Abbasid Caliphate

       The Abbasids transformed Islam from a Arab centric tribal faith into
a world system  that provided unified many ancient far flung empires. This
transformation necessitate the blending of Arab customs with the political
structures necessary to efficiently rule a global empire. Governed by the
caliph who ruled out of the cosmopolitan city of Baghdad. The caliph's
 power passed  along hereditary lines back to the death of the Prophet
Mohammed. The  caliph was not the spiritual leader of the Islamic faith,
the authority of there rule stemmed from the legitimacy of there ancestry.
Under Abbasids rule generated a remarkably  multicultural society, as
Jewish and Christian subjects while infidels were protected under sharia
law.

Germanic Kingdoms History has not been kind to the Germanic people, there civilizations reputation has been tarnished by pretinouse Romans and zealous Christians. Dark age propaganda has twisted the Vandal, Goth, and Hun tribes into epithets of brutishness, thievery, and evil. While often betrayed as barbaric pillaging pagan savages, the Germanic tribes contributed to the dynamic post roman European civilization. Far from the invading savages they are often portrayed, the Germanic tribes were wayward migrants, driven from there steppe homeland by the Hunic federation. The Germanic people often peacefully occupies the alling provinces of the western Roman Empire. established roman institutions such as civil law and Christianity were adopted by the Germanic tribes. The Germanic tribes were transformed by there interactions with the existing roman culture , the traditional Germanic chief councils were replaced with hereditary monarchy's. Traditional paganism declined as kings like Clovis I and Theodoric the Great converted and actively sponsored Christianity.

The Conversion of Clovis to Christianity

[Clovis took to wife Clotilde, daughter of the king of the Burgundians. Now Clotilde was a Christian. When her first son was born] she wished to consecrate him by baptism, and begged her husband unceasingly, saying, I , The gods whom thou honorest are nothing they cannot help themselves nor others; for they are carved from stone, or from wood, or from some metal. The names which you have given them were of men, not of gods, - like Saturn, who is said to have escaped by flight, to avoid being deprived of his power by his son; and like Jupiter himself, foul perpetrator of all uncleanness. . . . What power have Mars and Mercury ever had ? They are endowed with magical arts rather than divine power.

"The God who should be worshiped is he who by his word created from nothingness the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that in them is; he who made the sun to shine and adorned the sky with stars; who filled the waters with creeping things, the land with animals, the air with winged creatures; by whose bounty the earth is glad with crops, the trees with fruit, the vines with grapes; by whose hand the human race was created; whose bounty has ordained that all things should give homage and service to man, whom he created."

But when the queen had said these things, the mind of Clovis was not stirred to believe. He answered: "By the will of our gods all things are created and produced. Evidently your god can do nothing, and it is not even proved that he belongs to the race of gods."

Meantime- the faithful queen presented her son for baptism. She had the church adorned with tapestry, seeking to attract by this splendor him whom her exhortations had not moved. But the child whom they called Ingomer, after he had been born again through baptism, died in his white baptismal robe. Then the king reproached the queen bitterly. , if the child had been consecrated in the name of my gods he would be alive still. But now, because he is baptized in the name of your god, he cannot live."

After this another son was born to him, and called in baptism Clodomir. He fell very ill. Then the king said: "Because he, like his brother, was baptized in the name of Christ he must soon die." But his mother prayed, and by God's will the child recovered.

The queen unceasingly urged the king to acknowledge the true God, and forsake idols. But he could not in any wise be brought to believe until a war broke out with the Alemanni. Then he was by necessity compelled to confese what he had before willfully denied.

It happened that the two armies were in battle and there was great slaughter. Clovis' army was near to utter destruction. He saw the danger; his heart Was stirred; he was moved to tears, and he raised his eyes to heaven, saying - , Jesus Christ, whom Clotilde declares to be the son of the living God, who it is said givest aid to the oppressed and victory to those who put their hope in thee, I beseech the glory of thy aid. If thou shalt grant me victory over these enemies and I test that power which people consecrated to thy name say they have proved concerning thee, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name. For 1 have called upon my gods, but, as 1 have proved, they are far removed4 from my aid. So I believe that they have no power, for they do not succor those who serve them. Now 1 call upon thee, and I long to believe in thee -all the more that may escape my enemies."

