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Topic 9: Byzantium and Early Russia: The Orthodox Tradition

Multiple Choice

Multiple Choice

This activity contains 40 questions.

	The significance of the Byzantine Empire included all of the following EXCEPT   the ability of the Empire to spread its cultural and political influence to the Balkans and southern Russia. the importance of the empire’s capital at Constantinople as a major urban center. the Empire’s conquest of the Ottoman Empire and its inclusion of all of the Middle East. the empire’s ability to survive for almost a thousand years.

	Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the cultural influence of the Byzantine Empire?   The Byzantine Empire survived beyond the existence of its successor states. The Byzantine Empire alone had a cultural impact on the continent of Africa. The Byzantine Empire was little more than an extension of the Islamic civilization. Ultimately, the Empire’s most important stepchild was Russia.

	Which of the following represents a similarity between the spread of civilization in eastern and western Europe?   Western and eastern Europe enjoyed similar levels of political sophistication and organization during most of the post-classical period. More northerly political units in both halves of Europe struggled for political definition. Commercial patterns in both cases ran east-west. The political and theological organization of Christianity was identical.

	Which of the following does NOT represent a difference between the spread of civilization in eastern and western Europe?   Eastern Europe maintained important features of the late Roman Empire directly whereas western leaders turned to much more selective borrowing. Civilization spread northward in the case of eastern Europe, but to the south in western Europe. The forms of Christianity adopted in eastern and western Europe differed. During most of the postclassical period major portions of eastern Europe were significantly more advanced in political organization.

	The capital of the Byzantine Empire and its commercial center was located at   Rome. Nicaea. Constantinople. Baghdad.

	The Byzantine Empire began   in the 4th century C.E., with the founding of Constantinople. in the 5th century C.E., with the fall of Rome. in the 1st century C.E., during the reign of Augustus. in the 9th century, with the missionary work of Cyril and Methodius.

	The great church built by Justinian was   the Hagia Sophia. the Cathedral of St. Dimitry. St. Peter’s. Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

	From the reign of Justinian, the official language of the eastern empire was   Greek. Arabic. Persian. Latin.

	Which of the following represents one of Justinian’s positive accomplishments?   banning prostitution within the Byzantine Empire the conquest of Gaul systematizing the Roman legal code the rebuilding of Rome

	Belisarius was   the Byzantine general responsible for much of the military success during Justinian’s reign. the patriarch of Constantinople responsible for initiating the iconoclastic controversy. a former prostitute and the wife of Justinian. the author of the Body of Civil Law.

	Which of the following was a result of Justinian’s wars of reconquest?   the permanent addition of North Africa and Italy to the Byzantine Empire the loss of the Balkans to the Germans weakening of the Empire’s defenses on its eastern frontiers with the Persians Justinian’s assassination at the hands of an angry mob in the Hippodrome

	Which of the following was a result of the conflict between the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Muslims?   The Byzantine Empire was able to recover the provinces of Syria and Egypt, thus regaining valuable agricultural land and increased wealth. The commercial significance of Constantinople was destroyed by the eighth century, forcing the Byzantine Empire to depend increasingly on trade with the West. The position of the small farmers in the Empire was weakened as a result of heavy taxation, resulting in greater aristocratic estates. The Arab threat to the Byzantine Empire was permanently removed.

	What people provided the most serious challenge to Byzantine authority in the Balkan Peninsula?   the Bulgars the Magyars the Arab Muslims the Huns

	The military force of the Byzantine Empire   was impermanent and only recruited for the few military crises of the Empire. was recruited almost entirely from “barbarians” outside the Empire’s frontiers. was a paid, professional army located in Constantinople. was recruited from peasants of the Empire in return for grants of heritable land.

	Images of religious objects venerated as part of the religious practices of the Orthodox Church were called   iconoclasm. icons. filioque. mosaics.

	Cyril and Methodius were responsible for what accomplishment?   the conversion of Poland and Czechoslovakia to Orthodox Christianity the conversion of Germany to Roman Catholicism the creation of a written script for the Slavic language the ending of the iconoclastic controversy

	Who was Rurik?   the Kievan monarch responsible for a codification of laws the legendary Scandinavian who became the first king of Kievan Rus’ the Kievan monarch responsible for the conversion of Russia to Orthodox Christianity the Mongol commander responsible for the conquest of Kievan Russia

	When did the Mongols conquer Kievan Russia?   1500 1453 1236 1071

	Eastern European culture, literature, and art   is nonexistent because of a lack of writing script. is very scientific. emphasize a strong rationalistic current. is primarily religious.

