Sam George

Kimberly Lark
Ancient Civilizations
9 December 2016
Why We Study History
Studying history is as necessary to being well educated, well rounded people as learning
math or science. History teaches the triumphs and mistakes of those that came before us, and
how we can expand on and learn from their lives. Our ancestors lives were filled with lessons
and stories that we can still learn from today, the things that they did were motivated by the
things we are motivated by, for better or worse. Religion and morals have shaped and been
shaped by the constantly evolving cultures, and they also shaped the men who would be
respected and venerated in the future.
The Roman Empire rose from the beliefs and hard work of Augustus, the first Roman
emperor. The people of early Rome were very superstitious, so Augustus wanted to appear divine
to his people, which would increase his already absolute power.
Augustus wanted a piece of heaven, too: he was determined that his people would see him as
their supreme spiritual leader. ("The Roman Empire: Augustus." PBS) Augustus used the
religion of the people he ruled to elevate his image, using natural phenomenon like Halleys
Comet to convince them that he was ruling by divine right. Even though his methods of earning
the respect of the citizens was less than honest, Augustus was a very morally upstanding person,
who promised his people to return Rome to its former glory with its old traditions and values.
Augustus cared greatly about religion, repairing 82 crumbling temples to the gods and appointing
himself Pontius Maximus, head priest and most powerful spiritual leader in the Empire. Tradition

and morals were returned to Rome through his efforts, and he made them a high priority to the
people.
In medieval Europe, religion and tradition were used in similar ways by the church to
mollify the peasants. Gregory of Tours was someone who used God and religion to make the
peasants of medieval England accept that their lives were not as great as they wanted them to be.
He said that, ...on the one hand, the life of human beings is terrible and full of outrage and
violence, but that it is redeemed by God's solicitude. And that those people who recognize God's
power, as manifested through bishops, saints, the rites of the church, will, if not prosper always
in this life, at least receive a reward that is commensurate with their loyalty to God. ("The
Meroyingians." M10 The Meroyingians Transcript). Gregory used religion as a way for people to
feel better about their suffering by telling them that their struggles in this life will be rewarded by
God after they died, something that is still taught in Christian churches today. Gregorys
philosophy is something that is still being told (albeit less bluntly) to this day. I personally use
this philosophy loosely while studying and doing all things I dont particularly want to do, like if
I dont want to do homework, I tell myself that if I get it over with now, I can read or sleep later.
History influences us in ways we arent even conscious of. Blair Dee Hodges said,
The past is used as the foundation country, the land from which we have emerged, the
very clay from which our bodies politick have been fashioned. (Hodges, 1)
While the first two men used religion as a means to help themselves or manipulate others,
Muhammed, the last prophet, was guided by his faith. Muhammed is described as a handsome
man with impressive energy, which would have served him well if he, too, had decided to use
religion as a means to increase his wealth or gain respect in his community. However, when he
received his divine calling, he did not exploit it. At first, he didnt even believe he was the right

person, but when he did believe, he listened to what God was telling him, and preached in his
village until the religion of Islam had spread much farther than Arabia. Muhammed was guided
by his faith, and did not want people to wanted to worship him as a god, even though many
wanted to deify him. He spread the morals and teachings of the Koran all around the country, and
other spread it around the world, where it still reaches millions of people today.
Events and people of the past are still relevant, even if we dont realize it. A lot of what
drove those people, and caused those events, was the influence of religion and those that spread
it. Even though religion can make some people greedy, like Augustus, it can also make others,
like Muhammed become even better people. I let my religion guide, me though I know where to
draw the line and where to make my own decisions. Religion and morals have the power to
change the course of history. Islam caused the spread and rapid adaption of an entire culture, the
idea that suffering now to be rewarded later still exists today, the Roman Empire would become
one of the most famous empires in all of history, with people and morals we would still learn
from for hundreds of years to come.
History is a lesson: a lesson of intentions, movements, experiments, and human
production; a lesson that builds integrity and character within our children. (Postma, What Can
History Teach Us Today?). History is still teaching us. Studying history lets us look into the past
with a modern lens to see what was right, what was wrong, and what lessons we can learn from
the mistakes or successes of the past.
Knowing our roots helps us create a better future; and without an understanding of
history, we are doomed to repeat our collective past. ( Postma). The world we live in today was
built on the shoulders of those who came before us, and they have a vast multitude of wisdom
that will teach us for as long as we keep living.

Bibliography
1. "The Roman Empire: Augustus." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
2. The Rule Of Clovis. Middle Ages Videos. History.com, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016
3. "The Meroyingians." M10 The Meroyingians Transcript. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec.
2016.
4. Http://georgetown.academia.edu/BlairHodges. "Hodges- Final Essay, On
Rhetorical Uses of History to Understand the Present." Academia.edu - Share Research.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.