When he had said these things, the Alemanni turned their backs and began to flee. When they saw that their king was killed, they submitted to the sway of Clovis, saying: "We wish that no more people should perish. Now we are thine." When the king had forbidden further war, and praised his soldiers, he told the queen how he had won the victory by calling on the name of Christ.

Then the queen sent to the blessed Remigius, bishop of the city of Rheims, praying him to bring to the king the gospel of salvation. The priest, little by little and secretly, led him to believe in the true God, maker of heaven and earth, and to forsake idols, which could not help him nor anybody else.

But the king said: "Willingly will I hear thee, O father; but one thing is in the way - that the people who follow me are not content to leave their gods. I will go and speak to them according to thy word."

When be came among them, the power of God went before him, and before he had spoken all the people cried out together: " We cast off mortal gods, 0 righteous king, and we are ready to follow the God whom Remigius tells us s immortal."

These thin-s were told to the bishop. He was filled with joy, and ordered the font to be prepared. The streets were shaded with embroidered hangings ; the churches were adorned with white tapestries, the baptistery was set in order, the odor of balsam spread around, candles gleamed, and all the temple of the baptistery was filled with divine odor. . . . Then the king confessed the God omnipotent in the Trinity, and was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and was anointed with the sacred chrism with the sign of the cross of Christ. Of his army there were baptized more than three thousand.

From the accounts translated in J. H. Robinson, Readings in European History, (Boston: Ginn, 1905), pp. 51-55

 

This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gregtours1.asp

Clovis conversion to Christianity and specifically Catholicism was a monumental event in European history. In this expert the historian Gregory of Tours explains the conversion of the Frankish king in a manner that compares Clovis to Constantine, the first Christian Monarch. Although it is doubtful that Clovis really converted in such a mythical way, Gregory's parallelism between Clovis and Constantine shows that he viewed the Frankish king as gods chosen ruler. This historical tradition of asserting the authority or superiority of a ruler or ethnic group over another is a well established political trick, the Franks supposedly saw them selfs as the decedents of refugees from mythical Troy much like the Romans did.        

 I. What the Lawmaker Should Observe in Framing the Laws.

In all legislation the law should be fully and explicitly set forth, that perfection, and not partiality, may be secured. For, in the formation of the laws, not the sophisms of argument, but the virtue of justice should ever prevail. And here is required not what may be prompted by controversy, but what energy and vigor demand; for the violation of morals is not to be coerced by the forms of speech, but restrained by the moderation of virtue.

II. What the Law Is.

The law is the rival of divinity; the oracle of religion; the source of instruction; the artificer of right; the guardian and promoter of good morals; the rudder of the state; the messenger of justice; the mistress of life; the soul of the body politic.

III. What the Law Does.

The law rules every order of the state, and every condition of man; it governs wives and husbands; youth and age: the learned and the ignorant, the polished and the rude. It aims to provide the highest degree of safety for both prince and people, and, in renown and excellence, it is as conspicuous as the noon-day sun.

IV. What the Law Should Be.

The law should be plain, and not lead any citizen to commit error or fraud. It should be suitable to the place and the time, according to the character and custom of the state; [6] prescribing justice and equity; consistent, honorable, worthy, useful, and necessary; and it should be carefully noted whether its provisions are framed rather for the convenience, than for the injury, of the public; so that it may be determined whether it sufficiently provides for the administration of justice; whether or not it appears to be contrary to religion, and whether it defends the right, and may be observed without detriment to any one.

