The Black Death

We have all learned for years the devastation caused by the Black Death. It was interesting to learn the details of the disease along with the so called remedies used for treatment. The plague was a particularly gruesome disease, and the symptoms seemed to incorporate everything associated with illness. For example you would have a fever, swollen glands, full body aching, and not to mention vomiting of blood. The plague was indeed the ultimate most powerful disease seen at this time. To think one third of the population of Europe was lost is unfathomable. It got to the point where family members avoided stricken family members, and had to hire others to remove the body. And although this action is very cruel the chances of transmitting the disease while making contact with the sick was extremely high. Avoiding affected persons was almost a matter of life or death. As we know if we are afflicted with the disease it can be treated if caught early enough. Back then however the remedies were in short supple, and usually were ineffective. People reverted to burning large amounts of incense, and even going as far as to shoot cannon and ring bells to use the sound to ward off the disease. I’m sure people tried a little bit of everything to find any relief for the victims. I was surprised to learn that for the most part most of the leaders and high ranking church members escaped these times plague free. Of course it was easier for them to avoid affected areas and people, but with the ease that the disease spread I was sure more kings or queens would have met their doom. As it turned out Pope Clement VI had the best solution by sitting between two large fires with the thinking he was breathing clean air. What he didn't know at the time was that the bacillus plague is sensitive to heat, and as it turned out the Pope had the best remedy. Professor Knox mentions that the plague still exists in remote areas in the Rocky Mountains, and I am wondering why it is centered primarily on this area? Is their something about the terrain and atmosphere that is conducive to the fleas that carry the plague?

The First Crusade

I can say confidently that the first crusade was instigated solely by Pope Urban II. His promise for remission of all sins for those who marched on Jerusalem was all it took to spark this vast pilgrimage east. As we learned however the problem was that common people most being oblivious to battle made the trip. This lack of experience would be deemed crucial while being slaughtered when entering Nicaea. Although the death of 20,000 or so people is a tragedy the false sense of security obtained by the Turkish would be deemed priceless later down the road. When the experienced soldiers and Knights marched on the Turkish later they obtained victory quite handedly. It was interesting to read about all of the men who made the trip, and the reasons for doing so. For many it was a religious crusade to free the holy land, but for some as mentioned it was just another way to conquer the east and expand an empire; of course by using the crusade as a cover. As it turned out Raymond and Godfrey emerged as the leaders, and would end up successfully seizing Jerusalem. I was particularly fascinated by the stories of the crusader army going twenty miles to get the wood necessary to make siege engines. I can't imagine the mass undertaking of such an event. Transporting and building those engines must have been remarkable. As it all played out Jerusalem fell, and the First Crusade although it started out slow became the only successful raid on Jerusalem.

Wikipedia Article Analysis #2

Summary: William the I of England began as the Duke of Normandy, but invaded England in 1066 and became the King of England. He came to power by defeating the Anglo-Saxons lead by Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. His invasion and subsequent takeover of England became known as the Norman Conquest. William had a substantial impact on England, and set a standard for the way of life and culture that would endure in England for many years to come. Amongst the many things he changed were politics, English Law, architecture, English language, and most importantly bringing the practice of Feudalism into England.


1. 3,586 words
2. The search term I used was William the Conqueror, and the article title is William I of England.
3. The Disambiguation had related articles and further reading.
4. The discussion page has a ranking system of the article, and as it stands the article did not meet the good article criteria. Also there is a to do list that has suggestions on changing styles and topics. Lastly the discussion page has a spotlight section where people can post suggestions or questions. It is here that people can point out fallacies and or contribute to the article.
5. There have been 500 changes made to this article. The first being made on September 3, 2002 and the last being made on October 14, 2008.
6. Seven external links have been provided.
7. There are 20 references.
8. Five entries under further reading.

After reading the article I would recommend reading it to anyone who is interested in the subject. Although it is a very broad interpretation of William's life it does highlight significant moments and accomplishments of his life. Reading this article became very difficult at times because of the poor writing. It seemed as if the author just regurgitated names and dates with little effort to make the article flow. For reading enjoyment purposes I would not suggest this article, however to gain a brief insight into the life of William I recommend this article.

