Topic 8 Vocab Review

Medieval Europe

The former Eastern Roman Empire, with their capital city at Constantinople; promoted a brilliant civilization, blending ancient Greek, Roman, and Christian traditions with Mediterranean customs

Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Emperor known for his written law code and the building of the Hagia Sophia

Justinian

Simplified & organized the previous Roman law system, helping to unify the Byzantine Empire (another example of codified law)

Justinian's Code

Capital city of the Byzantine Empire, named for the Roman emperor who founded it

Constantinople

Immense, arching, ornate, domed church in Constantinople; Justinian had it rebuilt following its destruction in 532

The Hagia Sophia

Refers to the time between the ancient and modern worlds; was a harsh & difficult time for the people of Europe, as the continent adjusted from the disorder and loss of Roman rule

Medieval

A social/political system that existed in Europe during the Middle Ages, in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and the use of land in return.

Feudalism

The economic system in Medieval Europe. Rural society was arranged around a manor house/castle on an estate. Within the estates, serfs worked the land in return for protection and the right to work a separate piece of land for their own basic needs.

Manorialism

The grandson of Charles Martel; built an empire covering France, Germany, and part of Italy; the Pope named him "Emperor of the Romans", placing a crown on his head on Christmas Day in 800.

Charlemagne

The emergence (during the medieval period) of new techniques for farming, such as the iron plow, a plow harness for horses, and the development of the three-field system.

Agricultural Revolution

The emergence (during the medieval period) of new ways of doing business, including banking, business partnerships, insurance, and new ways of handling money.

Commercial Revolution

Generally merchants, traders, and artisans - a new social status between nobles and peasants

Middle Class

Associations representing workers in one occupation, who made rules to protect product quality, set work hours, and set fair prices.

Guilds

At age 7 or 8, a child would become this, a trainee to a guild master, spending 7 years learning the trade

Apprentice

Paid workers who had completed an apprenticeship, and could now earn income from their trade on their own

Journeymen

An independent political unit that has a single government and usually shares a common culture and history.

Nation-State

Also known as the "Great Charter"; a landmark document signed by King John of England which set limits on the power of the monarchy

The Magna Carta

The sacred rites of the Church

The Sacraments

Non-religious

Secular

The idea that the Pope could claim authority over secular rulers, in addition to ruling over the Papal States

Papal Supremacy

A penalty for breaking Church law; being cut off from the Church and all sacraments

Excommunication

If a noble opposed the Church, they could face this, which would ban everyone in their lands from the Church.

Interdict

A wealthy Italian who gave up his wealth to preach and do good works; founded the Franciscan order of Friars.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Prejudice against Jews

Antisemitism

A permanent split between eastern and western Christianity; The Byzantine Church becomes the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the western Church becomes the Roman Catholic Church

The Great Schism

A series of 9 (mostly unsuccessful) religious wars launched by the Roman Catholic Church over 200 years, with the goal of recapturing the Holy Land from the Seljuk Turks.

The Crusades

The area of land surrounding and including the city of Jerusalem.

The Holy Land

Medieval approach to learning - stated that reason, logic and faith can exist together, and that reason and logic will eventually lead to the same truth as faith - that God rules over an orderly universe. Followers believed that learning is done to lead one to greater understandings about God.

Scholasticism

Early medieval architecture known for solid stone buildings with Roman influences, a "fortress" look, with few, tiny windows that made the interior dark and dimly lit.

Romanesque

Medieval architecture known for flying buttresses, high, thin walls, stained glass, and allowing in lots of light.

Gothic

The medieval practice of decorating/enhancing texts with painted decoration or illustrations, sometimes in gold or silver

Illumination

Another name for the Bubonic Plague, which swept through Europe around 1350.

The Black Death

Famous medieval Scholastic scholar who wrote "Summa Theologica" - stated that faith and reason exist in harmony because both lead to the truth that God rules over an orderly universe.

Thomas Aquinas

Medieval author of The Divine Comedy - the story of a soul's journey through hell, purgatory, and into heaven.

Dante Alighieri

Medieval author of the Canterbury Tales - a collection of the stories told by a varied group of religious pilgrims on their way to the shrine at Canterbury.

Geoffrey Chaucer