HIST 100 Exam 2 Key Terms

Colorado State University Western Civilizations Pre-modern Exam 2 KeyTerms

Constantine

The Roman emperor who legalized Christianity and founded a new capital at Constantinople. He was the first Christian emperor

Tetrarchy

Diocletian’s system of rule by four emperors to make governing the huge empire easier

Arianism

A Christian belief that denied Jesus was fully divine; declared a heresy by the Church

Heresy

A belief that goes against the official teachings of the Church

Vandals

A Germanic tribe that invaded and looted parts of the Roman Empire, including Rome itself in 455 CE

Goths

Germanic tribes (Visigoths and Ostrogoths) that fought Rome; the Visigoths famously sacked Rome in 410 CE

East vs West

The division of the Roman Empire into an Eastern (Greek-speaking) and Western (Latin-speaking) half; the East became the Byzantine Empire

Crisis of the Third Century

A period (200s CE) of chaos with civil wars, invasions, economic trouble, and many short-lived emperors

Diocletian

The emperor who restored order after the crisis, strengthened the government, and started the Tetrarchy

Germanic tribes

Groups like the Goths, Vandals, and Franks who lived north of Rome and later invaded its territory

“Fall of Rome”

The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, when the last emperor was overthrown by Germanic forces

Three heirs of rome

The three civilizations that carried on parts of Roman culture after its fall: the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic Empire, and the Germanic/Frankish Kingdoms in the Latin West

Byzantine

The eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived for nearly 1,000 years, centered in Constantinople

Justinian

A Byzantine emperor who created a famous law code, rebuilt Constantinople, and built the Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

A massive church in Constantinople built by Justinian, famous for its huge dome

Monasticism

The practice of living a religious life apart from the world in monasteries (monks and nuns)

Iconoclasm

The movement in the Byzantine Empire that opposed the use of religious images (icons) in worship

Islam

A monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Muhammad in the 600s CE

Ka’ba

A sacred shrine in Mecca that Muslims face during prayer

Qur’an

The holy book of Islam, believed to be the word of God revealed to Muhammad

Islamic math and medicine

Fields in which Islamic scholars made major advances during the Middle Ages (like algebra and medical encyclopedias)

Caliph

A political and religious leader of the Islamic community after Muhammad’s death

Muhammed

The founder and prophet of Islam, who taught belief in one God (Allah)

Germanic Kingdoms

The new kingdoms (like the Franks and Visigoths) that formed in Western Europe after Rome’s fall

Wergeld

In Germanic law, a “man price” or fine paid to the family of someone who was injured or killed

Clovis

The first king of the Franks to unite his people and convert to Christianity

Charlemagne

King of the Franks who expanded his empire and was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” in 800 CE

Vinland

The area of North America briefly settled by Vikings, probably in Newfoundland, Canada

Frankish Kingdoms

The lands ruled by the Franks in Western Europe, which became the base for modern France and Germany

Carolingian Renaissance

A revival of learning and culture during Charlemagne’s rule

Vikings

Seafaring raiders and traders from Scandinavia who attacked and settled parts of Europe from the 700s to 1000s CE

Magna Carta

A document signed in 1215 that limited the English king’s power and gave nobles certain rights; the start of constitutional government

Gothic

A style of architecture with tall spires, large stained-glass windows, and pointed arches (seen in cathedrals)

Chivalry

The code of honor and behavior for knights, emphasizing bravery, loyalty, and respect

Guilds

Groups of workers or craftsmen who set rules for their trade, trained apprentices, and protected members’ interests

Vassal

A noble who received land (a fief) from a lord in exchange for loyalty and military service

Serfs

Peasants who worked the land for their lords and were bound to the estate

Fief

A piece of land given to a vassal by a lord under the feudal system

Three field system

A farming method where land was divided into three parts: one for wheat, one for barley or beans, and one left fallow (resting), to increase food production

Feudalism

The political and social system where lords gave land to vassals in exchange for loyalty and service

Charles Martel

A Frankish leader who stopped the Muslim advance into Europe at the Battle of Tours in 732

Reconquista

The long effort by Christian kingdoms to drive Muslims out of Spain, ending in 1492

Universities

Centers of learning that grew in medieval cities, teaching subjects like law, medicine, and theology

Crusades

Religious wars launched by Christians to take back the Holy Land from Muslim control

Hastings

The 1066 battle where William of Normandy defeated the Anglo-Saxons and became king of England

William the Conqueror

The Norman duke who won the Battle of Hastings and became king of England

Monarchies

Governments ruled by kings or queens; many gained more power in the later Middle Ages

