Question 1: Explain and assess why Rome, during the period of the Roman Republic was able to dominate the ancient Mediterranean world. This answer should pay attention to political, social, economic, and cultural factors.
One reason that explains why Rome was able to dominate the ancient Mediterranean world was the uniting of Italy. This unity facilitated the creation of a strong military organization. With the strong army, Rome conquered Carthage, who was their main rival, as well as the Greek. In the due course of their conquest, Rome made sure that residents of the conquered communities became part of the citizens. Rome wooed other communities by letting them maintain their independence, so long as they adopted the Roman policies and supplied soldiers to the army. Rome enhanced its dominance by ensuring that anyone under their rule enjoyed their human rights, and protection against civil wars as well as any form of foreign invasion.
Question 2: Explain and assess the reasons for the decline and collapse of the Roman Republic between 146 and 44 BC.
During the dominance of the Romans, a few Romans who had acquired a lot of land, which, was the symbol of wealth. They oppressed the poor farmers by sending their flocks onto their lands. The poor farmers, who were once the backbone of the Roman Empire, farmers ended up being unhappy and unemployed. Another reason that led to the decline of the empire was the failure of the Gracchan Revolution. The revolution was meant to give back land that the rich few had grabbed from poor farmers. The revolution came about when Tiberius Gracchus made a proposal to the senate to have the poor farmers returned to their farms. He was convinced that this was the only way to save the Roman Empire. His proposal was rejected by the senate, since they were the main beneficiaries of the grabbed land. He however, chose to go against the senate’s wish and a riot resulted, where he was lynched to death. Tiberius’ brother, Gaius Gracchus took over the Tribune position. He pushed on with his brother’s proposal but the senate still opposed and he too, was murdered.
The rise of generals also contributed to the decline of the empire. Poor farmers were the source of man power for the Roman army. The generals of the armies awarded their soldiers by settling them on the conquered lands. Considering the fact that the Roman senate had already disappointed them, these soldiers shifted their loyalty from the Roman state to the army generals. The situation aggravated since Italian allies demanded full citizenship, which the senate declined. The empire declined even further with the rise of Julius Caesar. His dictatorship form of rule led to a civil war in the empire, destabilizing it even more.
Question 3: What was the Pax Romana? How do you explain its success? Be sure to include the contributions of Augustus in your answer
The Pax Romana was a period in the Roman Empire when people enjoyed relative peace and stability. This was between 27 BC and 14 AD and it was under the rule of Augustus. Augustus achieved relative peace and stability in the empire by making major army reforms. He did this by awarding bonuses to veterans who shifted their loyalty back to the state, away from the generals. He created a strong army that blocked generals from creating more armies, and destroy what they had already created. The four emperors who succeeded Augustus were from his family, thus, the empire became an imperial bureaucracy. Loyalty was maintained by executing anyone who dared oppose the set policies.
Question 4: Analyze the reasons for the decline and ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire.
Poor administration of the empire also led to the collapse of the empire. More so, the different ethnic, religious, and cultural groups could not settle down together due to their differences. There was poor infrastructure in the empire. This limited the growth and development of the empire. The state also relied a lot on man power from slaves. The slaves were demotivated and not well skilled for the roles they played. All these factors weakened the economy of the empire, and the state could no longer pay their military men as was expected. The final blow was when the empire was divided following Octavian's deeds during the second triumvirate.
Question 5: Who did Jesus Christ say he was, and who did Matthew and John say he was?
Jesus said that he was God's son sent to earth to preach the gospel that God would reign over all the earth. He said that he came for the sinners and the oppressed. Matthew said that Jesus was a revolutionary who came as fulfillment of what had already been prophesied. John said that Jesus was a messenger sent by God to end the existing world and set up God's kingdom.
Question 6: Compare and contrast the ideas of St. Paul and St. Augustine. What was the significance of the ideas of both?
After his conversion, Paul believed that all people, both Jews and Gentiles were sinners as a result of Adam's defiance. He believed that Jesus came to save all people from sin and death. Based on this, he believed that the Roman Empire fell to give way to God's kingdom while St. Augustine believed that the Rome Empire fell to due to their sins and persecution of Christians. St. Paul believed that everyone could be saved, while St. Augustine believed that salvation was for the chosen few. However, the two agreed that baptism was a symbol of faith, not salvation. They also agreed that the salvation was a gift from God. The views of the two were significant in that they clarified worldly and heavenly views of Christianity, and the church as a whole.
Question 7: Explain and analyze why and how Christianity emerged and then became the dominant religion in the early centuries of the Roman Empire, between the time of Christ, and the life and work of St. Augustine.
Christianity came to be at the time when the Rome Empire was declining. People were looking for a refuge where they could run away from the oppression that they were undergoing at the time. The religion became dominant in the Roman Empire due to its appeal. Paul invited everyone that was interested. He also assured them that they did not have to adopt the Jewish culture and way of living. Christianity proved to be a source of hope at the time, since a lot of instability was experienced in the empire. Many helpless women and children ran to the church for help when they felt lonely and helpless. People therefore, chose to become Christians, making it the dominant religion.
Question 8: What were the main ideas of Islam and how do you explain its early rise and success in the seventh century and beyond?
The Islam religion was founded in the 7th Century by Muhammad. Muhammad claimed that God chose him to be a prophet. He emphasized monotheism, which meant that his followers could only surrender to Allah. Muhammad and his followers believed that their religion was superior to Judaism and Christianity. They accepted that Jesus was an influential prophet but not divine. According to Islam, Allah was all powerful, and had created both heaven and earth. Islam believed that it was their duty to be generous to the poor. During his lifetime, Muhammad was able to earn a number of followers through Jihads. Muhammad is thus considered a great prophet, divine though human.
