WELCOME TO THE BYZANTINE AND ISLAMIC CIVILIZATIONS!
Pick one topic we are studying in this unit and explain what you find most interesting! So, in order to get CREDIT you must:
1) Identify and DESCRIBE a topic from the Byzantine and Islamic Civilizations unit
2) Explain what you find most interesting about it
3) Make sure that you sign off using your first name and first initial of your last name ONLY!
4) Make sure that NO ONE ELSE has written about your topic already! (Everyone has to write about a different topic to get the points!)Follow these directions to get the complete points:
A. Go to the comment section of this post.
B. Use proper grammar, spelling, etc.
C. Make sure that it is class appropriate--keep it clean!
D. Make sure you go through the whole word verification process (typing the misshapen word).
E. If your comment/choice does not get posted in a timely fashion, or gets posted and then disappears, see me in class ASAP so we can figure out what went wrong!
DUE Monday 2/6/12!
10 comments:
Iconoclasts Excommunication- the excommunication of the Iconoclasts was caused by the Pope of Rome declaring all icons of the religion would be heresy or a conflict with the church. The council then declared icons a heresy and excluded the Iconoclasts from church, marriage, and baptism. This topic interested me because it shows how far people will go to get their way. I think its interesting that the Christian church did not want portraits of Jesus, Mary, or God, knowing today, most branches of Christianity use icons and pictures for the religion.
-John C.
I chose the marriage of Justinian and Theodora. Theodora had spent her childhood with the circus because her father was a bear trainer. As a teenager, Theodora became an actress. At the time, actresses were not looked highly upon as they are today. Instead, actress was synonymous with prostitute. It is said that Theodora was known for partying. Despite all of this, Justinian was attracted to Theodora. He even chose to break a law that said high imperial officials could not marry actresses. The two were married in A.D. 525, and two years later, Justinian became ruler. He allowed Theodora to rule alongside him, practically as his equal. She proved to be a very wise person and was a big reason why Justinian was a successful leader. I find this interesting because I think it is amazing how Theodora rose from the bottom of society to the top. It is an inspiring story, and it shows that it is possible to find wisdom and strength in the most unlikely of places. Who knew that a prostitute had the capability to become such an amazing woman? It also provides a good example of why you should not judge others. It would have been easy to call Theodora a failure when she was a prostitute, but Justinian gave her a chance anyway and it paid off.
Kevin W.
My topic of choice is the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia is an architectural structure found in modern day Istanbul, Turkey. Prior to the building standing today, there was two attempts at a church beforehand. Both were burned down and destroyed during riots and revolts. The third structure that is currently standing was ordered to be built by Justinian in 532 A.D.. With the assistance of the finest architects from and materials brought from all over the empire, there were multiple attempts that resulted in failure. One of the failures was because of the lack of stability in the dome so when an earthquake occurred it all crumbled down. During this time span the Hagia Sophia was used as a church from the Christians. When Sultan Mehmed in 1453 took over Constantinople, he converted it into a Mosque. I find it interesting that over time the same building could be converted from one religion to another. Today the religions have a bit of a rivalry between one another but they still at one point worshiped different gods at the same place. I also think it's ironic how churches or mosques are supposed to be devoted to their god (or gods), but in the case the same place worshiped both. It's interesting how religion works.
Stina B.
I chose the split of the early Christian church, which is known as the great schism. There are several reasons why the church split one was the fact the eastern Catholics used icons in their church when the western Catholics did not use icons because they felt it was wrong for them to use Icons because of the 2nd commandment witch states “Do not make any idols” and they felt that using icons was falling under the “Do not make Idols” portion of the 10 commandments. Another reason for the split was the language barrier; the west spoke Latin while the east spoke Greek. Also, the western Catholics believe that there leader, the patriarch, was in supreme authority and well the eastern Catholics believed there pope was the supreme leader. The reason this intrigued me so was the fact I have been wondering for quite some time what the difference between the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Catholics were different and now I now.
Tim D.
I chose the icons of the early Christian church. The Byzantine Empire was where many of the Orthodox Christians lived and they beleived in using icons to venerate. I find icons so interesting because they are dipictions of saints and Christ himself. Many people thought that the icons were idols but the Orthodox Church made it very clear that they were not worshiping the icon but rather venerating it. They only worshiped Christ and God. In the Orthodox Church today, icons are "windows to heaven". To this day, icons can be written, an iconographer writes an icon with his or her hand, which is the instrument in which God works through to help depict and perfect the icon. This is why iconographers do not sign their icons( like an artist would their artpeices) because it is God working through them to make the icon. What truely inspires me are the people who lived through the period of iconoclasm. Many of the faithful in the Orthodox Church would hide their icons and only venerate them in cave like churches because the icons were sacred to them. Later, after Emperor Leo III and Constantine V Copronymus' reign, many of these people became saints for their faith in God and the icons which they preserved with their lives at stake.
