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  3. The Cultural Revival in the Byzantine Empire Between the eighth and eleventh centuries A. D. , the Byzantine Empire staged a

The Cultural Revival in the Byzantine Empire Between the eighth and eleventh centuries A. D. , the Byzantine Empire staged a

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问题             The Cultural Revival in the Byzantine Empire
    Between the eighth and eleventh centuries A. D. , the Byzantine Empire staged an almost unparalleled economic and cultural revival, a recovery that is all the more striking because it followed a long period of severe internal decline. By the early eighth century, the empire had lost roughly two - thirds of the territory it had possessed in the year 600, and its remaining area was being raided by Arabs and Bulgarians, who at times threatened to take Constantinople and extinguished the empire altogether. The wealth of the state and its subjects was greatly diminished, and artistic and literary production had virtually ceased. By the early eleventh century, however the empire had regained almost half of its lost possessions, its new frontiers were secure, and its influence extended far beyond its borders. The economy had recovered, the treasury was full, and art and scholarship had advanced.
    To consider the Byzantine military, cultural, and economic advances as differentiated aspects of a single phenomenon is reasonable. After all, these three forms of progress have gone together in a number of states and civilizations. Rome under Augustus and fifth -century Athens provide the most obvious examples in antiquity. Moreover, an examination of the apparent sequential connections among military, economic, and cultural forms of progress might help explain the dynamics of historical change.
    The common explanation of these apparent connections in the case of Byzantine would run like this: when the empire had turned back enemy raids on its own territory and had begun to raid and conquer enemy territory, Byzantine resources naturally expanded and more money became available to patronize art and literature. Therefore, Byzantine resources naturally expanded and more money became available to patronize art and literature. Therefore, Byzantine military achievements led to economic advances, which in turn led to cultural revival.
    No doubt this hypothetical pattern did apply at times during the course of the recovery. Yet it is not clear that military advances invariably came first. Economic advances second, and intellectual advances third. In the 860’s the Byzantine Empire began to recover from Arab incursions so that by 872 the military balance with the Abbasid Caliphate had been permanently altered in the empire’s favor. The beginning of the empire’s economic revival, however, can be placed between 810 and 830. Finally, the Byzantine revival of learning appears to have begun even earlier. A number of notable scholars and writers appeared by 788 and, by the last decade of the eighth century, a cultural revival was in full bloom, a revival that lasted until the fall of constantinople in 1453. Thus the commonly expected order of military revival followed by economic and then by cultural recovery was reversed in Byzantium. In fact, the revival of Byzantine learning may itself have influenced the subsequent economic and military expansion.
Which of the following does the author mention as crucial evidence concerning the manner in which the Byzantine revival began?
选项 A、The Byzantine military revival of the 860’s led to economic and cultural advances.
B、The Byzantine cultural revival lasted until 1453.
C、The Byzantine economic recovery began in the 900’s.
D、The revival of Byzantine learning began toward the end of the eighty century.
答案D
解析 A讲的是860年左右拜占庭军事复兴引出经济、文化复兴，和作者态度相反。B讲的是文化复兴延伸至1453年。此点文中有，但文化复兴的截止日期对判断本文作者的论题——三种复兴间谁推动谁的问题没有帮助，与本题题干无关。C讲的是经济复兴在900年左右开始，和原文不符。D讲的是拜占庭文化8世纪末就复兴了。是正确的。作者正是用它来说明拜占庭复兴开始的方式和普遍认为的不同。
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