Test 4 Western Civilization

Eastern Orthodoxy

The Christian tradition of the Byzantine Empire, which split from Roman Catholicism in the Great Schism (1054).

Constantinople

Capital of the Byzantine Empire, strategically located on the Bosporus Strait.

Hagia Sophia

A grand cathedral built by Emperor Justinian, later converted into a mosque.

Justinian Code

A comprehensive legal system that preserved Roman law and influenced European legal traditions.

Patriarchs

High-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, such as the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Missionaries who developed the Cyrillic alphabet to spread Christianity among Slavs.

Icons & Iconoclasm

Religious images venerated in Orthodoxy; iconoclasm was their destruction (8th-9th centuries), later resolved by the Triumph of Orthodoxy (843).

Mecca

Birthplace of Muhammad and the holiest city in Islam.

Qur'an

Islam’s holy book; Hadith records Muhammad’s sayings.

Hijrah (Hejira)

Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina (622 CE), marking Year 1 in the Islamic calendar.

Umma

The global Muslim community.

Allah

Arabic word for God.

Five Pillars of Islam

Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting (Ramadan), Pilgrimage (Hajj).

Caliph

Successor to Muhammad; led the Islamic empire.

Sunni vs. Shi’ite

Split over succession—Sunni (elected caliphs) vs. Shi’ite (descendants of Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law).

Jihad

Struggle (spiritual or military); Shari’a: Islamic law.

Peoples of the Book

Jews and Christians, given protected status under Islamic rule.

Umayyads

First major Islamic dynasty (661–750), expanded into Spain.

Middle Ages

Period (~500–1500 CE) between Rome’s fall and the Renaissance.

The Franks

Germanic tribe that founded a kingdom in Gaul (France).

Merovingians

Early Frankish dynasty; Carolingians replaced them.

Charles Martel

Defeated Muslims at the Battle of Tours (732), halting Islamic expansion into Europe.

Charlemagne

Crowned 'Emperor of the Romans' (800 CE), promoted education (Carolingian Renaissance).

Alcuin

Scholar who reformed education under Charlemagne.

Feudalism

Decentralized system of land (fiefs) exchanged for military service (lords & vassals).

Manorialism

Economic system where serfs worked land for protection.

Vikings

Scandinavian raiders; Leif Erikson reached North America (~1000 CE).

Alfred the Great

Unified Anglo-Saxon England against Vikings.

Christendom

Idea of a unified Christian Europe under the Church.

Cathedrals

Grand churches, often Gothic style.

Abbot/Abbess

Leaders of monasteries/convents.

Catechesis

Religious instruction.

Sacraments

Sacred rites (e.g., baptism, Eucharist).

Transubstantiation

Doctrine that bread/wine become Christ’s body/blood.

Excommunication

Banishment from the Church.

Primogeniture

Inheritance by the eldest son.

Guilds

Trade associations with apprentices, journeymen, masters.