Information for Europe

Order:
** oldest dates come first. If it was a person, I went by when they came to power.
1) Axis Age/Golden Age in Greece
2) Alexander the Great
3) Julius Caesar/Fall of the Roman Republic
4) Constantine the Great
5) Rome Sacked/falls to Barbarians
6) Battle of Tours
7) Charlemagne
8) Great Schism
9) William the Conqueror
10) Crusades
11) Magna Carta
12) Columbus Leaves Spain



Sources Used:

• World History Textbook
• Mr. Carleton's notes on website
• http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/westeurope/tours.html
• http://www.umich.edu/~eng415/timeline/Urban.html 
• http://www.columbusnavigation.com/

Great Schism

I was a little confused about what was going on with this whole "Great Schism", so I asked a good friend of mine, Anne. Here's how our conversation went:

Christian Cross

Me: Hey Anne! Would you mind telling me what's going on with the Great Schism? I'm just lost.
Anne: Well, this happened exactly in the year of 1054. The Great Schism is the split between eastern and western Christianity. The western branch of it called itself the Roman Catholic Church, and the eastern branch called itself the Greek Orthodox Church.
Me: Oh, my! Why did this happen?
Anne: For a number of reasons, really. The eastern branch clergy kept the right to marry, as opposed to the western side. Greek was the language of the Greek Orthodox Church, and Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic church. The two sides had different views on a pope and how much power they should receive. Even the usage of icons was something they sparred over! One thing on top of the next happened, and then before you know it, there was a split in the religion!
Me: Why was this quite so important?
Anne: Well, the disagreements between the two different sides set off battles within our empire. It also established grudges that would be held for time! It was kind of a rivalry. Also, the Great Schism gave birth to two new branches of Christianity that I believe will last for a long time. 

Columbus Leaves Spain

Today, I happened to meet Christopher Columbus. It was fantastic to talk with him. Here's how that went:

One of Christopher's Ships: Santa Maria

Me: Christopher Columbus! It's so nice to meet you! Do you have time for some questions?
Christopher: Sure, I do.
Me: Tell me, what have you been up to recently?
Christopher: Well, in 1492, I departed from Spain. I had three ships with me: The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. On my first voyage, I sailed till 1493 and discovered places like the Canary Islands and various places in what's now called the Bahamas. I didn't even know where I was going or what exactly I discovered! I called the people who were living there "Indians". 
Me: Wait, you went for more than one voyage?
Christopher: Oh, yes. I went on three so far, and I'm heading out for my fourth!
Me: Did anything especially important happen on any of your voyages?
Christopher: Well, I just discovered some more land. Eh, nothing special. You know what was crazy though? People were saying that I actually discovered the Americas for the first time, which would change the world drastically! I'm not quite sure where I went; I just wanted to sail.
Me: Do you think what you did was important?
Christopher: Most definitely. I discovered many new lands where new cultures and settlements would arise! Plus, more land is always a good thing.
Me: Well, I think that's pretty cool. Good luck on your fourth voyage!


Christopher Columbus, although he didn't know it, discovered the Americas. This would change the world forever. 

Charlemagne

Today, I met up with my Charlemagne. We chatted for a little while, and here's how it went:


Me: Hey there, Charlemagne! Mind if I ask a few questions?

Charlemagne

Charlemagne: I have a little bit of time, so go for it!
Me: Let's start with talking about you. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Charlemagne: In 768, I became king of the Franks. Did I mention that I'm Charles Martel's grandson? I had a cool grandpa. Anyway, I reunited most of the old Roman empire! In the west, that is. But it was quite the feat; I was fighting often! In 799, my man Pope Leo II asked me for some help against some folks in Rome. I took them down, and he was pretty grateful to me. So on Christmas Day in 800, I was crowned Emperor of the Romans! This was pretty special because I am a big-time Christian. 
Me: Ah, how nice! Tell me about your empire!
Charlemagne: I really, above all, wanted a united Christian empire. Whenever I conquered new lands, I made sure people converted. If they didn't, well, they soon found out that they should have. As for how I ruled, I appointed friends and nobles to rule their little local areas. Of course, I checked in on how things were going frequently. In addition to all of this, I made large advances in the education department. I knew that I had to set a good example for my people, and I could read. I myself looked into Latin learning and founded schools so we could have an educated empire.
Me: Well, you've just done so much! I'm impressed. What were some long-lasting impacts of your empire, would you say?
Charlemagne: I spread Christianity far and near, for one thing. I also blended various cultures together to form our own new traditions! Not to mention what I did for education. My government was solid.
Me: Good answer. Thank you for your time!


