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Essay Questions

Ancient

  1. Narrate the progress of Greek colonization from around 800 BC to around 500 BC.
  2. Narrate the development of Sparta as a city-state through the reign of Lycurgus.
  3. Narrate the development of Athens as a city-state through the time of Cleisthenes.
  4. Narrate the rise and fall of Minoan Crete.
  5. Narrate the career of Solon.
  6. Narrate the rise and fall of the Delian League.
  7. Narrate the rise and fall of Thebes.
  8. Describe the role of theatre (both comedy and tragedy) in Greek society. Include specific examples.
  9. Narrate the battle at Pylos and Sphacteria.
  10. Compare any two major schools of Greek philosophy. Be sure to include the major figures of each and when they lived.
  11. Narrate the rise and fall of the Seleucid Empire.
  12. Narrate the first century of the Conflict of the Orders.
  13. Narrate the final century of the Conflict of the Orders.
  14. Narrate the Gallic Wars of the fourth century.
  15. Narrate the Samnite Wars.
  16. Narrate the Pyrrhic Wars.
  17. Describe the colonial system of the Roman Republic.
  18. Narrate the Roman conquest of Spain.
  19. Narrate the war with King Jugurtha.
  20. Narrate Rome's wars with Macedonia.
  21. Narrate Rome's wars with King Antiochus.
  22. Narrate Rome's conquest of Britain.
  23. Describe the main characteristics of the Roman state religion.
  24. Compare the army of the Roman Republic with the army of the Roman Empire.
  25. Narrate the first century of Christianity after the death of Jesus (roughly 35 AD to 135 AD).
  26. Narrate the development of Christianity from around 150 AD to 295 AD.
  27. Narrate the career of the Vandals in the Roman Empire.
  28. Compare the role of women between any two of the following: Sparta, Athens, Republican Rome, Imperial Rome.
  29. Describe the social function of public games in Rome.

Middle Ages

  1. Narrate the career of King Alfred of England.
  2. Narrate the course of the Iconoclastic Controversy.
  3. Narrate the rise and fall of Visigothic Spain.
  4. Describe the chief characteristics of Benedictine monasticism.
  5. Narrate the Byzantine Empire from Justinian to Leo III.
  6. Narrate the Hussite Wars.
  7. Narrate the history of Norman Sicily.
  8. Describe the characteristics of early medieval agriculture (to around 1000 AD).
  9. Describe the characteristics and accomplishments of Irish and Northumbrian monasticism.
  10. Narrate the career of King Henry II of England.
  11. Narrate the rise of the Ottoman Empire from 1300 to 1525.
  12. Narrate the history of the Inquisition from 1200 to 1400.
  13. Describe the social and religious roles of medieval guilds.
  14. Narrate the rise and fall of the Hanseatic League.
  15. Narrate scientific developments between 1200 and 1450.
  16. Describe the jury system of medieval England.
  17. Narrate the career of Philip II Augustus, King of France.
  18. Narrate the career of Emperor Frederick I.
  19. Narrate the career of Emperor Frederick II.
  20. Narrate the career of King Louis IX of France.
  21. Narrate the career of King Edward I of England.
  22. Narrate the rise and fall of the Golden Horde.
  23. Narrate the spread and persecution of the Cathars.
  24. Narrate the history of Portugal, from its founding as a kingdom to 1500.
  25. Narrate the history of Hungary from the invasions of the Avars through the end of the kingdom of the Magyars.
  26. Narrate the history of Poland from its founding as a kingdom to 1500.
  27. Narrate the history of Bohemia under the Luxembourgs.
  28. Describe the chief aspects of papal reform from 1059 to 1294.
  29. Narrate the Reconquista, from the 1100s to 1492.
  30. Narrate the history of the Byzantine Empire from 750 to 1204.
  31. Narrate the history of Denmark from 900 to 1300.
  32. Compare any two of these monastic orders: Cistercians, Franciscans, Dominicans.
  33. Describe the chief characteristics and innovations of agriculture between 1000 and 1500.
  34. Describe the chief characteristics and innovations of technology between 1000 and 1500.
  35. Describe the chief characteristics and innovations of business and banking between 1000 and 1500.
  36. Narrate the history of the Lollards up to 1500.
  37. Narrate the history of the Jews in Europe over any specific period (medieval) of your choosing.

Early Modern

  1. Narrate the history of the Ottoman Empire from 1525 to 1725.
  2. Narrate the history of Denmark from 900 to 1300.
  3. Narrate the course of the Great Northern War.
  4. Narrate the course of events at Münster in the 1530s.
  5. Narrate the progress of Protestantism in Transylvania during the Reformation.
  6. Describe the basic tenets of Arminianism and its influence on the Reformation.
  7. Describe the basic tenets of Anti-Trinitarianism and where it was influential during the Reformation.
  8. Narrate the life and accomplishments of Carlo Borromeo.
  9. Describe the Book of Common Prayer (be sure to specify which year) and its influence on the English Reformation.
  10. Narrate the life of Martin Bucer and his contributions to the Reformation.
  11. Narrate the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
  12. Narrate the Pilgrimage of Grace.
  13. Describe the characteristics of the Ursulines and their contributions to the Catholic Reformation.
  14. Narrate the development of Russia up to the beginning of the reign of Peter the Great.
  15. Narrate the War of the Spanish Succession.
  16. Narrate the Anglo-Dutch Wars.
  17. Describe the economic reforms of Colbert. Did they work?
  18. Narrate the fall of Rhodes.
  19. Narrate the rise and fall of Antwerp.
  20. Narrate the rise of Brandenburg-Prussia to 1700.
  21. Narrate the events of the Fronde.
  22. Describe the basic tenets of mercantilism and give an example.
  23. Describe the main characteristics of baroque and give examples.
  24. Describe the putting-out system and its significance for the European economy.
  25. Describe the price revolution, its causes and consequences.
  26. Describe the military revolution, its chief characteristics and its effect on warfare.
  27. Describe the important changes in the European banking system and the development of money markets (the bourse).
  28. Describe the Jesuit Order and their contributions to the Catholic Reformation.
  29. Describe the Carmelite Order and their contributions to the Catholic Reformation.
  30. Narrate the Peasants War.