Papacy

We have all read about the power of the Popes in the medieval time period, and especially the corruption and abuse of power that took place within the Vatican. It’s particularly interesting to read about the origin and the rise of the Pope. Popes claimed to be direct descendents of Peter, but in fact were usually wealthy men who had entered the church. It was almost as if they were modern day politicians; usually coming from a well to do family buying their way into power. Pope Gregory I had a tremendously positive impact on Roman society and restructuring, and it was his past political experience that enabled him to in reality run Rome. I got the impression that most of the Popes that followed Gregory had similar backgrounds, but was either incompetent or corrupt. It wasn't until the Cluny revolution that Popes and high ranking church members were selected based not on wealth or connections, but on character and quality. With the position of the Pope solidified and the Christian faith spreading it was only a matter of time before the Pope would have more power then kings. This of course would not sit well with the distinct personalities of these leaders and kings. The power of the church lead by these Popes at this time exceeds all words. It goes to show that the power of beleiving in something greater then ourselves has the ability to draw together the masses and change the world.

Rome Moved?

Why as a young student working my way through k-12 did I never learn of how Constantinople actually became the new capital of Rome? So much emphasis is put on the collapse of the Roman Empire, but little is actually taught regarding how and what happened. I was very interested to learn that not only did Constantinople become the new capital, but in fact flourished for the most part and controlled the east in the fourth and fifth centuries. I believe the perception is that the city of Rome is for many the face of the empire, so when it is repeatedly sacked in the 5 century we automatically think the collapse of the empire.
It was also interesting to read about Gaul (southern France), and how after the Franks invaded the Roman culture and lifestyle that once reined supreme did little but fade away. A new culture and identity was formed here with the cohabitation of both the empire citizens and the barbarians. It is crazy to think that what would come out of this relationship would as Dr. Knox said form what is essentially Europe. And after thinking about this situation it makes perfect sense to think that Europe came about by mixing both Roman Empire citizens and barbarians. It was as if they were refined only to a point, but also barbaric only to a point.

Simularities In Life

Can you imagine a Rome being two to three times the size of Boise? With 500,000 citizens Rome was twice the size of Boise, and at that time was the ruling city in the world. With all of those people of course the living situation would be less then adequate. With most people living in apartment type building prone to fires. With no sewage system much of the waste was just thrown on the streets. The smell and sight is just unimaginable. In the home life the father ruled like most would figure. However it is interesting to learn that the father would obtain any assets or wealth earned by his sons as long as he lived. This of course would cause quite a bit of drama and betrayal. Women it seems were given much more freedom then that of their Greek predecessors. They were able to own property and speak their minds. Many had a direct influence on their husband’s political careers. In the early years most of the education was obtained at home, but after the Macedonian Wars the Romans were exposed to Greek liberal arts. Much of Rome's art and culture is derived from the Greeks. This is not surprising however because the Greeks were generations ahead of their time. As for slavery much of the Roman economy was based around slavery, and when manpower decreased this did not boat well for the Rome. Some say this was a significant factor in the Roman decline. That is similar to the early United States basing much of the economy around slavery, and if not for the industrial revolution we too might have not made it.

Hannibal the Great

Hannibal as it turned out was a militaristic genius who despite of being severely outmanned scored a number of victories, and in doing so scared the living daylights out of the Romans. His ability to lead and transport an army to safety was uncanny. How he was able to move that amount of men and elephants over the Alps is unthinkable. The Alps are a very harsh and unforgiving environment, and well never really know how Hannibal and his brother Hasdrubal managed to scale those mountains. It must be a family secrete. Although Hannibal was eventually unvictoriouse his legacy preceded him. He was particularly known for his cruelty, and this was evident when he made the order to hamstrung the fleeing Romans at Cannae. I have an affinity for Hannibal as it turns out. What he did was truly remarkable, and to have that lasting impression on the later Roman generations speaks volumes of his ability.