Byzantine Empire and Middle Ages Vocab

Taille

Definition: (in France before 1789) a tax levied on the common people by the king or an overlord. Sentence: Boston tea party???

Knight

Definition: (in the Middle Ages) a man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in armor. Sentence: The brave Knight fought and killed the dragon.

Flanders

Definition: 1 medieval county along coast of what is now Belgium and adjacent parts of France & Netherlands. 2 semiautonomous region W Belgium pop 5,972,781 — see east flanders, west flanders. Sentence: Flounders :)

Feudal Contract

Definition: A Contract Between a Villein. & His Lord, 1307. During the Middle Ages, economic life centered on the manor. Lords received manors from kings and other lords in return for military service. A manor consisted of the lord's house; cottages for his tenants; a church, mill, and workshops. Sentence: "Fight for me and I'll give you stuff."

Magna Carta

Definition: A charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in June 1215 at Runnymede. Sentence: Santa Marta rhymes with Magna Carter.

Orleans

Definition: A city in north central France. Sentence: The man embarked on his journey to Orleans, France.

Feif

Definition: A fief (Latin: feudum) was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable property or rights granted by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty (or "in fee") in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the personal ceremonies of homage and fealty. Sentence: The feif was very important to the Feudalist.

Manor

Definition: A large country house with lands; the principal house of a landed estate. Sentence: I wish I lived in a manor.

Chanson de geste

Definition: A medieval historical romance in French verse, typically one connected with Charlemagne. Sentence: I ship it!

Monk

Definition: A member of a religious community of men typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Sentence. The monk cared for everyone.

Nun

Definition: A member of a religious community of women, especially a cloistered one, living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Sentence: Mary the Nun decided to learn karate.

Missionary

Definition: A person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country. Sentence: The Traveling missionaries visited Mexico.

Infidel

Definition: A person who does not believe in religion or who adheres to a religion other than one's own. Sentence: "Silence. I kill you!" -Akmed the dead terrorist

Hungary

Definition: A republic in Central Europe. Sentence: The Hungarians probably aren't hungry.

Schism

Definition: A split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief. Sentence: Democrat vs. Republican

Money Economy

Definition: A system or stage of economic life in which money replaces barter in the exchange of goods. Sentence: Money makes the world go round.

Tournament

Definition: A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentrated into a relatively short time interval. Sentence: The Knight entered the jousting tournament.

Vassal

Definition: A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held as a fiefdom. Sentence: This is kind of like getting braces.

Abbess

Definition: A woman who is the head of an abbey of nuns. Sentence: The abbess of the monastery in the sound of music is cool.

Alexander Nevsky

Definition: Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky served as Prince of Novgorod, Grand Prince of Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most difficult times in Kievan Rus' history. Sentence: Alexander Nevsky is also a Movie.

Estate

Definition: An area or amount of land or property, in particular. Sentence: The Builtmore estate in Asheville, NC is very impressive.

Vikings

Definition: Any of the Scandinavian seafaring pirates and traders who raided and settled in many parts of northwestern Europe in the 8th-11th centuries. Sentence: "Happy Leif Ericsson day!"

Aristotle

Definition: Aristotle is a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre. He was a student of Plato who in turn studied under Socrates. Sentence: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle

Avignon

Definition: Avignon, a city in southeastern France's Provence region, is set on the Rhône River. From 1309 to 1377, it was the seat of the Catholic popes, and remained under papal rule until becoming part of France in 1791. Its center, surrounded by medieval stone ramparts, contains the massive Palais des Papes and remains of the Saint-Bénezet bridge, also known as Pont d'Avignon. Sentence: We drove back to Avignon.

Saint Benedict

Definition: Benedict of Nursia is a Christian saint, who is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Catholic Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion and Old Catholic Churches. Sentence: Saint Benedict was loved by many.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Definition: Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary reformer for the Cistercian order. Sentence: After the death of his mother Bernard sought admission to the Cistercian order.

