Middle Ages of Europe Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards for Middle Ages of Europe review.

Medieval Europe or Middle Ages

The period of European history between the collapse of Rome and the Renaissance, lasting roughly from 500 CE to 1450 CE.

Feudalism

A political and social system in which lords gave land to vassals in exchange for service and loyalty.

Manor

The estate of a feudal lord, usually including a fortified building or castle.

Lords

A powerful landholding noble.

Vassals

A lesser noble who received land and protection from a lord in return for loyalty.

Knight

A man who fights on horseback.

Oath of Loyalty

A pledge or promise of support or allegiance.

Fief

A feudal estate or piece of land belonging to a vassal.

Chivalry

A code of conduct for medieval knights, focusing on bravery, honor, and respect towards women and the weak.

Serf

A member of the peasant class who works for a lord and is tied to the land in exchange for protection and certain rights.

Diocletian

Split the Roman empire into two, the West and the East, because he realized it was too large to govern effectively.

Constantine

Moved the capital from the failing Rome to Byzantium, eventually renaming it Constantinople.

Constantinople

The name of the city Constantine moved the capital to and renamed.

Istanbul

The modern-day name for Constantinople.

Turkey

A country that contains Istanbul.

Crossroads for trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe

A geographic and economic advantage of Constantinople.

Natural barriers and the Black Sea

The barriers protecting Constantinople from attack.

Byzantine Empire

The name of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire.

Location on a peninsula, protected by water on three sides

The feature that made Constantinople easy to defend.

Justinian I

The ruler of the Byzantine Empire for over 35 years, who controlled the military, made legal decisions, launched beautification programs, and built schools and hospitals.

Hagia Sophia

One of the most famous churches built by Justinian I, meaning 'Holy Wisdom'.

Justinian Code

The organized laws of ancient Rome created by Justinian I that serves as the basis for the legal systems of almost every country in the Western world.

Theodora

Justinian I's wife, who participated in government and helped women get more legal rights.

Feudalism

A political and social system of the Middle Ages in Europe in which lords gave land to vassals in exchange for service and loyalty.

Lords

Landholding nobles or lords.

Fiefs

Pieces of land given by lords to lesser nobles.

Vassals

Lesser nobles who received land from lords.

Military service and protection

The service that vassals owed to their lord in return for land.

Peasants or serfs

People who took care of the land and performed backbreaking tasks around the manor in return for protection.

Hundred Years' War

The series of conflicts fought between England and France between 1337 and 1453.

Gunpowder

A weapon used to create cannons, which helped England become successful in the war.

Joan of Arc

She led an attack against the English army at Orleans and freed the city.

Hundred Years' War

The event which secured the French control of their land again.

Sense of nationalism grew in France

One of the effects of the Hundred Years' War.

Crusades

The religious wars fought to control the Holy Land.

Jews

The religion that both the Muslim Turks and Christians followed.

Pope

Leader of Church.

European soldiers

They traveled 3,000 miles but were not prepared during the Crusades.

Saladin

He was a Muslim political and military leader who unified the Muslims throughout the East.

Third Crusade

The Crusade of the King.