Medieval Europe and the Roman Legacy (Vocabulary)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to the Roman legacy, medieval Europe, feudalism, manorialism, and regionalism.

Roman Republic

509 BCE–27 BCE; republican government allowed limited voting rights for commoners; expansion via legions; eventual transition to the Imperial Period due to power struggles.

Imperial Period (Roman Empire)

27 BCE–476 CE; centralized power, expansion followed by defense-focused crises; East–West split in the 4th century; Christianity legalized.

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

476 CE event-marking the collapse of Western power due to economic weakness, manpower loss, and defense failures; the East continued.

Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire)

Continuation of Roman political/cultural authority in the East; persisted until 1453 and remained a reference point for later Europe.

Dark Ages / Early Middle Ages

roughly 500–1000 CE; few unified political systems, unsafe long-distance travel, Viking connections, church endurance after Rome’s fall.

Viking Trade

Scandinavian traders who linked the East and West and sustained long-distance trade networks during the early Middle Ages.

High Middle Ages

roughly 1000–1300 CE; consolidation of medieval institutions; Catholic Church dominant; renewed trade and growing political/economic complexity.

Late Middle Ages

roughly 1300–1450 CE; crises such as the Black Death; major social, economic, and demographic changes; culture and technology shifts; path toward early modern Europe.

Medieval Europe

The era between the fall of Rome and the start of early modern Europe, including early, high, and late medieval periods.

Three Estates (Tripartite Society)

A social order: First Estate (Clergy), Second Estate (Nobility), Third Estate (Everyone else/peasants); distinct rights, privileges, and limited mobility.

Clergy (First Estate)

Religious leaders with spiritual authority; wield significant influence; collected tithes and shaped politics and society.

Nobility (Second Estate)

Warriors and landowners (knights, lords) who held political/military power and owed loyalty to higher authorities; key to governance and defense.

Serfs / Peasants (Third Estate)

Farmers and laborers who produced the economy’s food; tied to the land; limited rights; reciprocal obligations with lords.

Feudalism

Military-political system where lords grant land to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty; hierarchical chain (king > lords > vassals/knights).

Manorialism

Economic system of self-sufficient manors; mutual obligations between lords and peasants; the primary economic unit of medieval Europe.

Vassalage

Relationship in which a lord grants land or title to a vassal in exchange for military service and loyalty.

Knights

Mounted warriors who are vassals; receive land for loyalty and service; central players in feudal military structure.

Lords

Nobles who hold lands and grant portions to vassals; play a key role in governance and the feudal chain; often bound to kings by loyalty.

Kings

Monarchs seeking centralized power; rely on nobles and clergy; power often contested as nobles seek autonomy.

European Middle Ages (EMA)

The medieval period in Europe; characterized by regional economies, politics, and identities with limited centralized authority.

High/Low Middle Ages (HMA-LMA)

Phases within the Middle Ages indicating gradual consolidation of kingdoms and shifts in political authority across centuries.

Regionalism

A defining feature of post-Roman Europe; power and identity divided into regional economies and polities rather than a single empire.

Black Death

14th-century pandemic causing massive social, economic, and demographic upheaval; accelerated transitions toward the early modern era.

Renaissance

Cultural and intellectual revival that reintroduced classical learning and humanist ideals, bridging medieval and modern Europe.

Enlightenment

18th-century movement emphasizing reason, science, and progress; challenged traditional authority and medieval institutions.

Common identity to modern national identity

Process of forming shared European culture and identity that contributed to the development of modern nation-states.