Charlemagne unified the Christian empire. He died in 814. 

Crusades

Well, I met Pope Urban II today. It was quite the ordeal. Here's how our interview went:


Me: Hey there! Mind if I ask a couple of questions?
Pope Urban II: Nope, go for it.
Me: First, tell me a little bit about yourself and what you've done!

Pope Urban II

Pope Urban II: I was born around 1042. I was a Roman Pope at the time when Alexius I asked me for some help to fight the Muslim Turks. Now, I know that he was a Byzantine emperor, but I had some of my own motives in my head. I wanted more power. So anyway, I helped this dude out a little bit. In 1095, I called for a crusade to get the Holy Land of Jerusalem back at the Council of Clermont. I received lots of support, and the first crusade was launched!
Me: So how did they go?
Pope Urban II: We weren't hugely successful in conquering what we wanted to conquer, but one good thing came out of these crusades. We brought Europe out of the Dark Ages! When the Crusaders returned, they brought with them knowledge. After so many years of living like barbarians, we finally started to get our culture back to where it was in ancient Rome! Art, architecture, science, math, and things like that started improving. That was the major effect of the Crusades. Without them, we would not have moved on from the Dark Ages for a much longer period. 
Me: Well, that's wonderful! Thank you for your time. 


Pope Urban II was responsible for starting the first Crusades. They continued for over 200 years, and were brutal. The good thing that came out of them was knowledge. Pope Urban II died in 1099. 

Magna Carta

I ran into King John today, and got the pleasure of asking him a couple of questions. Here's how that went:


Me: Hey there, John! Mind if I ask you a couple questions?
King John: I go by King John, thanks. 
Me: Sorry, King John. Anyway, please tell me a little bit about yourself and what you've done!
King John: I'm a son of Henry II. Now, I didn't have the easiest reign, and that's an understatement. I fought with Pope Innocent II, King Philip II of France, and even my own people!

King John

Me: Well, what happened with each of these people?
King John: I lost some land to King Philip II. Now, I had a little scuffle with the pope as well. And let me tell you, he's not the kind of guy you want to get into a scuffle with. We fought over selecting a new archbishop of Canterbury. When I rejected his guy, he got kind of mad at me and stopped all church services in England. This wasn't a good thing, so I had to give in to his demands. And then the nobles I also had an issue with. They got mad at me for too many taxes. But I mean, can you really blame me? I needed money! So what if it was their life's savings? Anyway, in 1215, they tracked me down and forced me to sign the Magna Carta. 
Me: What's that? 
King John: It's this piece of paper that said that recognized that the nobles had certain rights. Over time, this would go for all English citizens. It also recognized rights of the Church, and normal citizens. It gave people some legal rights, and formed what everyone's now calling 'due process of the law'. Some other principles were things like no person can be held in prison without first being charged of a crime, and it protected folks from arbitrary arrest. I, as a king, was not above the law. Parliament came to be later, which was a council that I had to run things through. They had the power of the purse. 
Me: That's not a bad thing, right?
King John: Whatever.
Me: Okay, well, thanks for your time! It was nice talking with you!


King John was not a good king of England, but many good things came out of his reign, such as the Magna Carta. It would forever change the English government. King John died in 1216.

Battle of Tours

I was walking down the street when I ran into Charles Martel! Who would have thought I'd run into "The Hammer" at the market? I got a brief interview in with him though, and here's how it went:


Me: Hey Charles! Do you have time for a couple questions?
Charles: Sure, go right ahead!

