Humanities Quiz Questions Answers

Theodora was indeed a courtesan who later became the wife and advisor to Justinian. She was a highly influential figure in the Byzantine Empire, known for her intelligence and political acumen. As Justinian's wife, she played a significant role in shaping his policies and decisions, and her influence extended to matters of state. Therefore, the statement "Theodora was the courtesan who became wife and advisor to Justinian" is true.

Justinian was indeed the emperor responsible for the attempted restoration of the unified Roman Empire. During his reign from 527 to 565 AD, Justinian sought to reconquer the territories that had been lost to barbarian invasions, particularly in the Western Roman Empire. He successfully reclaimed parts of Italy, North Africa, and Spain, temporarily reestablishing the Roman Empire's territorial integrity. Justinian's efforts were symbolized by his codification of Roman laws, known as the Corpus Juris Civilis, which greatly influenced legal systems in Europe. Thus, the statement "True" accurately reflects Justinian's role in attempting to restore the unified Roman Empire.

The Byzantine Empire had a significant cultural impact on Eastern Europe, particularly through the conversion of the Slavs to Orthodox Christianity. This religious conversion played a crucial role in shaping the religious and cultural identity of Eastern European countries, as Orthodox Christianity became the dominant religion in the region. The Byzantine Empire's influence also extended to the development of the Cyrillic alphabet, which is still used by many Slavic languages today. Overall, the conversion of the Slavs to Orthodox Christianity was a crucial cultural impact of the Byzantine Empire on Eastern Europe.

The statement suggests that the kings of Kiev were believed to be descendants of Scandinavian traders. This implies that there is evidence or historical accounts supporting this claim. Therefore, the answer "True" indicates that there is a basis for the belief that the kings of Kiev had Scandinavian ancestry, possibly due to intermarriage or migration of traders from Scandinavia to Kiev.

The capital of the Byzantine Empire was not Kiev. The capital of the Byzantine Empire was Constantinople, which is now known as Istanbul. Kiev was the capital of the Kievan Rus, a medieval East Slavic state, but it was not the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

During the fifth to the fifteenth century, there were significant differences between the Christian cultures of Eastern and Western Europe. The Eastern part of Europe was predominantly influenced by the Byzantine Empire and the Eastern Orthodox Church, while Western Europe was influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. These differences included religious practices, rituals, and even the language used in religious services. The Great Schism in 1054 further deepened the divide between the two regions, leading to distinct cultural and religious developments. Therefore, the statement that there was little difference between the Christian cultures of Eastern and Western Europe during this time period is false.

August 26, 1071 near Manzikert

The statement is false because Latin was not the official language of the eastern Empire beginning with the reign of Justinian. Instead, Greek was the official language during this time period. Latin remained the official language of the western Empire, but the east shifted to Greek due to its widespread use and influence in the region.

The alphabet devised by Orthodox missionaries for the Slavic peoples was actually called Cyrillic after its creators, Cyril and Methodius. The term "Slavic" refers to the ethnicity of the people for whom the alphabet was created, not the name of the alphabet itself.

The statement is false because iconoclasts were actually against the use of icons in the eastern Orthodox church. Iconoclasts believed that the use of icons was a form of idolatry and went against the teachings of Christianity. They argued that icons should not be worshipped or venerated, but rather destroyed. This led to a period of iconoclasm in the Byzantine Empire where many icons were destroyed and the use of icons was banned.