Early Medieval Europe and the Carolingian

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Early Medieval Europe lecture.

Cyrillic Alphabet

The alphabet created by St. Cyril for Slavic languages, still used today.

Major Domus

The mayor of the palace who held the real power in the Merovingian kingdom.

Donation of Pepin

The land in central Italy given by Pepin to the Pope, which became the Papal States.

Carolingian Dynasty

A dynasty of Frankish rulers that started with Pepin the Short.

Temporal

Relating to worldly or political power, as opposed to spiritual or religious power.

County

A district within the empire governed by a count.

Count

An official appointed by Charlemagne to rule a county and collect taxes.

March

A fortified border district created to protect the empire from invasions.

Carolingian Renaissance

A revival of learning and culture under Charlemagne.

Abbot

The head of a monastery.

Scriptorium

A room in a monastery where monks copied books by hand.

Minuscule

A clear, standardized script with lowercase letters developed by Carolingian monks.

Margrave

A military official appointed to govern and defend a march.

Missi Dominici

Envoys of the lord sent by Charlemagne to check on the counts and ensure justice.

Capitulary

A royal decree or law written in chapters.

Treaty of Verdun

The 843 agreement that split the empire into 3 parts for Charlemagne's grandsons.

Canon Law

The law of the Christian church.

Pepin the Short

The first Carolingian King, anointed by the Pope after removing the last Merovingian king.

Charlemagne

The greatest Carolingian ruler, crowned 'Emperor of the Romans' in 800; unified much of Western Europe.

Einhard

A scholar and friend of Charlemagne who wrote a detailed biography of the Emperor.

Alcuin

An English scholar who Charlemagne placed in charge of the palace school to lead the Carolingian Renaissance.

Leo III

The Pope who crowned Charlemagne as emperor on Christmas Day in 800..

Louis the Pious

Charlemagne's only surviving son, a well-meaning but weak ruler.

Vikings

Norsemen from Scandinavia who raided and eventually settled in many parts of Europe and North America.

Leif Ericson

A Viking explorer who discovered land called 'Vinland' in present-day Newfoundland around the year 1000.

Saracens

Muslim raiders from North Africa who attacked Southern Europe, Italy, and Mediterranean islands during the 9^{th} century.

Magyars

Asiatic nomads who raided Western Europe before settling in the Danube valley.

Cyril

A Byzantine missionary who converted the Slavs and created the Cyrillic alphabet.

Methodius

The brother of Cyril and a Byzantine missionary who helped spread Christianity in Eastern Europe.

Vladimir of Kiev

The Russian ruler who converted to Orthodox Christianity in 988, bringing the Russian people into the Byzantine sphere.

Baltic Sea

The sea in Northern Europe used by Vikings to reach Russia and central Europe.

Carpathian Mts

A mountain range in Eastern Europe that the Magyars crossed to enter the plains of Hungary.

Spanish March

A buffer zone established by Charlemagne in northeastern Spain to protect against Muslim invasions.

Aachen

Charlemagne's capital city (modern-day Aachen, Germany) where he built his great palace.

Rhine River

A major river in Germany that served as the core region of the Frankish Empire.

Kiev

A city on the Dnieper River that became the center of the first Russian city.

Iceland

A North Atlantic island settled by Vikings around 850.

Greenland

An island discovered by Vikings and used as a base for voyages to North America.

Paris

A major Frankish city that was pillaged by Vikings multiple times in the 9^{th} century.

Normandy

The area in northern France settled by Rollo and Norsemen.

Bohemia

A Slavic region (modern Czech Republic) where Duke Wenceslas became a Catholic.

Prague

The capital of Bohemia and the center of early Slavic Christianity.

ROI FAINEANT

Do-nothing Kings; weak Merovingian rulers who lost power to the mayors of the palace.

Hungary

The land in the Danube Valley where the Magyars settled permanently.

Vassal Dominici

Local lords who served the king directly.

Merovingians

The first dynasty of Frankish kings who ruled the region before the rise of the Carolingians.

Pepin the Second

Also known as Pepin of Herstal, the Major Domus who consolidated power and reunited the Frankish realms.

