write some essays
1.How did early Byzantine society and culture see itself as a continuation of Rome? To what extent was it? And to what extent was it not?
2.What are the origins of Islam? What was the immediate context for the rise of Islam? And what were the religious beliefs of early Islam? Be sure to lay out the early history of Islam as discussed in class.
3.How did the Anglo-Saxons become the English people? In answering this question, be sure to give the larger historical context as we discussed in class from the end of Roman Britain to King Alfred. Be sure to include a discussion of Beowulf as a reflection of Anglo-Saxon culture.
4.How did the Carolingians come to power? And what was it about Charlemagne that made him the prototypical medieval king? Be sure to outline the larger history of the Carolingians as discussed in class.Be sure to discuss how Dhuoda’s Handbook for William reflects Carolingian culture of its time.
5.From the 9th through the 12th century, there was a reform movement within the Church that ultimately led to the Investiture Crisis. What was the larger historical context of the Crisis and what was the ultimate outcome of it?
6.How did England become a strong and relatively centralized kingdom? Be sure to consider the larger scope of English history from the Norman Conquest through the early development of Parliament and English Constitutionalism.
7.In many ways, the Black Death and Hundred Years War mark the end of the Middle Ages. In what ways did the two events destabilize medieval society and culture? In other words, how did they help to lead to the end of the Middle Ages?