Religious reform

Efforts to fix corruption and restore discipline in the Church (like the Cluniac Reforms)

Scholasticism

A method of learning that used reason and logic to explain Christian faith, led by thinkers like Thomas Aquinas

Pogroms

Violent attacks or massacres against Jewish communities, especially during times of crisis

Joan of Arc

A French peasant girl who claimed God told her to help France win the Hundred Years’ War; she led troops to victory but was later executed

Great Schism

The split in the Catholic Church (1378–1417) when there were two or even three popes claiming power at the same time

Flagellant movement

Groups of people who whipped themselves as punishment for sin, believing it would stop the Black Death

100 Years’ War

A long conflict (1337–1453) between England and France over land and royal claims

Black Death - Causes and Cures

A deadly plague (1347–1351) caused by bacteria spread by fleas on rats; people didn’t know the cause and tried cures like bloodletting or prayer

Mongols

A nomadic people from Central Asia who built a huge empire under Genghis Khan; they connected Europe and Asia through trade and conquest

Babylonian Captivity

The period (1309–1377) when the popes lived in Avignon, France instead of Rome, which weakened the Church’s authority

The Prince

A political book by Machiavelli that explained how rulers could gain and keep power, even through tough or dishonest actions

Guttenberg

The inventor of the printing press in Europe (around 1450), which made books cheaper and ideas spread faster

Leonardo da Vinci

A Renaissance artist, inventor, and scientist known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper

Michelangelo

A great Renaissance sculptor and painter known for the David statue and the Sistine Chapel ceiling

Classicism

A renewed interest in the art, literature, and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome

Humanism

A movement that focused on human potential, achievements, and the study of subjects like history, literature, and philosophy

Modern State-craft

The new ways of governing and using political power that developed during the Renaissance (focused on strategy and efficiency, not just religion)

Printing Press

The machine invented by Gutenberg that used movable type to mass-produce books, spreading knowledge quickly

European Monarchy

Kings and queens in Renaissance Europe who began to centralize power and build strong nations (like Spain, France, and England)

Machiavelli

The author of The Prince; often seen as the “father of modern political thought”

Art

During the Renaissance, art became more realistic, used perspective, and celebrated both religion and human beauty

Pluralism

When one church official held more than one position at the same time, often leading to corruption

Confession

A Catholic sacrament where people admit their sins to a priest to receive forgiveness

Sacraments

Sacred religious rituals in Christianity (like baptism, communion, and confession)

95 Theses

The list of arguments written by Martin Luther in 1517 criticizing Church abuses, especially the sale of indulgences

Predestination

The belief (taught by John Calvin) that God has already chosen who will be saved or condemned

Martin Luther

A German monk who began the Protestant Reformation by challenging Church teachings and practices

John Calvin

A reformer from Switzerland who emphasized predestination and strict moral living

Religious Climate

The general attitude or mood toward religion during the Reformation—questioning Church authority and seeking reform

Indulgences

Certificates sold by the Church that claimed to reduce punishment for sins

Henry VIII

The English king who broke from the Catholic Church and started the Church of England so he could have more control and remarry

Absenteeism

When church officials neglected their duties or were often absent from their assigned positions

Spanish Inquisition

A Church court set up in Spain to find and punish people accused of heresy or not following Catholic beliefs

Protestants

Christians who broke away from the Catholic Church during the Reformation to follow new interpretations of Christianity

Triangular trade

A trade system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas: goods went from Europe to Africa, enslaved people from Africa to the Americas, and raw materials back to Europe

Middle passage

The brutal sea journey that enslaved Africans were forced to take from Africa to the Americas

Caravel

A small, fast sailing ship used by Europeans during exploration, especially by the Portuguese and Spanish

Columbus

An Italian explorer sailing for Spain who reached the Americas in 1492 while trying to find a new route to Asia

Aztecs

A powerful Native American civilization in Mexico, conquered by Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s

Incas

A large Native American empire in the Andes Mountains (South America), conquered by Francisco Pizarro

Hernán Cortéz

The Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztec Empire

Colombian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (Americas) after Columbus’s voyages

Pizarro

The Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru

Galileo

An Italian scientist who used telescopes to study space and supported the idea that the Earth moves around the Sun

Copernicus

A Polish astronomer who first proposed that the Sun (not the Earth) is the center of the solar system

Newton

An English scientist who discovered the laws of motion and gravity, helping to explain how the universe works

Slavery

The forced labor system where people were treated as property, especially connected to the Atlantic slave trade during this time