V. Why the Law is Made.

Laws are made for these reasons that human wickedness may be restrained through fear of their execution; that the lives of innocent men may be safe among criminals; and that the temptation to commit wrong may be restrained by the fear of punishment.

     http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0506-0506,_AA_VV,_Leges_Romanae_Visigotorum_%5BScott_JP_Curatore%5D,_EN.pdf#page31

Khmer citations

Khmer artifacts 

Artifact 1 

http://www.grandhistorian.com/chinesesiegewarfare/siegewarfarenotes-bayonrelief.html

Artifact 2 

http://www.featurepics.com/online/Ancient-Khmer-Bas-Relief-Carving-2182933.aspx

Artifact 3 

http://www.featurepics.com/online/Ancient-Khmer-Bas-Relief-Carving-2182933.aspx

Artifact 4 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1992.336

Artifact 5 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1988.355

Artifact 6 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/36.96.3

Artifact 7 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1972.147

Artifact 8 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1987.424.19ab

Artifact 9 

http://famouswonders.com/wp-content/gallery/angkor-wat-temple/moast-view-of-angkor-wat.jpg

Artifact 10 

http://travelplusvn.com/index.php/news/detail/328

http://operationgroundswell.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/01-angkor-wat-615.jpg

http://treybarrow.com/Angkor%20Wat,%20Cambodia/photos/1%20Angkor%20Wat.jpg

Khmer artifacts 1-10 captions

1 This incredible section of bas-relief sculpture is a hallmark of Khmer art. In this scene we can see a massive calvary procession of elephants and chariots, an awesome display of military force. As opposed to the empires in the west which only used horses in battle, the armies of southern and south east Asia used hordes of elephants in warfare.

 2 Illustrated in this bas-relief with is the Hindu god Indra  . Here he is riding hid three headed elephant mont , together they are traversing an oceanic expanse. 

 

3 This Khmer statue represents a Buddhists figure called the

  Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The Buddhist embodiment of infinite light, but the style the figure is seated is characteristic of Hindu monarchs. This sculpture illiterates the cultural flowering produced by the  marriage of  Hinduism with the newly arrived Buddhists faith with in the Khmer empire.  Although both faiths originated from India and later spread to indo- china through commerce and missionary activities. 

4 This snapshot of a dance performance by tractional Khmer dancers represents the empires enduring cultural legacy in all of the arts. Performances like these were customary in the royal court, and in return the royal court would sponsor dancers.

5 This photo of Angkor Wat dazzling in the light of the morning sun is truly memorizing. Imagine the overwhelming emotion and spiritual a

6 Angkor Wat , is the single largest religious complex on the planet. It was forgotten for centuries , left to decay in the jungle and became nearly swallowed up by it. Thankfully though it has been restored and cared for over recent  decades to its former glory.

7 This gilded bronze statue represents the Hindu god Shiva; the god of destruction. Hinduism was not native to indo china, it originated thousands of years ago in northern India. Over the centuries this faith was gradually transmitted to east by a complex processes of migration, invasion, and commerce. Hinduism became established in south east Asia by around 500 A. D.  And gained many adherents with in ancient indo china. By the time the Khmer Empire emerged in the 8th century A.D. Hinduism was the primary faith of the region. The Khmer Empire quickly adopted the faith as there own and sponsored and supported in through there domain. 

8 This relatively small temple is only one of the numerous ounces that occupied the fast complex of Angkor Wat. The entire structure was meant to recreate Hindu spiritual cosmology in physical stone and brick. So that worshiper a could commune with the very essence of the universe while remaining on the earthly plan of existence. 

9These beautiful sculpted faces  from Angkor Wat are hallmarks of Khmer style. Khmer artists painstakingly constructed sites, were a massive volume of staked stone was arranged. This stone matrix was then carefully  carved away to produce the stunningly realistic faces, that embody Hindu deities.

            10 This sculpture depicts the serpent king Muchilinda protecting the Buddha Shakyamuni from heavy rains. This sculpture dates from the later part of the Khmer Empire where Buddhism had largely replaced Hinduism as the major faith practiced thought the Empire. This conversion was slow and peaceful and was accomplished mainly through missionaries from India.     

spiration a worshiper would have experienced as the stepped closer  to this monumental structure.  

 

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The Splender of Khmer

The Khmer people were one of the most advanced and ingenious civilizations to come out of south east Asia. They prospered from the 9nth to the 14th century in an empire that encompassed all of modern day Cambodia, and parts of Thailand, Laos , and Vietnam. Politically the Khmer were ruled by a series of dynastic absolute  monarchies    , who presided over the large population base of rice farming and fishing peasants. Many  Khmer adopted Hinduism as a faith , due to its proximity and economic connections with India. Khmer rulers sponsored the creation of numerous Hindu and later Buddhist temple complex , the largest and most famous of these being Angkor Wat. 