	Justinian was aided in his dreams of restoring the old empire by   the support of a strong wife. a full treasury. a first-rate staff. All of the answers are correct.

	Which was not one of Justinian’s major contributions to world civilization?   the squashing of the Nika Revolts the Hagia Sophia and other monuments the Code of Justinian peace between the competing Christian factions

	Which of the following population movements condemned Justinian’s successes?   Slavic Moorish Germanic All of the answers are correct.

	The invaders threatening the existence of the Eastern Roman Empire between 600 and 630 were   Bulgars. Lombards. Persians. Arabs.

	The theme system was based on the free soldier peasants who would   defend and pay taxes on the land they farmed. all be turned over to the church to work ecclesiastical lands. submit themselves into state servitude to be a more organized force. work the lands of the magnates.

	A major technological advantage for the Byzantine military was   horse armor. Armenian catapults. chariot-mounted cannon. Greek Fire.

	Leo the Isaurian launched his policy of Iconoclasm because he   disliked the liturgy. had a unique perception of the nature of Jesus. was upset by what he saw as an abuse of the use of icons. wanted to launch a challenge to the pope.

	The 1204 Crusade in which the Venetian-led Western forces raped and looted Constantinople was the   Second. Fourth. Third. First.

	One of the major factors leading to the breakdown of Kievan Russia was the   matriarchal supremacy principle of the Slavs. meddling role of the church. “seniority system” of inheritance. continual peasant uprisings.

	Alexander Nevsky did all of the following EXCEPT   participate in the Sixth Crusade. deal diplomatically with the Mongols. establish the bloodline that would rule Moscow. repel the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights.

	The Russian title “tsar” is   Ivan III’s nickname. a Slavic misspelling of the word “star. ” the imperative form of the Russian word “to kill. ” the Russian word for “Caesar. ”

	The emperor who first recognized the failure of persecuting Christians and issued an edict of toleration in 311 was   Hypatia. Lucinius. Constantine. Galerius.

	The final split between the Eastern and Western Roman empires was marked by   the exile of Irene. the irreparable rift over icons. the triumph of Islam in Egypt. the capture of Nicepherus.

	In ninth-century Byzantium, the key to upward mobility was   a career in the church. one’s status at birth in a strictly stratified society. an education in the Greek classics which would lead to membership in the civil service. success in the sea trades which had grown in importance.

	The success of the missionary brothers Cyril and Methodius with the Slavic populations was dependent upon   their inherent respect for the Slavic people, which led them to dismiss traditional portrayals of them as barbarians. their knowledge of the Slavic language and ability to create an alphabet and liturgical translations. their willingness to adapt church doctrine to more closely fit Slavic traditions. their close friendship with the king of Moravia.

	The bronze horses that now adorn St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice were   purchased from Constantinople during a rare period of peace with the Byzantines. taken from Constantinople during the Venetian capture of the city in 1204. taken from the Turks during the Fourth Crusade. given to the pope as a sign of friendship from the Byzantines.

	The diversity of the population of eastern Europe is largely attributable to   its religious diversity. its geographic diversity. its people’s historic tendency to accept and absorb other cultures. its contact with Slavic people.

	Many of the divisions between Slavic peoples can be traced to   their military traditions based upon specific regional affiliations. their inability to fully commit to one religion, whether Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Islam. their rule by outsiders, of differing religions, who took advantage of their relative political and military weakness. their fierce clan rivalries.

	Moscow developed as a center of power under the rule of   Vladimir. Yaroslav the Wise. the Varangians. the Mongols.

	After Ivan III moved to throw off Mongol control, Russians began to refer to Moscow as   the Rome of the East. the center of Orthodoxy. New Rome. the Third Rome.

	The greatest contribution to European civilization from Byzantium’s Golden Age was   the theme system. the system of church-maintained scholarship. the preservation of ancient learning. the use of vernacular languages for translations of Christian doctrine.

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