Plotinus:

see Chapter II, page 56, 72, 82, Chapter III, page 111

 

Marcus Aurelius:

(121-180 AD) Roman emperor (161 to 180 AD) ruled with his adoptive brother, Lucius Verus, until Verus' death in 169, then with his son, Commodus, from 177.  Known as "The Philosopher", a Stoic, wrote Meditations (personal philosophical writing), a work considered a monumental achievement.  Under him the Empire defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire in the East, sacking the Parthian capital Ctesiphon in 164.  In central Europe he successfully fought the Marcomanni, Quadi & Sarmatiansin in the Marcomannic Wars, although the Germanic threat continued.  A revolt in the East was instantly crushed.  Persecution of Christians increased.  His death (180 AD) marks the end of the Pax Romana.  Growing instability would eventually lead to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

 

Isis:

see Chapter III, page 108, Chapter IV page 137,

 

Mithras:

Chapter III page 108

 

Sun god:

Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun") was the official sun god of the late Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers.  On 25 December 274 AD the Roman emperor Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults.  Sol Invictus was favored by emperors after Aurelian and appeared on their coins until Constantine I. The last inscription referring to Sol Invictus dates to AD 387 however as late as the 5th century Augustine preached against the cult suggesting it still attracted adherents.

 

Diophantine mathematics:

Chapter 2, page 63, page 71

 

eastern marches (of Roman Empire):

see page 208 above

 

points d’appui:

French for fulcrum, in military theory, location where troops are assembled prior to a battle; often a monument is erected to commemorate the point d'appui for notable battles; in some battles there may be more than a single point d'appui.

 

“emancipation of Magian mankind”: * see Endnote <A>  MAP

Spengler is referring to the period of rapid Islamic conquest following Mohamed’s death in 632 AD.

In 634 the Byzantines to send a major expedition into southern Palestine following repeated Arab-Muslim raid.  These forces were defeated by the Arabs under command of Khalid ibn al-Walid at the Battle of Ajnadayn.  Islamic armies proceeded to march west to Egypt, the Maghreb and then into Spain.  However this western march ended in 732 AD.  At the battle of Tours (in the Aquitaine) Frankish and Burgundian forces under Charles Martel defeated the Umayyad Caliphate army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Governor-General of al-Andalus.

 

Crusaders (before Jerusalem):

The First Crusade (1095–1099) was the first of several crusades that attempted to recapture the Holy Land; called for by Pope Urban II (Council of Clermont, 1095), he called for a military aid for the Byzantine Empire, which had recently lost most of Anatolia to the Seljuq Turks.  The resulting military expedition of primarily Frankish nobles, known as the Princes' Crusade, re-captured Anatolia & went on to conquer the Holy Land which had fallen to Islamic expansion in the 7th century.  In July 1099 Jerusalem was taken and the Kingdom of Jerusalem was established

 

Hohenstaufen in Sicily:

see page 211

 

Hansa in Baltic: * see Endnote<B>

Hansa is the Old High German word for a convoy, applied to bands of merchants traveling between the Hanseatic cities whether by land or by sea.  The Hanseatic League was a commercial & defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in NW & Central Europe.  It was created to protect the guilds' economic interests & diplomatic privileges in the affiliated cities and countries and along the trade routes they used.  The cities had their own legal system and furnished their own armies for mutual protection & aid.  It was neither a state nor a confederation & only a few member cities enjoyed autonomy & liberties comparable to a free imperial city.  Growing from a few North German towns in the late 1100s it came to dominate Baltic maritime trade for 3 centuries along the coast of Northern Europe, from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland during the Late Middle Ages.  It declined slowly after 1450.

​

Teutonic knights in Slavonic East: * see Endnote<C>

Catholic religious order founded as a military order, 1190 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem; formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land & establish hospitals, its members make up a  small voluntary & mercenary military force.  Active in the Holy land & the Baltics in the Middle Ages.