Roman artifacts 1-10 citations

Roman artifacts 

Artifacts 1 2 

http://www.romanobritain.org/1-arc/arc_roman_mosaics.htm#.UjwxW8u9KK0

Artifact 3 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Oldest-Modernist-Paintings.html?device=ipad

Artifact 4 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=410332&partId=1&searchText=Warren%20cup

Artifact 5

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/w/wall_painting_of_ulysses_and_t.aspx

Artifact 6 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/14.130.1

Artifact 7 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2003.407.9

artifact 8 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trevi_Fountain,_Rome,_Italy_2_-_May_2007.jpg

artifact 9 

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman_glass.htm

Artifact 10 

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman%20gold%20jewelry.htm

Roman 1-10 captions

1 This mosaic was found with in a large roman villa, the residence of an upperclass roman. The mosaic depicts a dynamic and violent showdown between two gladiators. The extreme wealth and prosperity of the Roman Empire made it possible for a thriving entertainment market to develop. The violent and often inhuman gladiator practice was wide spread thought the roman world, and made for a griping experience as spectators watched as two men fought to the death.

2 This mosaic covered the floor of a large roman villa. It depicts the slain head of the mythical gorgon Medusa , a figure in fact from Greek mythology. It is fascinating to comprehend that while Greeks were politically submissive under roman rule , there religion, art, philosophy, and culture was flourished with its adoption by the Romans. Many of the Greek gods were worshiped by the Romans , only changing there names Zeus became known as Jupiter , Poseidon as Neptune , Hades as Pluto.

 

3 This series of painting are encaustics, a difficult processes that involves painting with liquid hot wax. These painted wood panels are quite rare , most organic objects rot and wither away with in only a few decades. Thankfully though theses painting were created in Egypt , which by now had come under the rule of the roman Empire. The  Romans were never shy about practicing foreign customs such as the very ancient Egyptian practice of mummification. These panels are in fact identification tablets that would have been placed right on the finished mummy as it was prepared to be entombed. These paintings are also striking in there beautiful rendering of the human face , the richness and realism invoked was not seen agin in former lands of the roman Empire until the Italian Renaissance nearly a thousand years later. 

4 This wall fresco from a home in the infamous ruined city of Pompeii is a signature example of roman aesthetics. Frescos require a very difficult process , which only the most advanced  of artist can hope to master. The process begins by applying wall with a thick coating of wet plaster, then meticulously smoothing the surface , the transferring the design, and finally painting the actual image on to the wall. All this the artist much compleat with in four to six hours. This is why this process is often done in small sections at a time  or the while design is minimized. This scene in particular illustrates a scene from the Odyssey, the Ancient Greek poet Homer's epic poem. This section depicts Ulysses passing by the dangerous sirens.

5 This silver challis is the infamous Warren Cup. A prized work of art in its own right , as well as an incredible example of roman metal work. The complex sculptural image was painstakingly created through endless hours of taping and hammering on the inside surface. But it is not the fine craft that makes this cup significant, it is its subject matter, its very  unusual subject matter; gay sex! The artists unapologetically and rather bravely depicted sexual intercorse between two men, albeit  with a peeking slave at the door ! The Romans were never shy about sex and sexuality, the luxurious Roman bath houses were notorious for there orgies. It was precisely this liberal and open attitude towards sex that the growing numbers of Christians vehemently opposed .

6 This life size bronze cast is a magnificent example of roman sculpture, an art form that they adopted from the Greeks and exploited to there technological limit. This specific work dates from some time in the early 1st. century A.D. probably represents the likeness of a relative of the empire. The attention to the anatomy of the human body and grace and elegance of the fabric is superb. This artistic tradition was greatly weakened during the thousand year dark age in Western Europe, until the artists such as the Italian Michelangelo.

