Module 13: Final Semester Project - Portfolio Reflection

Stephanie Hall

Professor Kimberly Lark

Course History 134: Ancient World

27 April 2019
 In Module 10: Medieval Europe (Christianity) and King Clovis, I learned how

Catholicism spread through that particular area of the world. It got me thinking about the search

for my own faith. I’ve always tried to keep an open mind about religion, and not subscribe to any

particular dogma unless I know enough about it to speak to it intelligently, and more importantly,

believe in it. In the instance of King Clovis, and his conversion to Catholicism, I found that,

sometimes, the history books don’t always portray the cause and effects of certain moments in

history; and the perception of those moments within the people they affect.

History tells us that the Frankish King, Clovis, was losing the battle of Tolbiac in 496

C.E., against the tribe of Alemanni. It was at this time that Christianity took root in his heart. He

promised that if God allowed him to defeat his foe, he would denounce Paganism forever and

convert to Catholicism. After the victory, he kept his promise to God. He was baptized by Saint

Remigius in the cathedral of Reims, on December 25th, appx 496 C.E.

His baptism is called “the baptism of France”. It’s also supposed to symbolize France

becoming a nation. But his place in French history is controversial to this very day. In fact, in

1996 a man bombed a French Church to show his anger for the Pope, who was there to

commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of Clovis’ baptism.

For 60 generations, there has been disagreement among the French people about Clovis

and what his impact on French Catholicism truly was. Many French people feel that Clovis’

baptism was not the reason why the French converted. They believe that the religion was already

established by the Gallo-Romans. They also do not believe that Clovis’ baptism marks when

France became a nation. They attribute that to Charlemagne.

 In this first instance of religion in ancient times, I say the morale is that perception can

take a leading role in the outcome of one’s actions. Some consider Clovis to be a champion of

French Catholicism, some consider him to be a complete phony and hate the fact that he has a

such a foothold in French history, even to the degree of killing and/or maiming their fellow

French citizens, just to prove a point! The bottom line, for me, is that no religion that partakes in

violence and destruction will ever take root in my heart, “for we can only know ourselves by

knowing how we resemble and how we differ from others.” (McNeill)

The next figure in history I chose to dissect is Muhammad, from our readings in Module

13: Rise of Islam. According to the story, Muhammad was just a regular, nice guy, really. He

was born in Mecca around 570. He was an orphan, and he was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib.

Muhammad lived a simple life as a merchant and the people noticed his honest nature.

It all changed when Muhammad was about 40 years old and started hearing voices and

seeing things. He was scared of what was happening to him, so he moved to a cave on Mount

Hira. During Ramadan, an angel appeared to him. The angel later named himself as Gabriel.

Muhammad was so scared, that he thought he was being attacked by an evil spirit! He ran

down the mountain, but the voice followed and said that he had been chosen to be a messenger

of God, and that this God is the one true God. This was the introduction of monotheism in the

Arab world.

Muhammad started preaching the word of God, and its monotheistic principles. He even

had a few followers. The rich merchants in Mecca did not like it. They were threatened by his

new religion and they felt that it would be bad for business, since all businesses were protected

by the gods and goddesses that they believed in. The decision makers of that time decided to
snuff out the riffraff and they began to persecute Muhammad and his followers. To make matters

worse, Muhammad’s uncle and wife died, one right after the other.

In 622, Muhammad was kicked out of Mecca, so he settled in Yathrib. The event of

leaving Mecca and traveling to Yathrib is called Muhammad’s hegira. This new settlement was

the first time that people lived together because of their beliefs, not their association with a tribe

or clan. Later, Yathrib would be called Medina, which means, “the city [of the Prophet].”

Muhammad wanted to attract the Jews to his new religion, and even told his followers to

pray in the direction of Jerusalem; but, when it was unsuccessful in recruiting Jews to his cause,

he changed the tradition and told his followers to pray towards the Kaaba in Mecca.

Eventually, Muhammad was allowed back into Mecca, as a pilgrim to the holy sites.

Someone murdered one of Muhammad’s followers, and that’s when he decided to attack Mecca.

Muhammad beat the Meccans and they surrendered. He ordered that the pagan idols around

Kaaba to be destroyed.

Muhammad’s power increased after he overtook the Meccans. People from all over

Arabia came to follow him. Unfortunately, he died on June 8th, 632. He was about 60 years old.

