Key Historical Figures and Terms of the Medieval Era

Flashcards covering key historical figures, terms, and concepts from the Medieval Era, aimed to assist in studying for the exam.

Octavian (Caesar Augustus)

Julius Caesar’s adopted son; first Roman emperor who began the Roman Empire and the Augustan Age.

Cleopatra

Queen of Egypt; linked to Julius Caesar and Mark Antony; involved in the civil wars that ended the Roman Republic.

Julius Caesar

Roman general and dictator; reorganized the Senate, calendar, and was assassinated in 44 BCE.

Cicero

Roman politician and orator; significant during the Republican crisis.

Justinian

Byzantine emperor known for regaining parts of Europe and building the Hagia Sophia.

Constantine

First Christian emperor; legalized Christianity and moved the capital to Constantinople.

Herod the Great

Client king during Jesus’ birth; ruled as king of Judea.

Jesus

Jewish teacher and healer; regarded as the Messiah, foundational figure of Christianity.

St. Paul

Christian missionary who established communities and wrote many New Testament letters.

St. Patrick

Roman Briton who became a missionary and spread Christianity in Ireland.

Brigid of Kildare

Early Christian leader representing female empowerment and learning in monasteries.

Odovacar (Odoacer)

Germanic general who became King of the Ostrogoths after deposing the last western Roman emperor.

Clovis

First king of the Franks who converted to Christianity and founded the Merovingians.

Pantheon

Classical Roman structure; a temple dedicated to all gods.

Hagia Sophia

Church of Holy Wisdom built in Constantinople under Justinian.

Medieval Era

The period also known as the Middle Ages, spanning from 500 to 1500 CE.

rex socius

Client king under the Roman Empire, for example, Herod the Great.

trivium

The three subjects of grammar, rhetoric, and logic in the university curriculum.

quadrivium

The four subjects of astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and music forming the seven liberal arts.

feudalism

System of lords and vassals based on military service and land grants.

fief (benefice)

Land granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service.

vassal

A person who receives land from a lord in return for loyalty and service.

Vikings

Norse raiders who attacked Europe and established Danelaw in England.

Romanesque

Medieval architectural style featuring thick walls and small windows.

Gothic architecture

Medieval style characterized by pointed arches and flying buttresses, beginning with Abbot Suger.

Portcullis

A heavy grilled door or gate used in castles or fortifications.

Keep

The central tower of a castle used for defense.

Danelaw

Region in England under Viking control.

Carolingians

Dynasty that includes Charles Martel, Pippin, and Charlemagne.

Visigoths

Western Goths, one of the Germanic tribes.

Celts

Ethnic group in western Europe and Britain, associated with St. Patrick.

bishop

A Christian leader in charge of a diocese or church.

burg

A fortified settlement that later evolved into towns, root of 'bourgeois'.

Gospel

The term meaning 'Good News' about Jesus in Christianity.

Koran (Qur’an)

The holy book of Islam, containing 114 suras.

The Five Pillars of Islam

Fundamental acts of worship in Islam including creed, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage.

Allah

The Arabic term for God in Islam.

the Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca, a key tenet of Islam.

Ramadan

Month of fasting in Islam, commemorating the revelation of the Qur’an.

positional notation

A numeral system incorporating place value and zero, significant in Islamic mathematics.

primogeniture

The right of the firstborn son to inherit an estate.

pagan

A person holding beliefs in a religion other than Christianity, often related to pre-Christian beliefs.

buttress / flying buttress

Architectural support, characteristic of Gothic style, used to reinforce structures.

basilica

A large Christian church, an early example being St. Denis.

sultans

Muslim rulers, significant in the context of Islamic influence.

caesaropapism

A system where the emperor of Byzantium was both political and religious leader.