of the church. The way that buildings were made was very similar to the spiritual life that people had in this time period. In the Romanesque Cathedrals, people secured themselves for the coming of judgment and fortifying of their souls. The cathedrals were like a fortress for the town and soul. Another church in Romanesque architecture is the Schoengrabern church. The Schoengrabern church is round and has barely any windows (see figure 2). It shows how private the Romanesque churches seemed to be. It is very plain and hides the interior.

            The Gothic Cathedrals were made very different than the Romanesque Cathedrals. They have stained glass windows that let in a lot of light, thin walls, elegant and sophisticated pillars, and pointed arches. Flying buttresses were introduced during this time. Since the Vikings had stopped invading, the Gothic churches had become the most important places in the community. They went along with the government system. People spent a lot more money on these churches to make them attractive. An example of a Gothic Cathedral is the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France (see figure 3). The Notre Dame Cathedral has pointy arches and big windows. The windows are in many different shapes. Gothic architecture in cathedrals express that people had a new idea of letting light in. The Sainte-Chapelle also interprets Gothic architecture (see figure 4). It resides in Paris, France. The Sainte-Chapelle has beautiful stained glass windows that take up most of the walls of the building. They represent the change of theology. Architects learned new methods and ultimately changed the perception of these churches. The windows are very thin and colorful.

            There were obviously many changes made during the transformation from the Romanesque Cathedrals to the Gothic Cathedrals. Ideas of theology had changed drastically. Saint Étienne Church is an exemplary model of a Romanesque Cathedral. It has two symmetrical towers in the front (see figure 5). It has round arches and small window, just like a regular Romanesque Cathedral. Romanesque Cathedrals and churches were a lot older, and Gothic Cathedrals and churches were more modern. Romanesque churches have flat buttresses, while Gothic Cathedrals have flying buttresses. The Salisbury Cathedral has flying buttresses (see figure 6). In between the windows, there are flying buttresses. The Salisbury Cathedral is in England and it is Gothic architecture.

Appendix:

Figure 1

Church of St. Philibert, interior, 11^th century,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tournus_43_.jpg, photograph taken in 2008.

Figure 2

Schoengrabern Church, façade, 13^th century,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Schoengrabern1a.JPG, photograph taken in 2007.

Figure 3

Notre Dame de Paris, facade, 13th century, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NotreDameI.jpg, photograph taken in 2007.

Figure 4

Sainte Chapelle, interior, 13th century, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sainte_chapelle_-_Upper_level.jpg, photograph taken in 2009.

Figure 5

Abbey Church of Saint-Etienne, façade, 11^th century,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:France_Caen_Saint-Etienne_facade_c.JPG, photograph taken in 2005.

Figure 6

Salisbury Cathedral, façade, 13^th century,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salisbury_Cathedral_flying_buttresses.JPG, photograph taken in 2010.

Exam Question 7

1.      The Black Death was a deadly plague in Europe. The Black Death started because there was a flea in rats that carried the disease. The spread meant death or disease to the people of Europe. This pandemic spread very quickly.

2.      Symptoms were buboes on a victim. They were in the groin, neck, and armpits. It oozed puss and bled when it was opened. People vomited blood and had a fever. People also had freckle-like spots and rashes.  There was not a lot that Medieval physicians could do since people died pretty soon after they got the disease. Physicians did not have a lot of knowledge about what was happening to people or what the cause of the disease was, so they would give their patients herbs because it relieved the stench of the dying people.

3.      Today, we are more educated than the people in medieval times, so Scientists would try to find a vaccine against it. If it was a very deadly disease, a lot of people would die or move out of a dangerous area. It would be very scary and we would all cry like babies.

Source:

Giovanni, Baccacio. (1996). Medieval sourcebook- boccaccio: the Decameron. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/boccacio2.html

Exam Question 6

1. http://richardscrusade.wikispaces.com/


2.           

