Western Civilization I / Unit 9 WC1 0835 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Sequencing Byzantium and Islam, 527 to 1258
The idea
The exam interleaves Byzantine and Islamic events and asks their order. The method is two spines with three shared dates. The Byzantine spine: Justinian five twenty-seven, Heraclius six ten, iconoclasm seven twenty-six, the Schism ten fifty-four, Manzikert ten seventy-one, twelve oh four. The Islamic spine: the Hijra six twenty-two, Ali's death six sixty-one, Spain seven eleven, the Abbasids seven fifty, the Buyids nine forty-five, the Mongols twelve fifty-eight.
In practice
Merge them. Justinian and the plague of five forty-two come before Muhammad's Hijra. Heraclius's victory in six twenty-eight comes after the Hijra and before the conquests of the six thirties, which he lived to see. Tours in seven thirty-two comes after iconoclasm begins in seven twenty-six and before the Abbasid revolution of seven fifty. Cyril and the Bulgars' conversion in the eight sixties come after Harun al-Rashid. The Schism of ten fifty-four falls one year before the Seljuks take Baghdad in ten fifty-five and seventeen years before Manzikert. Twelve oh four precedes twelve fifty-eight.
Where people slip
Two traps. Heraclius fought Persia, not the Arabs, and won before Islam reached him. And the Seljuks appear on both spines, taking Baghdad in ten fifty-five and beating Byzantium in ten seventy-one, the same people from two directions.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
- 0803Justinian, 527 to 565: Emperor Over Church and State, and the Code
- 0807Heraclius Saves the Core, 610 to 641
- 0815The Great Schism, 1054
- 0820Muhammad: Mecca, the Revelation, the Hijra, 622
- 0827The Umayyads: Damascus, Spain, Tours, Talas
- 0831The Abbasid Revolution, 750, Baghdad, and Harun al-Rashid
Unlocks
- Nothing yet depends on this.
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