Introduction

Today in western civilization we talked about whether we should take our scheduled test for tomorrow. We all argued about this and the arguments seemed quite fair on both sides. We ended up taking a class vote and the majority of the class chose not to take the test. Which made me quite happy because I have lacrosse practice tonight that is an hour away which means that I will not be home in approximately 4 hours. This is because right after I get home I will have to leave at 4:45 to go to practice just so that I get there in time and lacrosse practice supposedly ends at 8 but our coaches like to run us over a few extra minutes. Then when I get back home I have to shower, do my homework, and eat dinner. By the time I finish all of those everyday things it will be 10 o’clock at night then I would’ve had to have studied for a Jesus Christ test that I have tomorrow which take to about 30 mins to an hour. This is why I am quite glad we don’t have to take a test tomorrow.

Today in western civilization we learned quite thoroughly about Luther, and no not the Martin Luther we all know as for his famous speech of Freedom. Back in the very olden days like way, way, way back in the days Catholic priests, popes, or just the church, in general, were very high in power. Though their power and ruling were very corrupt to the point where the popes and priests would actually have you pay for your sins to be “forgiven”. So, Luther who was actually grown up to be a lawyer had become a monk due to a near-death experience and a vow he took to St. Anne. He was so fed up with this corrupt situation that he had written a paper of 95 things that is wrong with the church.

Today in Western Civilization we had taken a test that was precisely thirty-five questions long. Though I was one of the few first people to have finished the test I thought I did not do too terrible on the test. I actually liked learning about the crusades I thought it was an important subject to have talked about and learn about. I think that there was no real reason as to why there was the “Holy Wars” I think that it was just a way for one religious belief to overpower the other. I do not understand why it couldn’t have just been equal. I believe people have the right to believe in what they want to believe and live the way they would appropriately want to live as long as it’s not doing harm to others. 

Today in Western Civilization we took notes on the Crusades! The background information of the Crusades would be that it’s the age of faith, the Holy Roman Empire is the strongest kingdom in Europe, the church has considerable amount of spiritual and political power, and over five hundred massive gothic cathedrals (cities of God) are built throughout Europe between 1170 and 1270. Jerusalem, in the late eleventh century, Jerusalem was controlled by the Muslim’s. It was Islam’s third holiest city, it’s the city of Jews, and it’s a Holy City to Christians. Dome of the Rock is for the Muslim’s, Church of the Holy Sepulchre is for the Christians, and the Western Wall is for Judaism.

Today in Western Civilization we took a bunch of notes on many things about Charlemagne. What does make Charles so great? He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an Empire, he fought the Muslim’s in Spain ( to the west), he conquered Italy (to the South), he fought Huns and Magyars ( to the east ). Pope Leo the 3 appreciated his efforts to spread Christianity, and crowned him imperator Augustus which means Emperor on Christmas day. Charlemagne’s legacy, a renewed emphasis on education and culture, literature, mathematics, art, architecture, book copying and preserving, opened a palace school, surrounded himself with English, fireman,  Italian, and Spanish scholars. 

Today in Western Civilization we talked and took notes about Charlemagne uniting the Germanic Kingdoms. The middle ages were also known as the mid-evil period through AD 476 to AD 1453. FROM the end of the Roman Empire to the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. Med-evil Europe becomes fragmented because this is a new society? This new society has roots in many places such as classical heritage of Rome, Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, Customs of various Germanic tribes. The fifth-century Germanic invaders overran the western half of the Roman Empire. Causing many problems such as disruption of trade, the downfall of cities, population shifts to different areas. 

Today I was out sick so I was absent for school therefore I was not in Western Civ. Since I was not there when we most likely had taken notes during class. I will be going over some of the Germanic tribes in ancient Rome since that seems appropriate due to us learning about Rome. The Germanic tribes important to Roman downfall originated in Scandinavia, from which they moved south around 1000 BCE. By 100 BCE they had reached the Rhine area, and about two hundred years later, the Danube Basin, both Roman borders. The western German tribes consisted of the Marcomanni, Alamanni, Franks, Angles, and Saxons, while the Eastern tribes north of the Danube consisted of the Vandals, Gepids, Ostrogoths, and Visigoths. The Alans, Burgundians, and Lombards are less easy to define.

Today in Western Civ we over reviewed the test that we had just taken in which our class average on the test was a 73 percent. I ended up getting a pretty good grade and I am quite happy with what I received. I honestly thought that I wasn’t going to do so well on it. Other than that we also got to finish up the work we were supposed to do while we had finished the test. I also finished the work we were given so then I didn’t have to do much due to the fact I had finished reading and finishing the questions. 

Today in Western Civ we took a test on all of Rome. Today we also took notes on Germanic kingdoms. Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne’s empire. It matters now because Charlemagne spread Christian civilization through northern Europe where it had a permanent impact. Though he middle ages was the gradual decline of the Roman Empire. Also, the Franks were the Germanic people. We also took notes on definitions such as Monastary’s which were a religious community. We also found out and was newly taught that the word secular is a worldly power involved in politics. 

Today in Western Civilization we took some notes about Germanic kingdoms of Western Europe. The Germanic barbarians, who assimilated warlords and their families became the nobles or aristocrats of medieval Europe. Germanic trade who ruled former Roman lands sought to conquer and assimilate other barbarian peoples who lived beyond frontiers and were still pagens. The angles and the Saxons (from Denmark and northwestern Germany) invaded Britain and assimilated the nature Britons. Most of the anglo-saxons were converted to the Christianity in the seventh. The most powerful Germanic tribe was the Franks. Though the real power lay with the “mayors of the palace” who were royal officials and nobels themselves.

In western civ we took more notes on the rise of Christianity. The rise of Christianity, Jesus spends three years preaching, is killed by Roman leaders. Jesus’ followers believe he is the messiah and the savior who has risen from the dead. Saul ( the persecutor ) becomes Paul ( the evangelist ), spreading Jesus’ message that he is the one true God and not any of the Roman gods. Christianity evolves from the cult status established, official structure priest, bishops, pope, (Bishop of Rome). Christians and Jews were monotheistic, this conflicted with the roman beliefs. Persecution against both was common. Christianity appealed to the poor and since there were many poor, their number grew. 

Today in Western Civilization we took some notes more on Christianity and the History of the Roman empire. The roman emperor Constantine has a vision before the battle at Milvian Bridge. He sees an image in the sky of a cross and the words “Ev Toutw Nika” which means “in this sign, conquer”. Constantine then orders troops to put a cross on his soldiers shields and later wins the battle eat Milvian Bridge. The Edict of Milan was in 313 AD. Christianity becomes a religion which is recognized and approved by the emperor. It continues to gain strength. By 380, it becomes the empires official religion. 

       Today in western civ we took a lot of notes on Christianity in the Pax Romana. Christianity’s roots basically all begins with Jesus. Most of what we know of Jesus are from the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What’s funny is that Mark was actually written before Matthew, but people sometimes just assume Matthew was first because we say it first and it comes first in the bible. Gospel means good news which I thought was kind of cool to learn. Jesus was a Jewish itinerant preacher in Judea who set himself apart from the other “messiah’s”. Jesus taught God’s personal relationship with each human being. 

Today in western civilization Mr. Schick was not here for some unknown reasons that we will probably find out tomorrow when we hopefully will see him again! Though he was not in for today he had still assigned us some work which was the work we had also had time to do the class before. I had finished my work/reading the text book pages the class before. So, I had some free time to have done my homework. Which makes me happy because that means I don’t have to do any homework for tonight. I also don’t have practice today so that also means that when I get home I can just sleep!