Charles Martel

A powerful Mayor of the Palace, nicknamed 'The Hammer,' who defeated Muslim forces at the Battle of Tours in 732.

Lombards

A Germanic people who settled in Italy and were eventually defeated by Charlemagne.

Rus

The Scandinavian people who expanded into Eastern Europe and established the foundation for the Russian state.

Rollo

The Viking leader who converted to Christianity and was granted the land of Normandy by the French king.

Elbe River

The river that marked the eastern border of the Frankish Empire under Charlemagne's rule.

Bavaria

The region in southeastern Germany that was conquered and integrated into the empire by Charlemagne.

Fontenoy

The site of a major battle in 841 between the sons of Louis the Pious to determine the division of the Carolingian Empire.

North Sea

The body of water that the Vikings crossed to raid and trade with the British Isles and the Frankish coasts.

Scandinavia

The northern European region including modern-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, which was the homeland of the Vikings.

Novgorod

One of the most important early trade cities in Russia, founded by the Rus Vikings.

Newfoundland

The location in modern-day Canada where Viking explorers, led by Leif Ericson, established the settlement of Vinland.

Ireland

An island that faced frequent Viking incursions and where several major cities, such as Dublin, were founded by Norsemen.

Denmark

A Scandinavian kingdom from which many Viking expeditions were launched into Western Europe.

Tunis

A city in North Africa that served as a base for Saracen raiders attacking the Mediterranean.

Sweden

The home of the Vikings who primarily expanded eastward toward the Baltic Sea and Russia.

Norway

The home of the Vikings who primarily explored and settled in the North Atlantic islands and North America.

Poland

A Slavic nation in Central Europe that converted to Catholic Christianity during the late 10^{th} century.

Dux et princeps frankorum

The title of 'Duke and Prince of the Franks' taken by Pepin the Second to signify his leadership of the realm.

Illumination

The artistic decoration of manuscript pages with brilliant colors and intricate designs

Merovingians

The first dynasty of Frankish kings who ruled the region before the rise of the Carolingians.

Pepin the Second

Also known as Pepin of Herstal, the Major Domus who consolidated power and reunited the Frankish realms.

Charles Martel

A powerful Mayor of the Palace, nicknamed 'The Hammer,' who defeated Muslim forces at the Battle of Tours in 732.

Lombards

A Germanic people who settled in Italy and were eventually defeated by Charlemagne.

Rus

The Scandinavian people who expanded into Eastern Europe and established the foundation for the Russian state.

Rollo

The Viking leader who converted to Christianity and was granted the land of Normandy by the French king.

Elbe River

The river that marked the eastern border of the Frankish Empire under Charlemagne's rule.

Bavaria

The region in southeastern Germany that was conquered and integrated into the empire by Charlemagne.

Fontenoy

The site of a major battle in 841 between the sons of Louis the Pious to determine the division of the Carolingian Empire.

North Sea

The body of water that the Vikings crossed to raid and trade with the British Isles and the Frankish coasts.

Scandinavia

The northern European region including modern-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, which was the homeland of the Vikings.

Novgorod

One of the most important early trade cities in Russia, founded by the Rus Vikings.

Newfoundland

The location in modern-day Canada where Viking explorers, led by Leif Ericson, established the settlement of Vinland.

Ireland

An island that faced frequent Viking incursions and where several major cities, such as Dublin, were founded by Norsemen.

Denmark

A Scandinavian kingdom from which many Viking expeditions were launched into Western Europe.

Tunis

A city in North Africa that served as a base for Saracen raiders attacking the Mediterranean.

Sweden

The home of the Vikings who primarily expanded eastward toward the Baltic Sea and Russia.

Norway

The home of the Vikings who primarily explored and settled in the North Atlantic islands and North America.

Poland

A Slavic nation in Central Europe that converted to Catholic Christianity during the late 10^{th} century.

Dux et princeps frankorum

The title of 'Duke and Prince of the Franks' taken by Pepin the Second to signify his leadership of the realm.

Illumination

The artistic decoration of manuscript pages with brilliant colors and intricate designs