Bologna

Definition: Bologna is the lively, historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, in northern Italy. Piazza Maggiore is a sprawling plaza lined with arched colonnades, cafes and medieval and Renaissance structures, such as City Hall, the Neptune Fountain and the Basilica of San Petronio. Among several medieval towers is the leaning Asinelli Tower, which is open for climbs. Sentence: Not to be confused with the meet, I just thought it was funny.

Charlemagne

Definition: Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great or Charles I, was King of the Franks. He united most of Western Europe during the early Middle Ages and laid the foundations for modern France and Germany. Sentence: Charlemagne was known as the first king of Germany.

Venice

Definition: City in northeastern Italy, built on 118 islets within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice, an arm of the Adriatic Sea. Note: Venice is a tourist, commercial, and industrial center and one of Italy's major ports. sentence: Riding a gondola through Venice is on the bucket list of many people.

Clovis

Definition: Clovis was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of royal chieftains to rule by a single king and ensuring that the kingship was passed down to his heirs: Sentence: Clovis was cool.

Concordat of Worms

Definition: Concordat of Worms, sometimes called the Pactum Calixtinum by papal historians, [a] was an agreement between Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V on September 23, 1122 near the city of Worms. Sentence: This was a very unfortunate name.

Constanstantinople

Definition: Constantinople was the capital city of the Roman/Byzantine Empire, and also of the brief Latin, and the later Ottoman empires. Sentence: "Istanbul was once Constantinople now its Istanbul, not Constantinople.

Commercial Capitalism

Definition: Economic historians use the term merchant capitalism to refer to the earliest phase in the development of capitalism as an economic and social system. Early forms of merchant capitalism developed in the medieval Islamic world from the 9th century, and in medieval Europe from the 12th century. Sentence: Commercial Capitalism has been around for a long time.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Definition: Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe. Sentence: Eleanor of Aquitaine was a role model.

King Ferdinand

Definition: Ferdinand II, called the Catholic, was King of Sicily from 1468 and King of Aragon from 1479 until his death. As a consequence of his marriage to Isabella I, he was King of Castile jure uxoris as Ferdinand V from 1474 until her death in 1504. Sentence: "The most powerful weapon on Earth is the human soul on fire." -King Ferdinand

Henry 2

Definition: First Plantagenet King of England; instituted judicial and financial reforms; quarreled with archbishop Becket concerning the authority of the Crown over the church. Sentence: "Henry, Henry, Henry had so many wives that had to die."

Great Schism

Definition: Great Schism may refer to: The East-West Schism, between the Eastern Church and the Western Church in 1054. The Western Schism, a split within the Roman Catholic Church that lasted from 1378 to 1417. Sentence: Drama Bomb.

Henry V

Definition: Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 36 in 1422. He was the second English monarch who came from the House of Lancaster. Sentence: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." -Henry V

Magyars

Definition: Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are a nation and ethnic group who speak Hungarian and are primarily associated with Hungary. There are around 13.1-14.7 million Hungarians, of whom 8.5-9.8 million live in today's Hungary. Sentence: The Magyars are Hungarian.

Queen Isabella

Definition: Isabella I was Queen of Castille. She was married to Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their marriage became the basis for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Sentence: "The distance is great from the firm belief to the realization from concrete experience." -Queen Isabella I

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Definition: Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225-1274) Synonyms: Aquinas, Saint Thomas, Saint Thomas Aquinas, St. Sentence: This reminds me of a movie where the football ream from Saint Thomas Aquinas high school triumphed over adversity and won the championship.

John Hus

Definition: Jan Hus, often referred to in English as John Hus or John Hus, was a Czech priest, philosopher, early Christian reformer and Master at Charles University in Prague. Sentence: "Rejoice, that the immortal god is born, so that mortal man live in eternity." -John Hus

Joan of Arc

Definition: Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War, and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. Sentence: "I am not afraid... I was born to do this." -Joan of Arc

Justinian

Definition: Justinian I or Iustinian I, traditionally known as Justinian the Great and also Saint Justinian the Great in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was a Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. Sentence: Justinian reined for nearly 40 years.

