Middle Ages / Europe Vocabulary

vocab

Barter

trading goods or services directly without using money.

Benedictine Rule

rules for monks emphasizing prayer, work, discipline, and obedience.

Byzantine Empire

continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople.

Caesaropapism

a system where the emperor has strong control over both government and religion.

Canon law

laws of the Christian Church.

Carolingian family

Frankish ruling family that produced Charlemagne.

Charlemagne

powerful Frankish king who expanded his empire and was crowned emperor in 800 CE

Clovis

Frankish king who converted to Christianity, helping Christianity spread among the Franks

Crusades

series of Christian military campaigns, mainly aimed at taking/defending holy sites in the Middle East.

Excommunication

being removed from the Christian Church and denied its religious benefits.

Interdict

Church punishment that stopped religious services from being performed in an area.

Feudalism

political/social system based on land, loyalty, and military service.

Franks

Germanic people who established a powerful kingdom in Western Europe.

Ghettos

areas where Jewish communities were forced or required to live separately.

Guilds

organizations of people in the same trade or craft that regulated their work.

Hagia Sophia

famous Byzantine building in Constantinople, originally a Christian cathedral.

Hanseatic League

lliance of Northern European trading cities that controlled important trade routes.

Heresy

belief that goes against official Church teachings.

Holy Roman Empire

political empire in Central Europe, closely connected to Christianity and the German kings.

Hundred Years' War

• long conflict between England and France over territory and political power.