 

Spanish in America:* see Endnote<D>

Under the Crown of Castile, Spain expanded into the Americas, eventually controlling much of the 2 continents.  The crown, motivated by trade and the spread of the Catholic faith, created civil & religious structures to administer the region.  Beginning in 1492 with Columbus in the Caribbean, the empire would control for over 3 centuries vast territories, much of the Caribbean, half of South America, most of Central America & much of N America (including Mexico, Florida and the SW and Pacific Coast of the US).  Between 1482-1832 some 1.86 million Spaniards settled in the Americas and a further 3.5 million immigrated after 1850.

 

Portuguese in E. Indies:

Portuguese expertise in navigation, shipbuilding & weaponry allowed them to make daring expeditions of exploration and expansion.  They were the first Europeans to establish a colonial presence in the East Indies (1512).  Through the Portuguese East India Company they aimed to dominate the source of the lucrative spice trade in the early 16th century.  At the same they promoted Roman Catholic missionary efforts.  They established a network of trading posts and forts. Initial attempts to establish a coalition & peace treaty in 1522 in West Java failed due hostilities among indigenous kingdoms on Java.  They then turned east to the Moluccas, a fragmented & divided collection of principalities.  Through military conquest & local alliances they established trading posts, forts & missions in the Spice Islands.  The height of Portuguese missionary activities,  came at the latter half of the 16th century.  The Jesuit Francisco Xavier supported and visited the Portuguese mission, the first Catholic mission in the Moluccas (1534). However Portugese ambitions were never fully realized.  In 1575 Portuguese forces were defeated by indigenous Indonesians, reducing their holdings to Timor.  Dutch conquests further eroded their foothold here.

 

Empire of Charles V: * see Endnote <E>

see Chapter IV, page 148

 

English colonial empire (under Cromwell):

see Chapter IV, page 149

 

Egyptian Culture:

Spengler dates this Culture from 2400 BC to 1200 BC; it has no antecedents.

 

Mexican Culture:

Spengler dates the Mexican Culture/Civilization to 200 AD to 1500 AD; it has no antecedents.

 

Chinese Culture:

Spengler dates the Chinese Culture/Civilization 1300 BC to 220 BC; it has no antecedents.

 

Byzantine cathedral (Arabian v Nordic feeling):

San Marco, Venice, Byzantine-style church dated from the 11th-century decorated over centuries but maintained its centrally planned Byzantine form.  It has a Greek Cross plan, a large dome being surrounded by four smaller ones.  Its decoration, both inside & out, is typically Byzantine, in its lavish use of mosaics and polychrome marble veneers.  The lavish use of gold in the interior and the use of a background of gold glass tesserae, creates the shimmering overall effect, a very Byzantine feel.  Yet at the same time the church has a strong Faustian feeling for space with an inner vertical height of 28.15 at its highest dome.  While it is not close to matching the verticality of Beauvais Cathedral, it does have a higher vertical dome then the inner naves of Canterbury, Salisbury or Lincoln cathedrals (24, 25 & 25.5 respectively).  Indeed it was so expansive it inspired a specific Venetian music.  The style (Venetian polychoral) arose from the architectural peculiarities of the cathedral.  Aware of the sound delay caused by the distance between opposing choir lofts, composers began to take advantage of it as a useful special effect.

 

facades Burgundian & Provencal cathedrals (Arabian v Nordic feeling): * see Endnote<F>

The Benedictine abbey church Vezelay, Burgundy with its complicated program of imagery in sculpted capitals and portals, is one of the outstanding masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture.

The Church of St. Trophime, Arles, Provence, late 11th century; former cathedral built in the Romanesque architectural tradition.

 

Strasberg Minster (elements of Arabian v Nordic feeling): * see Endnote<G>

Strasbourg Minster, Strasbourg, Alsace, France. combines Romanesque with late, Gothic architecture.  Construction of the cathedral took place over several centuries (1176–1439).  Construction began with the choir and the north transept in a Romanesque style; in 1225, a team coming from Chartres revolutionized the construction by suggesting a Gothic architecture style.  Its west façade is famous for its programme of sculpture.  The building also has a strong sense of verticality; at 142 metres (466 feet), it was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874.  Spengler would contrast the façade geometric design (Magian) with its verticality & the use of the beautiful Rose wndow, both aspects he attributes to Faustian Soul.