Kiev

Definition: Kiev is the capital city of Ukraine, bisected by the Dnieper River and known for its religious architecture, secular monuments and history museums. The 11th-century Kiev Pechersk Lavra is a monastery and pilgrimage site encompassing several gold-domed churches. It's known for its catacombs lined with the burial chambers of Orthodox monks, and a collection of gold objects from ancient Scythian times. Sentence: Vladimir Putin hates Ukraine.

Normandy

Definition: Normandy is a region of northern France known for its coastline of varied beaches, white-chalk cliffs and WWII beachheads, including Omaha Beach. It has a tranquil landscape of half-timbered houses and grazing cattle, yet has been a battleground throughout history, from the Viking raids to the D-Day landings. Offshore, Mont-St-Michel, a 12th-13th-century Christian pilgrimage site, rises from the sea like a mythical castle. Sentence: Normandy was attacked during WWll by their United States and Britain.

Monasticism

Definition: Of or relating to monasteries or to monks or nuns. 2 : resembling (as in seclusion or ascetic simplicity) life in a monastery. Sentence: Monks live in a monastery.

Otto 1

Definition: Otto I, also known as Otto the Great, was German king from 936 and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda. Sentence: Otto 1's wife was Edith Daughter of Edward the elder.

Palestine

Definition: Palestine is a geographic region in Western Asia between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is sometimes considered to include adjoining territories. Sentence: The Origin of Palestine is debated.

Paris

Definition: Paris, France's capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its picturesque 19th-century city scape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture, and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Sentence: The Citizens of Paris thought the the Eiffel tower was ugly at first.

Phillip 2 Augustus

Definition: Philip II, called Philip Augustus was a King of France from the House of Capet who reigned from 1180 to 1223. Sentence: Phillip 2 Augustus made the crown more powerful than any other Feudal Lord.

King Philipe IV

Definition: Philip IV, called the Fair or the Iron King, was King of France from 1285 until his death. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also, as Philip I, King of Navarre from 1284 to 1305. Sentence: "The Highest of distinctions is service to others." -King Philip IV

Pepin

Definition: Pippin the Younger (c. 714 - 24 September 768), often known under the mistranslation Pippin the Short (French: Pépin le Bref; German: Pippin der Kleine), was a King of the Franks from 751 until his death. He was the first of the Carolingians to become King. Sentence: Pepin was very short.

Pope Boniface VIII

Definition: Pope Boniface VIII (Latin: Bonifatius VIII; c. 1230 - 11 October 1303), born Benedetto Caetani, was Pope from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. Sentence: "Silence is a sign of consent." -Pope Boniface VIII

Gregory 1

Definition: Pope Gregory I, commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was Pope from 3 September 590 to his death in 604. Gregory is well known for his writings, which were more prolific than those of any of his predecessors as pope. Sentence: Gregory l is dope.

Pope Gregory IV

Definition: Pope Gregory IV (Latin: Gregorius IV; c. 795 - 25 January 844) was Pope from October 827 to his death in 844. His pontificate was notable for the papacy's attempts to intervene in the quarrels between the emperor Louis the Pious and his sons. It also saw the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in 843. Sentence: The pope was naturally proud of his family.

Pope innocent 3

Definition: Pope Innocent reigned from 8 January 1198 to his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni. Pope Innocent was one of the most powerful and influential popes. Sentence: He exerted influenced over the Christian regimens.

Syria

Definition: Republic in the Middle East, bordered by Turkey to the northwest, north, and northeast; Iraq to the east and south; Jordan to the south; and Israel, the Mediterranean Sea, and Lebanon to the west. Its capital and largest city is Damascus. Sentence: The Syrian civil war has ruined many lives.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Definition: Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi), born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182 - 3 October 1226), was an Italian Roman Catholic friar and preacher. Sentence: Saint Francis of Assisi was obviously born in Assisi.

