Middle Ages

Roman Catholic Church

Western church under the supreme authority of the pope

Pope

Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church

Odoacer

Barbarian that sacks Rome, sets up kingdom of Italy, makes himself king, acting on behalf of Roman Senate

Middle Ages/Medieval Period

Period of European History, from roughly 500CE-1500CE between fall of Roman Empire and the beginning of the Modern period

Legitimacy

The recognition of the authority or right of a person to rule or lead from the perspective of those being led or ruled

Traditional Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on tradition such as family relations, religious obligations, hereditary rule, etc

Charismatic Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on devotion to a leader based on their characteristics

Legal/Rational Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on established set of rules and procedures for who is in authority and how they can exercise that power

Estate System

A system of complicated social stratification in Europe during the Middle Ages that divided societies into several hierarchical groupings

First Estate

Clergy or officials of the Roman Catholic Church

First Estate Examples

Pope, cardinals, (arch)bishops, priests, monks, nuns

Second Estate

Nobility of privileged title-holding class

Second Estate Examples

Princes, lords, knights, princesses, ladies, dames

Third Estate

Commoners

Third Estate Examples

Peasants, merchants, artisans, serfs, slaves

Serfs

Peasants legally required to work a certain plot of land for landlord

Feudalism

Complicated arrangement of overlapping political power and responsibility between lords and vassals based on the granting of fiefs

Fiefs

Rights to use and rule a portion of land, usually hereditary

Lords

Royalty/nobles/clergy who controlled a territory and granted fiefs to others who rank lower on the social stratification scale

Vassals

Nobles who owed their fiefs and their allegiance to a higher-ranking lord