7 This marble sculpture from the early imperial era, is in a very traditional style used to capture the likeness of the imperial family. What makes this specific statue significant is that fragments of paint has survived on it over the centuries. From these fragments art historians can gain insight into the color and fashion of the roman Empire. This sculpture was found to be painted in a bold purple , a color used in antiquity to signify power and royal statues. Purple was a particularly expensive color due to its difficult production process. The purple was extracted from a small vein with in a shellfish that inhabited the costs of Syria , Palestine, and parts of North Africa, gathered and processed and finely used to dye fabric. These fabrics would be purchased and transformed into stunning outfits by the Roman aristocracy and royal family. The Romans called upon there military power to conquer and secure these far off lands , there powerful ships and roads to transport the dye to the imperial heart land, and finally use there vast wealth to buy these magnificent outfits.

8 The Trevi Fountain is by far the most iconic fountain in the world, and it represents one the Romans most beautiful works born out of the marriage of art and engineering. The fountain provided clean fresh water to the citizens of Rome everyday with out interruption for years. This luxury was made possible by the massive system of aqueducts, which transported water for dozens if not hundreds of miles into roman cities.  

9 This small roman vessel would have once only been used for the most extravagant parties of the roman aristocracy, because it is a hand blown glass vessel. Glass was invented in Syria around the first century A. D., and the technological process quickly spread throughout the Empire. The Romans melted down sand to produce molten glass , using hollow iron poles they would gather and rotate and blow the molten semi-liquid martial into beautiful vessels. Glass also had a huge advantage as as table wear over traditional clay pottery, glass is antibacterial. So citizens that ate and drank from glass were less prone to sickness and disease.

10 The roman Empire was by far the wealthiest and most prosperous in classical western times. The accumulated tons of precious gems and metals like gold and silver through there conquests. The roman aristocracy, which had built up enormous amounts of wealth, found creative and artistic ways to symbolize and display there wealth. One of the ways they did this was in adorning the, selfs with magnificent amounts of gold jewelry, such as the gold pendent encrusted with a clear crystal shown above.                                                                     

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The Greatness that was Rome

   The Romans was perhaps the greatest Empire is western civilization, stretching from Scotland , to Palestine , teeming with more then 50 million inhabitants at its heights, Rome dominated the Mediterranean world. The Roman Empire started out as a measly petty city state in central Italy around 500 B.C. The Romans were originally ruled by  monarchy until that system was over through an a republic was formed which lasted until 27  B.C. When a dictatorship was established, and Rome became an Empire. Over the next 200 years Rome expanded across the Mediterranean , spreading a common language, currency, law, and way of life. The Romans in turn adopted many foreign customs and practices from there subjected people. Christianity was the most significant faiths that the Romans encountered, and in its waning centuries adopted and sponsored as the empire's official religion.

Longshan artifacts citations 1-10

1. Cultural china.com 

2.Cultural china.com

3. Cultural china.com

4.British National Museum

5.British National Museum 

6. benedent.blogspot.com

7. benedent.blogspot.com

8. benedent.blogspot.com

9. benedent.blogspot.com

10. benedent.blogspot.com

Longshan Artifact captions 1-10

1. This beautifully crafted and incredibly sharp jade blade probably belonged to a warrior, but would not have been most likely used in battle as jade is a precious and brittle material.   

2. This vessel was used to store liquids and oils for long periods of time, possibly during times of famine and drought. 

3. This vessel would have been used as a personal drinking cup at elaborate dinners or rituals.  

4. This fired clay vessel was used to serve and pour drinks with ease, evident it its convenient spout and tripod balancing legs.  

5. This jade dragon bracelet would have been worn by elite members of society.  

6. This vessel was used as a cooking pot for staples such as rice.

7. This ornamental jade dragon would have been used as both decoration and as a charm to ward off evil spirits.    

8. This jade artifact was carved to resemble the Chinese symbol for 1000 years. It was probably attached to a neckless to ensure longevity.     

9. This artfully decorated  bronze vessel would have been used to serve drinks at banquets and ceremonies of the elite.

10. This collection of jade blades were probably owned by a wealthy aristocratic     family , that obtained them for aesthetic and ritualistic purposes.

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