Medieval Christian Europe and the Byzantine Empire Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, and analytical concepts from the lecture notes on Medieval Christian Europe and the Byzantine Empire.

Tenets

The beliefs and principles that help guide people in their faith, daily and moral conduct.

Procurator

A Roman official in charge of a province.

Gentile

A person who is not Jewish.

Persecuting

Harassing to cause suffering.

Missionary

A person sent out to carry a religious message.

Monk

A man who separates himself from ordinary human society in order to dedicate himself to God.

Nun

A woman who separates herself from ordinary human society in order to dedicate herself to God.

Plague

An epidemic disease.

Inflation

A rapid increase in price.

Christianity

Religious belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior.

Justinian

Byzantine emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 and was determined to revive ancient Rome by retaking overrun lands.

Justinian’s Code

A compilation, revision, and organization of Roman laws written down and sent to the people by Emperor Justinian.

Theodora

Empress/wife of Justinian who ruled the Byzantine Empire with Justinian.

Hagia Sophia

Built by Justinian during the Byzantine Empire as a Cathedral, later converted to a mosque, then to a museum.

Point of view

General attitude about people and life.

Primary sources

Firsthand source/knowledge.

Secondary sources

Knowledge/information handed down from a person not the original.

Summary

A brief statement or account of the main points of something usually in one’s own words.

Bias

Prejudice for or against one person or group especially in a way considered to be unfair.

Cause and effect

One or more things happen as a result of something else.

Inference

Implied action without telling all steps to take.

Vernacular

The language of everyday speech in a particular region.

Middle Ages

The thousand-year span in European history between the fall of the Roman empire and the Renaissance.

Charlemagne

King of the Franks (also known as Charles the Great) who built an empire reaching across France, Germany, and part of Italy.

Black Death

Bubonic Plague transferred from rats to humans via fleas that killed 1/3 to 1/2 of the population between 1347 and 1351.

Feudalism

A loosely organized system of rule developed in response to invasions where lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty to the King.

Secular

Nonreligious affairs.