Question 1

The power and potential of the office of ______ became increasingly desirable for the privileged and well-educated throughout the empire.

Accepted Answer

The office of bishop became increasingly desirable as Christianity spread and gained influence, offering both spiritual authority and political power within the empire.

Question 2

Which of the following was not a significant theological or intellectual alternative to Christianity in the fourth century?

Accepted Answer

Hesychasm was a mystical tradition of contemplative prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church that developed later, primarily in the Byzantine period, not in the fourth century.

Question 3

The last great Latin historian of antiquity was the ex-army officer ______.

Accepted Answer

Ammianus Marcellinus, an ex-army officer, is considered the last great Latin historian of antiquity.

Question 4

The preservation of both classical and Christian texts was furthered by the use of the ______.

Accepted Answer

The codex, an early form of the book, was instrumental in preserving texts as it allowed for easier storage and access compared to scrolls.

Question 5

The Arian Gothic bishop ______ was sent to convert Goths and other barbarian peoples north of the Danube to Arian Christianity.

Accepted Answer

Ulfilas was an Arian Gothic bishop known for his missionary work among the Goths and for translating the Bible into the Gothic language.

Question 6

Every document issued by the emperor had the force of law.

Accepted Answer

In ancient Rome, the emperor's decrees, known as "constitutions," were considered legally binding and had the force of law.

Question 7

By the fourth century, December 25, the traditional birthday of the god Mithras, had come to be accepted as the birthday of Jesus.

Accepted Answer

The date of December 25 was associated with the Roman festival of Sol Invictus, which included the celebration of Mithras, and was later adopted by Christians as the birth date of Jesus.

Question 8

The Council of Constantinople in 381 retracted the Council of Nicaea's condemnation of Arianism as heresy.

Accepted Answer

The Council of Constantinople in 381 did not retract the Council of Nicaea's condemnation of Arianism; instead, it reaffirmed the Nicene Creed and further condemned Arianism.

Question 9

The patron-client institution known as clientela remained as pervasive in the Late Roman Empire as it was in the days of the Roman Republic.

Accepted Answer

The patron-client relationship, known as clientela, continued to be a significant aspect of Roman society throughout the Late Roman Empire, just as it had been during the Roman Republic.

Question 10

According to Augustine, the bishop of Hippo, the creation of the Roman Empire was part of God's plan all along.

Accepted Answer

Augustine believed that the Roman Empire's rise was part of God's divine plan, as he articulated in his work "The City of God," where he discussed the role of earthly kingdoms in the context of divine providence.

Question 11

The bishop Ambrose of Milan excommunicated the emperor Theodosius, who had to perform public penance in order to be readmitted to the Christian church.

Accepted Answer

Bishop Ambrose of Milan excommunicated Emperor Theodosius I after the massacre of Thessalonica in 390 AD, and Theodosius had to perform public penance to be readmitted to the church.

Question 12

Certain enthusiastic Christians, for whom the possibility of martyrdom was no longer a real possibility, turned instead to the practice of extreme asceticism.

Accepted Answer

In early Christianity, when martyrdom became less common, some Christians pursued extreme asceticism as a way to demonstrate their faith and devotion.

Question 13

In the fourth century, the populations of cities across the empire grew dramatically, as people sought refuge from troubles in the countryside and connections to the economic prosperity and security of cities.

Accepted Answer

The fourth century was marked by various challenges, including economic difficulties and invasions, which often led to urban decline rather than growth.

Question 14

Monks tended to work in close collaboration with bishops, as both were invested in maintaining a fruitful balance between city life and the world of the monasteries.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Monks tended to work in close collaboration...

Question 15

Neoplatonism, while influential among pagan thinkers, was decidedly unappealing to Christian intellectuals.

Accepted Answer

Neoplatonism was actually influential among early Christian intellectuals, as it provided a philosophical framework that could be integrated with Christian theology.

Quiz 12: The Christian Empire and the Late Roman World 337-395