 

scholastic philosophy (Arabian v Nordic prime feeling):

Scholasticism is a method of learning, as it places a strong emphasis on dialectical reasoning to extend knowledge by inference and to resolve contradictions.  It often takes the form of explicit disputation: a topic drawn from the tradition is broached in the form of a question, opponents' responses are given, a counterproposal is argued and opponents' arguments rebutted.  Scholastic thought is also known for rigorous conceptual analysis and the careful drawing of distinctions. Because of its emphasis on rigorous dialectical method, scholasticism was eventually applied to many other fields of study.  It began as an attempt by Christian thinkers to harmonize the differing Christian authorities & reconcile Christian theology with classical & late antiquity philosophy, notably Aristotle & Neoplatonism.  Summa Theologica (1265-74) by Thomas Aquinas's is considered the pinnacle of scholastic.  Adelard of Bath (12th century) is a notable scholastic who had contact with Arab culture in Spain, West Asia, Sicily, Tarsus, Antioch & Palestine.  He was responsible for many translation of Arabic work into Latin and was especially interested in mathematics & astronomy.

 

Grail legend (Arabian v Nordic prime feeling):

see above page 186

 

Viking Gothic (dominate Gothic feeling):

The initial impact of the Vikings was destructive.  Their raids swept across England, the French coast, Spain & through Gibraltar into the Mediterranean looting & burning.  In France they not only raided the coasts (799) but also penetrated the Loire & Seine; in 845 they sacked Paris.  Neither Charles the Bald or Charles the Simple were able to prevent these incursions.  Instead they offered vast payments of silver and gold.  This tactic failed as well.  The Duchy of Normandy was created for the Viking leader Rollo after he had besieged Paris.  In 911 Rollo entered vassalage to the king of the West Franks Charles the Simple; he became the first Norman Count of Rouen.  He adopted the local language & was baptised.  Viking cultural is credited with wide impact on French culture.  The Normans were the direct descendants of the initial Viking settlers.  In turn the Normans were fundamental for the development of Gothic art & architecture.  For instance the technique used for centring the Gothic rib is directly borrowed from Viking boat building techniques.  They are also credited with the ribbed vault which emerged late in the Romanesque period & which would be a seminal component for Gothic architecture.

 

Magdeburg Cathedral (dominate Gothic feeling):

see above page 205

 

Freiberg Cathedral (dominate Gothic feeling): * see Endnote <H>

Mary's Cathedral, Saxony, Late Gothic church; founded 12th Century (Romanesque basilica), becoming a cathedral 1480.  This church burned down 1484 & was rebuilt in late Gothic style (1484-1501) creating the structure that exists today.  The church is famous for its Silbermann organ, the largest surviving organ of his.  It has three manuals plus pedal, 44 stops, 2,674 speaking pipes (including 113 wooden pipes) & 50 dummy pipes. The organ was built in 1714 and modified by Silbermann in 1738.

 

Meister Eckhart mysticism (dominate Gothic feeling):

see above page 192

​

pointed arch: * see Endnote<I>

-the architectural symbol of the Faustian European Culture/Civilization

​

horseshoe arch: * see Endnote <J>

the architectural symbol of the Magian Byzantine/Arab Culture/Civilization

 

Doric spring (period):

Spengler’s reference to the Apollonian Springtime, first phase of the Culture period (1100-650 BC)

 

Doric (use of Egyptian elements):

in the 7th century the Greek city Naucratis was founded in Egypt, located on the Nile river, 45 mi from the coast.  It was the first & only permanent Greek colony in Egypt & served as a nexus for the interchange of Greek & Egyptian culture.  At the same time, the city of Heracleion, closer to the coast, became an important port for Greek trade.  From 650 BC Greek mercenary armies played an important role in some of the Egyptian wars.  Prior to their commercial contact with Egypt the Greeks employed wood for their temples and sculpture was very small scale (miniatures).  In Egypt they would have seen free-standing sculpture made in stone, monumental stone temples and they may have absorbed aspects of Egyptian astronomy & mathematics.  Herodotus, for example, attributes the basis of Greek religion and many domestic arts to Egypt,