Decline of the Roman Empire and Rise of New Powers

Flashcards based on lecture notes about the decline of the Roman Empire and the rise of new powers.

Coloni

• People fleeing from cities to the countryside
• Worked for landlords in exchange for protection
• Marked the start of feudalism
• Indicates societal shift and economic changes

Visigoths

• A western Gothic tribe
• Settled in modern-day Spain
• Attacked the Eastern Empire
• Defeated the Huns

Vandals

• A barbaric tribe
• Settled in northern Africa
• Hindered trade in the Western Empire
• Defeated by Belisarius

Stilicho

• A military commander in the Roman army
• Related to Theodosius
• Played a key role in military strategies
• Significant figure in Roman military history

Patriarch of Constantinople

• A powerful position in the Roman Christian faith
• Based in Constantinople
• Conflict with the Pope
• Contributed to the East-West divide

Hagia Sophia

• A church rebuilt under Justinian after the Nika riots
• Considered a significant cultural monument of the Byzantine era
• Symbol of Byzantine architectural achievement
• Embodiment of Byzantine power

Corpus Juris Civilis

• A preserved body of laws collected under Justinian
• Contributed to Roman and Byzantine law
• Influenced southern European countries
• Foundation of legal systems

Belisarius

• Justinian’s main military commander
• Destroyed the Vandal kingdom in Africa
• Later critiqued by Procopius
• Key military figure in Byzantine history

Hippodrome

• A stadium for chariot races
• Site of public entertainment
• Notably involved in the Nika riots
• Center of Byzantine social life

Jacob Bar'adai (Baradaeus)

• A monophysite
• Released from jail
• Influenced the Armenian church
• Contributed to the rise of the monophysite hierarchy

Council of Chalcedon/Chalcedonian

• A council in 451
• Affirmed orthodoxy
• Led to a split between western and southeastern churches/faiths
• Significant event in Christian history

Coptic

• A language blending Egyptian, Greek, and other influences
• Used by the church in the east
• Fostering local identities
• Linguistic marker of cultural identity

Justinianic plague

• An outbreak of the Bubonic plague from 541-544
• Killed a large portion of Constantinople's population
• Weakening trade
• Weakened military strength

Incense Road

• A trade route from Arabia
• Provided luxuries like frankincense
• Held significant religious value in the Eastern Empire
• Held significant economic value in the Eastern Empire

Armenia

• A region predominantly with heretic beliefs
• Saw the eventual rise of Armenian Christianity
• Cultural and religious transformation
• Transition from heresy to Christianity

Hephthalites

• Nomadic people
• Also known as White Huns
• Interacted with the Sasanian Empire
• Controlled the Silk Road

Final Byzantine-Sasanian War

• The most devastating of all Byzantine-Sasanian wars
• Occurred from 602-628
• Caused widespread destruction
• Profound impact on both empires

Ghassanids & Lahmids

• Two Arab empires
• The Ghassanids fought for the Byzantines
• Persian distrust of the Lahmids
• Influenced the Second Byzantine-Sasanian War

Islamicate

• The political empire shaped by Islam
• Differentiating it from the Muslim religion itself
• Contributed to conquering lands like Palestine
• Contributed to conquering lands like Egypt

Umayyad Caliphate

• A major Islamic caliphate (661-749)
• Favored Arabs
• Refounded Egypt as an Arab community
• Faced challenges due to increasing converts

Jizya

• A tax imposed on free non-Muslims in Muslim communities
• Contributed to tensions in regions like the Umayyad Caliphate
• Financial burden on non-Muslims
• Source of social discord

Hunayn ibn Ishaq

• A Nestorian scholar
• Paid by the caliphate to translate and add to medical documents
• Contributed to technological advancement in western Asia
• Key figure in scientific progress

Clovis

• King of the Franks (482-511)
• Founded the Merovingian dynasty
• Conversion to Roman Orthodoxy increased his popularity among landowning Franks
• Significant event in Frankish history

Clotilda

• Daughter of the king of Burgundy
• Married Clovis
• Played a role in his conversion
• Increased his appeal

Merovingian

• The kingdom ruled by Clovis
• Divided among his sons
• Led to unrest
• Diminishing royal power

Lombards

• The last Germanic group to invade the Roman Empire
• Established a culturally diverse kingdom in Northern Italy
• Faced communication issues
• Complex societal interaction

Anglo-Saxons

• Inhabitants of the British Isles during the Roman Empire
• Known for reverting to native culture and religion
• Developed the Anglo-Saxon language
• Cultural and linguistic transformation

King Aethelberht of Kent

• Converted to Roman Christianity through his marriage to Bertha and the influence of St. Augustine
• Leading other barbarian