To whom it may concern:

The entire Crusade is unjust! We are not accomplishing anything. Why are we wasting our time by fighting? It is an extremely bloody war. The Holy Land is losing its value. I, Saladin, think that Richard should confront me already. I let his people live, but Richard still attacked us. This whole war is pointless now. We have to keep the Holy Land sacred by not fighting over it. This must end already!

Sincerely, 

Saladin

Exam Question 5

Is it fair to say the United States is the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire?

The Roman Empire was very powerful in its time period. It prospered for a long time, and it was led by good and bad Roman emperors. It is reflected as a time when new architecture and art was created, and the Roman Empire influenced a countless number of people. The United States, founded many years after the fall of the Roman Empire, is thought to resemble a present-day Roman Empire. Though some people think that they are similar, there are actually very different in many ways. The United States is not the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire due to the economy, weapons and interests of the people in the time period, and difference in the way its government is run.

It is already the twenty-first century, and the United States has made a major impact on the world. It is one of the most ethnically diverse countries. It also has the world’s largest economy, but that is not always a good thing, considering that it is also in a lot of debt. In the article “Oil prices rise as OPEC maintains production levels” in the Opelika-Auburn News, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said that they were not going to do much about gas prices because it is recovering the economy. For the Roman Empire, gas prices were not an issue to it. It had a lack of economy and circulating currency and that is part of the reason that it fell.

Another reason that the Roman Empire and the United States are not similar is the weapons that the people use and the habits that they go into. In the United States, there are gangs and other acts of violence that are even worse and gorier than the battles that the Romans fought in. There are guns that people can keep in their house now. In the article “2 found dead in Wallingford,” cops investigate the murder-suicide of a man murdering his girlfriend and killing himself afterward. People in ancient Rome did not have police officers watching their every move and investigating. Their headlines were definitely not “2 found dead in Wallingford.” They had other things to worry about like war and art.

The third difference between the United States and the ancient Roman Empire is the way the government is run. In America, the people are led by a president and three governmental branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The Romans were led by good and bad emperors that led the empire to success or disaster. Today, the United States is led by Barack Obama, the first black president. In the article “Nation should ‘not panic’,” Obama expresses concern over slow job growth. Many Americans are unemployed and a number of them are homeless. In ancient Rome, there were many jobs (some that were pretty disgusting) that were available to do.  One of the good emperors that Rome had was Titus. He led the army to complete the conquest of Judaea. He was a very giving person, unlike some Americans today.

Though there may be some similarities, it is thought that the Roman Empire and United States are very different. It is not fair to say that the United States is the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire. The time period had a significant effect on the people in both situations. The economy grew and the United States has a different type of influence on people than the Roman Empire had. The United States is not a present-day version of the Roman Empire because it has a different type of government system, leads itself to a lot of debt with its economy, and its people use weapons to instantly kill themselves.

Sources:                                                                                                                

Halsall, Paul. 2000. Internet ancient history sourcebook: divus titus. Retrieved from  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-titus-rolfe.html.

“Oil prices rise as OPEC maintains production levels.” Opelika-Auburn News 8 June 2011: 1. Newseum. Web. 8 June 2011.

"President expresses concern over slow job growth." Opelika-Auburn News 8 June 2011: 1. Newseum. Web. 8 June 2011.

“Two found dead in Wallingford.” New Haven Register 8 June 2011: 1. Newseum. Web. 8 June 11.

Exam Question 4

Herodotus article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/opinion/04klitzman.html?ref=sept112001
Herodotus had a lot of facts, but he only used facts from his opinion. He was very biased and dramatic. He exaggerated a lot. This article is about a specific girl and it is her story. It is written in someone's opinion.

Thucydides article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/01/us/01gitmo.html?_r=2&ref=
The writer of this article was not biased. He supplied information from both situations, just like Thucydides. He just told straight out facts.Thucydides wrote with general facts, but used opinions from both sides of the situation.