Today, Muslims believe that Muhammad was the embodiment of the perfect believer and they

try to model after what he did in his life, and all that he had to say. Islamic people do not think

Muhammad was a savior, like Jesus. They believe that he was just a very good man. They do not

worship his image, and they do not condone the act of any Muslims that do.

This story is really interesting to me, as a Christian. It mimics many of the stories found

in the Bible, and Muhammad even references the angel, Gabriel. The age that the voices started

mirrors the same rough age as Abraham and Moses, and Medina sounds a lot like “the promised

land” in the Bible. The same can be said for other stories from other cultures that coincide with
Christian beliefs. Like Gilgamesh and the flood, which is compared to Noah from the Bible. All

of these stories do have a common purpose. They are something we, as humans hold onto

because, “historical narratives offer us stories of humility, courage, wisdom, and - most

important – hope” (Postma), and no matter what part of the world someone is from, we all have

the same emotions. It “stirs a sense of shared humanity that reaches to the beginning of

civilization and across all cultural barriers” (McNeill)

Thinking about all the similarities makes me think of something I hear a lot, “the truth is

usually somewhere in the middle”. Now, I’m no prophet, and I have no plans to create a new

religion from my cherry-picking belief system, but I do believe that comparative study of

multiple religions is a smart way to find truth…even if it is just my own truth. It’s not wise to try

and lump everyone’s beliefs in one true religion. We shouldn’t generalize religion, and what

religion should be. “Anyone who claims to perform such a feat is sadly self-deceived” (McNeill)

My last rant about religion in ancient times is about what I learned from Module 14:

Byzantine Empire. I don’t think that when Constantine dedicated “a new Rome” in front of the

Byzantium colony in 330 A.D., he could even imagine the wave of religious activity his actions

would bring. His successors through the centuries made decision upon decision, all stemming

from one man. This story in history is a perfect example of the impact one action can have, for

the rest of time. It’s a ripple effect, proving that, “where we are today rests on a foundation of

thinkers and builders who came before.” (Hodges 2012)

After Constantine died, Emperor Valentinian I divided the empire in half. Valentinian

ruled the west; and his brother, Valens, ruled in the east. The eastern part of the Roman Empire

didn’t suffer invasions like the west did. Their natural geography protected them and made it

hard to penetrate the capital. Eastern emperors had a better economy, and a good army. Because
of these advantages, the Byzantine Empire survived for centuries after the fall of Rome. In fact,

the eastern half held on for 1,000 years.

After the Crusades, Byzantine culture influenced Western intellectuals. Scholars

translated Greek pagan and Christian writings for the scholars of the Italian Renaissance and this

practice continued after 1453, at which time many of those scholars fled to Italy. After that,

Byzantine culture continued to influence many countries that practiced its Orthodox religion,

including Russia, Romania, Serbia, and Greece.

Every action has a reaction. What’s so wonderful about history is that, through evidence

we find, we get to see through the eyes of the people who actually lived it and were able to

preserve those collective memories for us. We read about ancient civilizations via literature, art,

government policy, and religion and sometimes forget the direct impact ancient history has had

on our world as we know it today.

History is also great because I am always up for hearing a good story. It has all the

elements to entertain. There is never a shortage of battles won and bitter defeat, great heroes, and

diabolical villains. It truly, “enlarges out sense of human capacities both for good and evil.”

(McNeill) Let’s not forget that learning about ancient history also serves a higher purpose than

mere entertainment. History can, “make us both wiser in our public choices and more richly

human in our private lives.” (McNeill)

 Bibliography

McNeill, William H. Why Study History? (1985) | AHA, www.historians.org/about-aha-and-

membership/aha-history-and-archives/historical-archives/why-study-history-(1985).

Postma, Michael. “What Can History Teach Us Today?” ASCD Express 6.22 - What Can History
Teach Us Today?, www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/622-postma.aspx.

Hodges, Blair. “Hodges- Final Essay, On Rhetorical Uses of History to Understand the
Present.” Academia.edu, www.academia.edu/1539830/Hodges-
_Final_Essay_On_Rhetorical_Uses_of_History_to_Understand_the_Present.

Adrian Malone. “One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue.” Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, authored and
presented by Carol Sagan, episode 2, Public Broadcasting Service, 1980.