Battle of Tours Map

Me: Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you've done.
Charles: Well, I was quite stressed when I heard of these Muslim invasions across Europe. These guys were led by a man by the name of Abd-er Rahman were really rolling. It freaked me out, so I got my rally on, and raised an army of warriors. We were called the Francs. Now, these folks weren't exactly trained, but I did what I could in the time I had. We were truly dedicated to winning this battle.
Me: So how did it go? What happened?
Charles: This actual battle took place in 732. They were mounted, and we were not. However, we had the advantage of terrain. We also had the power of willpower. The battle really ended when we captured and killed their leader. Once that happened, they lost steam and retreated.
Me: What was the effect of this battle?
Charles: I am basically the saver of Christianity. If my Francs and I didn't win this battle, Islam would have spread throughout France, and potentially could have taken over completely. So, if you see a Christian in the future, you tell them that they have me to thank.


Charles "The Hammer" Martel earned his nickname for his courageous win at the Battle of Tours. He died in 741. 

William the Conqueror

Today, I met William the Conqueror! Luckily, I got the chance to ask him a couple of questions. Here's how that went:


Me: Wow! William, it's so wonderful to meet you! Mind if I ask a few questions?
William: No, not at all. Shoot.
Me: Tell me a little bit about yourself first!
William: I was born in 1028. Now, I was the Duke of Normandy. Being a descendant of the Vikings, people say I was cruel and tough. I can't say I disagree with them. Anyway, my relative King Edward of England died without an heir. He promised me the throne, so I took him up on that promise. Unfortunately, some people didn't believe me. Some clown named Harold thought he had the right to the throne, and was named king by a bunch of nobles. Ridiculous. 

William the Conqueror 

Me: So what happened?
William: I got the pope on my side, and I raised an army.  So I sailed across the English Channel to get to England. Then, at the Battle of Hastings, I defeated Harold. Then, I became the rightful king of England on Christmas Day of 1066.
Me: What were some of the things that you did?
William: I just wanted to have a wonderful reign. I set up fiefs with my Norman lords, and the Church. You gotta pay back your friends. Of course, I kept a lot of it for myself though. I made all of my vassels swear loyalty to me. Not keen on rebellion. Now, I also wanted to keep tabs on what was going on in my kingdom. So I made something called the Domesday Book, which I created in 1086. It was a census of pretty much everything you can think of: castles, fields, livestock, even fences! This helped me build an efficient and fair system of tax collections. I bet that my successors will create a royal exchequer to collect taxes and fines. All because of me. Basically, I was important because I created the first census, as well as a more unified kingdom for England. I also made a fair tax system form!
Me: Thanks for the story! 


William the Conqueror died in 1087, but his long-lasting impacts on the world can be seen today. The Executive Branch reflects some of what he did, using ranks (governor, mayor, president, etc).  

Rome Sacked/falls to Barbarians

So I met a pretty interesting guy today... the name of this guy was Alaric. He was a, barbarian, to put it simply. Here's how it went:


Me: Hello, Alaric, is it? Mind if I ask a few questions?
Alaric: Nope.
Me: First, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Alaric: Yup. I was born, eh, around 370. I'm not too sure. But when I came to lead my fellow Visigoths, we started to dislike the whole Roman Empire thing. My motivations were profit, career, power, and food. So myself as well as my fellow Barbarians overran Italy, and rolled into Rome.

Visigoths Sack Rome

Me: Oh, wow! You were setting your sights pretty high! How did you do it?
Alaric: In 410, we surrounded Rome. We were going for the siege, so we starved them. They still seemed to be having a decent time with their chariot races and all, but they finally couldn't take it. They even reverted to cannibalism. Even I think that's gross. Anyway, soon, they opened the city gates and we rolled in. There wasn't any food though. How annoying. But I just moved on elsewhere. No big deal.
Me: What was the impact of your siege?
Alaric: Well, from what I hear, Rome, "The Mother of the World", was absolutely destroyed. The emperors weren't faring so well; there was absolute chaos. It became diseased, and they actually started calling fellow barbarians in to serve as defenders as they fell farther and farther. Now, rebellion ensued because of the Roman cruelty and disdain for us. After this, Rome lost its magic. Completely. More barbaric groups stormed into Rome, and their culture declined drastically.
Me: What do you mean by that?
Alaric: They fell into the Dark Ages.
Me: Ouch. You really accomplished some... great things. Thank you for your time!


