What did people know in the 5th century?

What knowledge did, let's say a blacksmith in Tolosa or a farmer near Mediolanum, have about the past? Did they know who Gaius Julius Ceasar, Kleopatra, Nero, Marc Aurel, Romulus or Alexander the Great were? I am talking here about the mid 5th century before the fall of the Western Empire.

Was their knowledge like,
A) G. J. Caesar was a dictator of the Roman State and got killed by Senators. He had a love affair with the Queen of Egypt and his adoptive son was the first Augustus of Rome.
B) Caesar was a mighty politician who was murdered and had a affair with an exotic queen. His son became Emperor.
C) Caesar was killed and then his son became emperor.
D) Emperor Gaius Julius was a guy who died.
E) Who?
 
I have no idea how to answer the question itself, but I think they would see the conquest of Gaul as more important than his affair with Cleopatra.

They'd have to know that he existed, because of the importance of the title Caesar.
 
I have no idea how to answer the question itself, but I think they would see the conquest of Gaul as more important than his affair with Cleopatra.

They'd have to know that he existed, because of the importance of the title Caesar.
That with Gaul and Kleopatra is true, I guess ;)

About the name and title I wonder, would they maybe think he was an emperor or prince? The title Caesar can mean both and they maybe would not get that he was THE Caesar but just A caesar, like all rulers of Rome.
 

libbrit

Banned
The average peasant by the 5th century, when the empire was in terminal decline was probably illiterate and knew only what he heard of the `old tales` via word of mouth in the local tavern. Chinese whispers type stuff probably seriously reduced the reliability of said tales

The only reason its known today is because the ruling elites were literate and had books that survived the dark ages (often in the libraries of arabia) long enough to be re discovered during the renaissance.
 
Not to mention the eastern half of the empire, which had both more literate people and more libraries.
 
The average peasant by the 5th century, when the empire was in terminal decline was probably illiterate and knew only what he heard of the `old tales` via word of mouth in the local tavern. Chinese whispers type stuff probably seriously reduced the reliability of said tales

The only reason its known today is because the ruling elites were literate and had books that survived the dark ages (often in the libraries of arabia) long enough to be re discovered during the renaissance.

"Son never forget your ancestors were great men before we were robbed. Remember Markus who saved the Great Ceaser and was his chief lieutenant"

Several centuries earlier.

Ceaser "Get this drunken recruit out of here and flogg him sober. Whats his name anyway Optico"

Optico "Markus sir. Given a choice of the Army or the Mines".
 
Somewhere near B about Caesar may be possible, though fantasy would fill the holes. Don't forget he wasn't mentioned in book, he was also divinized by the pagans and mentioned in the Christian Scripture. However, I think would be considered the first Emperor himself, that was a rather common conception in the Middle Ages (after all, the word for "Emperor" in German and Arabic comes from HIS name, not his nephew's).
Alexander is another matter. There was a lot of legendary material about him, probably much transmitted orally, though of course more of it in the East.
However, whatever historical account may have been around among illiterate peasants, I suppose that, for a comparison, you could take the average Westerner's idea of Harun al-Rashid's reign based on the "Aladdin" Disney movie or maybe a couple abridged tales from the Arabian Nights.
 
Well, consider a more modern context :

Ask a random selection of people in New York what they know of the Emperor Charles V . I'm picking the most common answer will be 'D'. (OK, Europeans _might_ know a bit more. )
 
What knowledge did, let's say a blacksmith in Tolosa or a farmer near Mediolanum, have about the past? Did they know who Gaius Julius Ceasar, Kleopatra, Nero, Marc Aurel, Romulus or Alexander the Great were? I am talking here about the mid 5th century before the fall of the Western Empire.

Was their knowledge like,
A) G. J. Caesar was a dictator of the Roman State and got killed by Senators. He had a love affair with the Queen of Egypt and his adoptive son was the first Augustus of Rome.
B) Caesar was a mighty politician who was murdered and had a affair with an exotic queen. His son became Emperor.
C) Caesar was killed and then his son became emperor.
D) Emperor Gaius Julius was a guy who died.
E) Who?

Elites would have a knowledge around A and B. You had a revival of old roman historiography in these times. Historia Augusta, Zosimus, etc.

Urban and romanized population between B and D.

Rural population, less romanized (or almost not in some places) between C and E, more close to D-E.

The same deal for the rest of High Middle Ages, more or less, if we keep saying it's for southern Gaul and Italy. Outside,in less roman lands, you lower a bit

Now, as other said, names as Caesar, Nero, Alexander the Great could be quite known, but with some "new" historiographies, fantaisies. But the general trend was basically the same.
 
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