(FGV 2020) - Question Medium of History

During the Late Antiquity period, the Western Roman Empire faced a series of challenges that culminated in its fall, leaving a legacy of conflicts and transformations for the medieval period. Contemporary historians point out that the complex relationship with the barbarian peoples not only reflected the military and economic pressure on the empire but also evidenced the social and cultural transformation that accompanied the expansion of Christianity. In 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,' Edward Gibbon highlights: 'the introduction of Christianity had ambiguous effects on Roman life and was one of the main causes of the Empire's decline.' Considering the presented context and the interdisciplinarity between History and Philosophy, and reflecting on the influence of Christian thought in Western Roman society and the determining factors for the empire's fall, analyze the following excerpt from Saint Augustine, one of the main exponents of Christian thought at the time: 'The City of God must oppose the City of Men, and what is praiseworthy in the city opposes what is condemnable in the City of Men.' Based on Augustinian thought and historical knowledge about the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, discuss how the advancement of Christianity and Augustine's dualistic interpretation contributed to the perception of crisis within Roman society and to the redefinition of cultural and territorial boundaries in the transition period to the Middle Ages.

History is a discipline that seeks to understand human actions through time by examining the events, cultures, and memories that have shaped our society. For instance, when looking at the French Revolution, a historian not only investigates the facts and dates but also interprets the social, political, and cultural impacts of this event at the time, as well as its ongoing repercussions today. With this approach in mind, how might a historian's interpretation of a historical event affect our current views of society?

What was the greatest discovery made by the Spanish colonizers in America?