HIST 121 Study Guide - Final Guide: Corpus Juris Civilis, Second Punic War, Gaius Marius
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Published on 11 Dec 2019
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Final Exam Review Sheet – Europe and the West: Ancient – Kveberg Sections – Fall 18
Section one – Identification (50 pts)
You will select and answer FIVE of the following terms. For each of these terms, provide both a capsule
description and a discussion of the term’s historical significance.
Second Punic War
Twelve Tables
3rd Century Crisis
Mystery Cults
Principate
Vibia Perpetua
St. Jerome
Council of Nicea
Walls of Theodosius
Corpus Juris Civilis
Section two – Essay (50 pts)
You will choose and answer ONE of these essay questions. Your essay should include a clear thesis and
at least three strong and specific supporting examples.
1 – Gaius Marius greatly transformed Rome’s military. Briefly describe the Roman army before and after
the reforms. Why were these reforms needed? Should they be seen as having been a success?
3 – The Christian church began as an underground institution, but then emerged and rapidly became the
state religion of Rome. How did this process transform both Rome and the Christian Church?
5 – The Byzantine east survived long after the fall of Rome in the west, and continued to call itself the
Roman Empire. Was this claim justified? How was the Byzantine Empire in the east related to the older
Roman Empire and Republic?
Section three – Cumulative Essay (50 pts)
Respond to one of the following prompts. Your response should include a clear thesis and at least two
concrete examples from each half of the class.
1 – Religion and the State – How did the relationship between the state and religion evolve over the
span of time covered by this course? What factors were most important in shaping and directing these
historical changes?
2 – Is there a “West?” Do the events that we have discussed show the evolution of a coherent cultural
entity that we could call “The West?” Explain and defend your position using appropriate supporting
evidence.
3 – Failed States – Every society that we studied during this course, save for those saved only by the
chronological end of the class, collapsed and fell. What lessons can historians learn from these many
collapses and failures? How would you categorize and explain them?
4 – Translation of Empire – Some scholars posit the existence of a connection between Persia, Alexander
the Great, Rome, and Byzantium, arguing that key institutions and practices were translated again and
again between these societies. Do you concur? If so, what were the most important legacies and
transmissions? If not, why not?