Medieval History: Terms – Flashcards
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Alfred the Great
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- Anglo-Saxon king who reigned 871-899 - fought the Danes & brought peace - extended borders to the north and east - many improvements: law codes, military, education
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Ambrose
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- bishop of Milan who lived 339-397 - conversion of Augustine - Church's moral authority over the Emperor
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Anthony
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- hermit who lived 356-372 - holy man/solitary/monk - others followed in his footsteps
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Augustine
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- rhetorician who lived 354-430 - famous conversion in 386 - Bishop of Hippo in 395 - wrote Confessions (about conversions) 397-400
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Augustus Caesar
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- successor of Julius Caesar who lived 63 BC - 14 AD - established Roman Empire in 27 BC - reigns before/during Pax Romana, 31 BC - 14 AD
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Benedict of Nursia
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- "father of Western monasticism" who lived 480-550 - founded many monasteries (Monte Cassino = best) - wrote Benedictine Rule to guide monasteries - brother of St. Scholastica
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Bodo
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a peasant who lived during the reign of Charlemagne
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Charlemagne
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- king and emperor who reigned 768-814 - King of Franks, and later, Lombards - crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 by Pope Leo III - achievements: military expansion, alliance w/Church, education, centralization
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Charles Martel
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- mayor of the palace in Francia 714-741 - son of Pepin of Heristal, father of Pepin the Short - grandfather of Charlemagne
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Clovis
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- barbarian king who reigned 482-511 - founder of the Merovingian dynasty - united the Franks - friend of Catholic (Nicene) Christianity
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Constantine
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Roman emperor who granted Christianity official tolerance in 313 with Licinius, whom we would defeat twelve years later to become the sole emperor of Rome
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Diocletian
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Roman emperor who ordered the largest persecution of Christians in 303 as part of imperial reforms
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Einhard
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biographer and friend of Charlemagne
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Goderic of Finchale
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popular saint who was both a merchant and a holy man
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Jerome
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- celebrated biblical scholar who lived 340-420 - produced the Latin Vulgate (translation of the Bible)
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Jesus Christ
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- leading figure (Messiah) of Christianity - born 6-4 BC, crucified & resurrected 30-36 AD - life, death, & resurrection recorded in Gospels
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Julius Caesar
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- Roman leader who lived 100 BC - 44 BC - consolidated power using own military skill - declared himself dictator for life - killed on the Ides of March in 44 BC
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Justinian
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- Byzantine emperor who reigned 527-565 - expanded the power of the Empire - revised law codes - enforced power over the Church - ordered many building projects
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Licinius
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emperor who worked with Constantine to produce the Edict of Milan, and twelve years later would be defeated by him
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Louis IX
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- King of France who reigned 1226-1270 - known for religious devotion, charity, and work in the Crusades
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Muhammad
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- leader and prophet of Islam who lived 571-632 - trade merchant who experienced visions from Allah - preached, blended religion & politics - teachings written down in Quran
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Nero
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persecuted Christians following great fire in 64
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Otto the Great
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- Saxon king who reigned 936-973 - crowned German king in 962 - expanded and defended his power, alliance w/Church
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Pepin of Heristal
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- mayor of the palace who worked 680-714 - began powerful Carolingian presence
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Pepin the Short
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- Carolingian king who reigned 741-768 - deposed Merovingian king after asking Pope Zacharius - forged the alliance between government & Church - gave Rome to the Church
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Perpetua
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martyred in 203 for her devotion to Christianity
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Pope Stephen II
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- crowned Pepin the Short the King of Francia - asked for his military support against the Lombards
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Procopius
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wrote Secret History that chronicled the lives of Justinian and Theodora
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Theodora
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- wife of Justinian & Byzantine empress, lived 500-548 - played an immense role in the expansion & success of the Empire
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Theodoric
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- Ostrogoth king who reigned 493-526 - respected Roman culture and administration - inspired an intellectual revival
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Theodosius
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last emperor of unified Roman Empire who died in 395
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Valerian
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Roman emperor who persecuted Christians in the 3rd century
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Aachen
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permanent capital of Charlemagne's empire, established in 794
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Abbasid Dynasty
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around 750-950; saw the development of culture
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Agricultural Revolution
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time period in Medieval Europe during which the climate improved and new technology was available, allowing for greater crop yields (1:4), increased protein/iron, & longer lifespans
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agricultural technology
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production and use of different kinds of plows, animals, and farming techniques (heavy plow, 3-field rotation, etc.)