-Alexandra K.
Ivan IV, or Ivan the Terrible, did not come into power right away in 1533, but left a lasting impression on Russia nonetheless. He declared himself czar in 1547, beginning his rule as Russia's most controversial leader. The oprichniki was his army of men that wore all black and claimed to sweep treason from the empire with the use of their broomstick symbol. This group took down the boyars that had battled amongst one another during Ivan IV's childhood and later attacked Novgorod, killing thousands. His intentions and sanity came into questioning because of his rash decisions. Murdering his own son and ending the reign of his family led to his nickname of Ivan the Terrible. However, Ivan also expanded the empire by conquering Kazan and then constructing St. Basil’s Cathedral as a commemoration of his success in 1555. These accomplishments should be recognized as great feats, despite his other poor choices. Ivan IV: Terribly Ruthless or Terribly Focused?
-Tara C.
I chose how Muhammad helped make the Islam religion more powerful and spread, helping make it one of the largest religions in the world today. Muhammad began to spread his teachings after 5the angel Jibreel ordered him to spread the word of Allah, the one true god. Muhammad was opposed by the rulers of Mecca because his teachings threatened the popularity of worship at the Ka'bah. Muhammad and his followers were forced from Mecca to the city of Yathrib. Here, here he built up followers and was able to storm into Mecca, destroy the idols within the Ka'bah, and Islam was then the religion of the land -Charlie P.
I chose the Muslim Virtues of the Islamic Faith. The first is, all Muslims are not permitted to eat pork or drink alcohol. I get the assumption, or idea that with the absence of alcohol, people are more stable-minded and less aggressive, quite the opposite of the stereotypical image we see when we think, Muslim. Second, Polygamy was common, however a man was only allowed up to 4 wives with the agreement of treating them all equally. This intrigued me because sooner or later, with the values we have today, I feel like this would rise problems between each of the wives, knowing they would have to share their husband with other women. Third, Mosques were to be simply decorated, with no images or statues, also no ceremonies were held and no formal priesthood. Fourth, Jihad, the struggle to avoid evil. I feel like this is a good concept to believe in because with this common mentality spread throughout the world, it can be predicted that the event of war would cease. People would "strive" to create a better world, making it a better place to live. Lastly, "Islam condemns the barbaric killing of innocent civilians." Again, going back to the concept of Jihad; with everyone trying to stay away from evil, the act of killing innocent people would not occur.
Karah P.
What interested me the most was Vladamir I of Kiev’s decision to convert to Orthodox Christianity. First, he invited representatives of multiple religions to talk to him and his council about why they should convert to their religion. Interested by Christianity, he sent men to the two types of churches, Roman Catholic and Orthodox. They were unimpressed by the Roman Catholic ways, though his men visiting the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople persuaded him that Orthodox was the correct religion. Among other reasons, he converted to Orthodox Christian in 988 due to his envoy’s words about the churches. I find this interesting because to many other cultures, religion is such a big deal and part of daily life, whereas in this situation he puts all his faith into what a few men say about each religion. The whole empire was influenced by his decision, when in fact he could have been influenced by the tolerance of drinking.
- Noah R.
A topic regarding the Byzantine and Islamic empire that interests me greatly is the art. It amazes me how closely linked art, architecture, and religion are in these two empires. Byzantine art was all about religion, it adorned all churches. They created iconic mosaics and paints of Jesus and other religious figures. Their art is described as, “stiff and artificial,” (pg. 193) mainly because it didn’t aim to copy things as they really were; but rather aimed to inspire respect, and help others live their lives for nothing more than to please God and do well in the afterlife. The art of the Byzantine Empire was reflected in religious architecture, which could be considered by many the greatest buildings of the time such as the Hagia Sophia. The Islamic Empire, on the other hand, did not linking the art and religion as closely. They did not believe in the use of images or statues. Since the use of images to portray God was forbidden, “decorative arts and calligraphy assumed a special importance,” (pg. 212). Many flowery and geometric patterns and designs were used in the Islamic art. Though most religious representations of human and animal representations of God were not allowed, nonreligious images were so much of the art is either hunting or battles. The architecture, in “mosques, palaces, marketplaces, libraries, and all other buildings;” (pg. 212) stressed the power of the Islamic faith as well as that of the sponsor. Art is one of the many beauties of the world, no matter the circumstances it can always find a way to be used; you don’t need to be literate, bright, or religious, you just need to have emotion. You can connect the emotion and art to whatever is going on around you and that is why it is so beautiful. I feel that art is the form of expression of the time, and it interests me greatly because through it you can begin to understand the beliefs and happenings of the era.
Brianna G.
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