The general Alaric died in 410. However, the Visigoths are what started Rome's fall. After these events occurred, Rome was never quite the same. They set back Rome's wonderful culture; art, architecture, science, math, and more were all halted.

Constantine the Great

Well, today was an awesome day. I got to meet with the emperor, Constantine! It was pretty amazing. Here's how it went:


Me: Hey there, Constantine! It's nice to see you! Can I ask a few questions?
Constantine: Sure, I think I have a little time. I'm a busy guy.
Me: Tell me a little bit about you and what you've done!

Constantine's vision

Constantine: Well, I ascended to the throne after Diocletian booked it. That was in 312. Now, I wasn't always a Christian guy. One day, I had a vision of a cross. I decided that if I won my current battle at the Milvian Bridge, I would convert. Of course, I won. So I became a Christian, and my whole empire followed me. I was of course, was one of the best emperors this world has ever seen.
Me: So you must have had quite the impact on the world!
Constantine: You bet I did! For starters, I established a new capital; I named it after myself (Constantinople). Not trying to brag or anything, but it was a pretty fantastic city. It turned our empire into a powerhouse. It had a prime position, being on the coast, and we had wonderful defenses. I also made huge advances for the Christian religion; a lot of people converted when I did. I'll bet in the future, that's going to mean something.
Me: I agree. Well, thank you for your time!


Constantine's capital city of Constantinople would be successful for the eastern empire until 1453. Constantine himself died in 337, but his legacy would live on. He was one of the reasons why Christianity's popularity began to increase.

Julius Caesar/Fall of Roman Republic

 I just got back from interviewing my man Julius Caesar. Here's how it went:


Me: Hello, Julius! It's nice to finally meet you. Do you have time for a couple of questions?
Julius: Sure.
Me: Well, would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself?
Julius: I was born 100 BCE. Now, let's not talk about my childhood. All that happened was some stuff with pirates and marriages. Not anything substantial. That's not when I got things done.

Julius Caesar Statue

Me: When did you get things done?

Julius: I was a war guy, in my day. I was a soldier. I was a conqueror. Now, I got kind of mad, I'll admit. My power as governor of Gaul was taken back by the Senate. Maybe I overreacted a little bit. Regardless, I did something that is pretty neat. I crossed the Rubicon river with my army. This was not heard of back then! But when I want something to happen, it does. Anyway, I got that bridge done pretty fast. As in, less than a month fast. I rolled right in, and defeated Pompey for the control of Rome! That was around 48 BCE.

Me: Oh, wow! What happened next?

Julius: They still didn't want me to become dictator. Ridiculous. Anyway, I then forced the Senate to make me dictator! I just wanted absolute power. Not that big of a request, in my opinion.

Me: So what were your impacts on this world?

Julius: Well, for starters, I destroyed the Roman Republic, and turned it into an empire. All of the credit goes to me there. Now, I also got my calender going; they call it the Julian Calender. I have a feeling that very good things will come from this.
Me: I hope so! Thanks for your time.


Julius Caesar was too power-hungry, and was assainated by Senate members in 44 BCE. However, the Roman Empire would come back.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Wow. Today, I ran into Alexander the Great in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, he had some time to spare, so I got a couple questions in. Here's how it went:


Me: Wow! Alexander, it's wonderful to meet you!
Alexander: I know. It is.
Me:  Okay... well, tell me a little about yourself and your accomplishments!
Alexander: I was born in 356 BCE. Now, my dad was pretty intense. He took down Greece. The sad thing is, he got killed. Please, save me your condolences. I was taught by Aristotle, so it's not like I'm an idiot. Anyway, I got the power of being the King of Macedon. I got an idea of rolling into the Persian Empire and taking it down. So I did. I hated them with a passion; there was a long lasting feud between myself and their ruler.
Me: Was that difficult, taking them down?
Alexander: Well, it certainly wasn't easy. I started my conquest of Persia in 334 BCE. Now, I knew that I needed a plan, and a good one, at that. So, what I did was lure them out to where I had the advantage of environment, so then I had the upper hand. After they were out of my way, I felt much much better. By the end of my time, I had gone everywhere, far and near. I took over Egypt, and I also reached India in 327 BCE. I was pretty popular in Egypt, I must say.
Me: What were the effects of your conquests? 
Alexander: I started the first world economy. Without me, you'd still be living in your little town in the dark, not knowing what else is out there! This was also the first time the West spread its culture. Basically, we started to mix and blend a bit more. They say that I am the creator of the hellenistic culture, which is the mixing of all of the cultures together, like Greek, Egyptian, Syrian, and all of the other places that I rolled into. I'm sure, say, in 2010, there's going to be even more blending of the cultures.
I also had cities popping up wherever you look; of course, I liked to take a little of everyone's culture and throw it in. My cities were successful, complete with economic powerhouses that consisted of trade, art, architecture, and agriculture. We also made some advances in the science field. Women had more rights.
Me: Wow! You've accomplished so much! You must feel pretty good when you look at your reflection.
Alexander: You bet I do.
Me: Well, nice meeting you and thank you for your time!


Alexander the Great viewed himself as a god. Unfortunately, he passed away in 323 BCE at Babylon. He had a huge impact on the West, and we can still see the effects today.

Axis Age/Golden Age of Greece

Statue of Socrates

So today, I got the honor of interviewing a pretty cool guy by the name of Socrates. I must say, this guy really knows his stuff. It was life changing to chat with him. Anyway, here’s how it went:

Me: It’s fantastic to meet you, Socrates. To kick off of this interview, I want to ask. Thousands of people want to know this answer. How did you become so wise?

Socrates: I am the wisest man alive; for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.

Me: Interesting...very vague. Nonetheless, words of wisdom right there. Well, tell me a little bit about yourself!

Socrates: I was born in 469 BCE in Athens. As a young boy, I was always interested in things. Quite curious. I have seen much.

Me: What kinds of things were going on in your past?

Socrates: I have seen everything from peace to violent warfare. First, we warred with the Persians from 546 – 479 BCE. The whole point of this was to punish Athens, and I still recall Damius, a Persian leader, launching a pretty gruesome battle in 490 BCE. Of course, we rolled in and won the war. From here, there was the Golden Age.

Me: Now, what exactly was the “Golden Age”? Why was it so important?

Socrates: The right question, young lass, is what wasn’t the Golden Age? During the Golden Age, our leader Pericles, who reigned from 460-429 BCE, achieved wonderful things. First, we achieved a direct democracy, which gave the people much more power..Not to mention how we advanced our culture! Us Greeks are huge on the theatre; plays were thriving! Sciences were improved as well, and of course, you can’t forget about philosophy! This is where people like me come in. Philosophers such as myself really study the meaning of life, the right method of conduct, and try to understand what makes our world goes ‘round. We pass on our knowledge by teaching others. Some other philopshers that I am familiar with are Aristotle and Plato. Now, Aristotle contributed a lot to mathematics as well as to the sciences. Plato made a lot of advances in the astronomy field.

Me: Wow! I’m impressed! Without the Golden Age, I bet those folks in 2010 would really suffer. They'd still be hunting and gathering! Hm, what happened to make all of this end?

Socrates: Sadly enough, in 431 BCE, we went into war with Sparta, our rivaling city-state. Now, these Spartans were not to be messed with. They were pretty hard-core, I’ll admit. For a long time, we were in war with them, which is what is now called the Peloponnesian War. This went on for quite some time, all the way to 404 BCE. The war went deeply against my morals, but I suppose it was unavoidable. Unfortunately, we lost. But by the end of this whole thing, we wore them down so far that Thebes rolls in and takes out the Spartans! So really, no one won the war.

Me: Thanks for informing me on all of this! Can you give me any advice?

Socrates: The unexamined life is not worth living.

Socrates died in 399 BCE. His lasting impacts on the world were the Socratic Method and his views on life. The Socratic Method is a way of teaching that includes making the student answer from his own knowledge in quetion-and-answer form. He, along with Plato and Aristotle, were Europe’s great contributions to the Axis Age.