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Al-Andalus
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756-1031 in Iberia; fragmentation of Islamic Empire
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aristocrats
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upper-class, wealthy; often land-owners, nobles, religious officials; had relationships with kings in exchange for loyalty
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barbarians
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the frontier tribes who conquered much land during Medieval Europe; anyone who spoke non-Greek languages
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Benedictine Rule
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written by St. Benedict in 540, it served as a guide for the government of monasteries
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Byzantine Empire
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founded in 330, its capital was Constantinople
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caliph
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leader of Islam (both politically and religiously); thought to be the successor of Muhammad
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Capetians
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the dynasty of Frankish kings that succeeded the Carolingians; founded by Hugh Capet
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capitulary
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laws and regulations to be observed
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Carolingians
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the dynasty of Frankish kings that included Charlemagne and was started in 751; the power of the Carolingians began to dissolve following the Treaty of Verdun, and they were eventually succeeded by the Capetian Dynasty
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castles
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defensive structures that doubled as homes and seats of power for the different families during Medieval Europe
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centralization
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process by which power was moved towards one figure of authority or ideal
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Commercial Revolution
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increased trade, greater populations in cities and towns, the introduction of marketplaces: a result of the Agricultural Revolution
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Confessions
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major work of St. Augustine that acted as an extended prayer to God, it contained conversion narratives and explored the Christian community & nature of God
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Donation of Pepin
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rescue and legal gift of Rome to the Church in exchange for crowning Pepin the King of the Franks
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Eastern Empire
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after the death of Theodosius in 395, the Eastern Empire would continue in Constantinople; it was wealthier, stronger, and more urban
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Edict of Milan
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declaration from Constantine and Licinius that legally granted Christians official tolerance throughout the Roman Empire in 313
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Fatimid Dynasty
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909-1171 in Egypt; fragmentation of Islamic Empire
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feudalism
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the political, military, and social customs that maintained the power of the military elite; went with manorialism
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fief
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a gift of land or office given by a lord to his vassal, in exchange for service and loyalty; hereditary
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Five Pillars
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- Shahadah: belief in one God/prophet Muhammad - Salat: daily prayer facing Mecca - Sawm: fast during Ramadan - Zakat: charity - Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
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Franco-Pepin Alliance
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agreement made between Pepin the Short and the papacy that legitimized the Carolingians as the true rulers of Francia while also forging an alliance between a strengthened Rome, which was legally granted to the Pope
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Franks
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the people of Francia, including nobility, peasants, kings, and those who were conquered and under the reign of Frankish kings
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Gospels
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the written accounts of the life of Jesus; four accepted by the Catholic Church; first one, Mark, was written in 60-75
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Hadith
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supplementary texts detailing the words and deeds of Muhammad, recorded in 9th century
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Holy Roman Empire
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officially began in 800 with the coronation of Charlemagne, many others would bear the title of Emperor throughout history
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Islam
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literally "submission" or "surrender," the name of Muhammad's faith
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jihads
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- greater: internal struggle to become a better Muslim - lesser: external struggle against disbelief of others
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knights
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a man trained and armed to fight on horseback; many also vassals
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lords
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a dominus (man who exercised power over others); female counterpart is lady
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Magyars
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nomadic horsemen that attacked East Francia, the northern Italian peninsula, and portions of West Francia during the early 10th century; precursors to Hungarians
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manorialism
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economic arrangement through which serfs and peasants supported the landowning elite; went with feudalism
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martyrdom
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the death of a person due to their devotion to a cause, mainly religion; was revered in early Christianity as the highest sign of faith
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Merovingian Dynasty
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group of "kings" who ruled over Francia 680-751; dominated by Carolingian "mayors of the palace" until Pepin the Short took control
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monasticism
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a life wherein one chooses to live solitarily (or in a community of other monks), chastely, and poorly
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Muslim
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literally "one who submits," a follower of Islam
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Nicene Creed
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statement of belief in unified Christ; product of Council of Nicea in 325 that was meant to combat the growth of Arian Christianity
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nobility
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the higher elite of knights and landowners who had wealth, land, and power
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partible inheritance
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the process by which all inheritance is split between the sons (usually did not include daughters); practiced by Carolingians
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patrician
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Roman aristocracy; hereditary, with religious and political power
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plebian
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lesser Roman citizens; hereditary & low social mobility
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primogeniture
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the process by which almost everything (land, wealth, titles, etc.) is inherited by the first-born son
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quadrivium
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the study of mathematics, music, astronomy, and geometry; went with trivium
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Quran
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central text of Islam, written in Arabic; oral tradition recorded during the 6th century into 114 chapters (Surahs)
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Roman Empire
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began in 27 BC by Augustus, there is no "one" date for the end of the Roman Empire; however, the death of Theodosius in 395 signaled the end of the unified Roman Empire
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Roman Republic
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509 BC - 27 BC; ended when Augustus began the Roman Empire
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Romanitas
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in essence, "Roman-ness;" the appreciation and acceptance of Roman culture and ideals
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Shaitan
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the Devil, for Muslims
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Shi'I
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a Muslim who believes that the true caliphs (i.e. those who were descendants of Muhammad through Fatima and Ali) were sinless, infallible, and possessed a body of secret knowledge hidden in the Quran
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slavery
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political process by which prisoners were forced to serve; NOT racially based as it was in the 16th-19th centuries
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Sufi
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a Muslim who seeks mystical union with God and, therefore, stresses God's love over his authority; can be Sunni or Shi'I as well
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Sunni
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a Muslim who bases his faith firmly on the teachings of the Quran and the practices of the Prophet Muhammad
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Theodosian Code
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the code of laws promulgated by Emperor Theodosius II in 438 that described the social and economic conditions of the Late Roman Empire; some portions hearken back to the rules of Diocletian and Constantine
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Treaty of Verdun
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composed in 843, it ended the civil wars between the sons of Louis the Pious and affirmed growing cultures that we can recognize today
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trivium
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the study of grammar, rhetoric, and logic; went with quadrivium
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Umayyad Dynasty
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661-750; saw expansion of empire
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vassals
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one who owes loyalty and service to a lord or lady, usually in return for a fief
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Vikings
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Scandinavian, pagan, military society of skilled seafarers that invaded Medieval Europe and lived as traders, raiders, and settlers; end of 8th century - beginning of 9th century
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villas
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countryside estates of wealthy Roman s
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Western Empire
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after the death of Theodosius in 395, the Western Empire split and was poorer, weaker, and more rural; the last Western emperor was deposed in 476