Slavs

Definition: Slavs are the largest Indo-European ethno-linguistic group in Europe. They inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. Slavs speak Indo-European Slavic languages and share, to varying degrees, cultural traits and historical backgrounds. Sentence: The Early Slavs comprised a large group of tribal societies living during the migration period.

Saladin

Definition: Sultan of Egypt and Syria 1174-93, in full Salah-ad-din Yusuf ibn-Ayyub (1137-1193). Saladin in Culture Expand. Saladin [(sal-uh-din)] A Kurdish general who conquered Egypt and Syria in the twelfth century. His capture of Jerusalem precipitated a crusade. Sentence: "I warn you against shedding blood , indulging in it and making a habit of it, for blood never sleeps." Saladin

Balkans

Definition: The Balkan Peninsula and the Balkans is a peninsula and a cultural area in Southeast Europe with different and disputed borders. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch from the east of Serbia to the Black Sea at the east of Bulgaria. Sentence: The Balkans are cool.

Agincourt

Definition: The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in the Hundred Years' War. The battle took place on Friday, 25 October 1415, near Azincourt, in northern France. Sentence: The Man was taken prisoner at the battle of Agincourt.

Black Death

Definition: The Black Death was an epidemic outbreak of bubonic plague in Europe around 1348 that killed between one-third and two-thirds of the population in less than five years. The epidemic spanned from China to England to North Africa, transmitted along the Silk Road and other trade routes. Sentence: Rats played a major role in spreading the plague due to the fleas all over them.

Carolingian Empire

Definition: The Carolingian Empire was the final stage in the history of the early medieval realm of the Franks, ruled by the Carolingian dynasty. Sentence: The Carolingian Empire Was the last empire of the middle ages.

Carruca

Definition: The Carruca was a heavy, wheeled plow with an iron plowshare which may have been employed by some Slavic groups as early as 568 CE according to linguistic clues. Sentence: Farmers found these very useful.

Crusades

Definition: The Crusades were a series of intermittent military campaigns in the years from 1096 to 1487, sanctioned by various Popes. In 1095 the Byzantine Emperor, Alexios I, sent an ambassador to Pope Urban II requesting military support in the Byzantines' conflict with the westward migrating Turks in Anatolia. Sentence: "Fight for us."

Lay investiture

Definition: The Investiture Controversy was the most important conflict between secular and religious powers in medieval Europe. It began as a dispute in the 11th century between the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII. Sentence: Disagreement between religions.

New monarchies

Definition: The New Monarchs was a concept developed by European historians during the first half of the 20th century to characterize 15th-century European rulers who unified their respective nations, creating stable and centralized government. Sentence: After the Roman Empire dissolved there was a lot of land up for grabs so people basically decided to become rulers of their own territories.

Papal States

Definition: The Papal States were territories in the Italian Peninsula under the sovereign direct rule of the pope, from the 8th century until 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from roughly the 8th century until the Italian Peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. Sentence: They quickly told me my passport was invalid and that I couldn't enter the Papal States.

Summa Theologica

Definition: The Summa Theologiæ (written 1265-1274 and also known as the Summa Theologica or simply the Summa) is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274). Sentence: The Summa Theologica made Saint Thomas Aquinas famous.

Pope

Definition: The bishop of Rome as head of the Roman Catholic Church. Sentence: The Pope is dope.

William of Normandy

Definition: The duke of Normandy, a province of France, and the leader of the Norman Conquest of England. He defeated the English forces at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and became the first Norman king of England. Sentence: He is the first king of England.

Parliament

Definition: The highest legislature, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Sentence: The Parliament building in London, England contains "Big Ben."

Patriarch

Definition: The male head of a family or tribe. Sentence: A Patriarch is someone who exercises autocratic authority as a Pater Family.

Chivalry

Definition: The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. Sentence: Chivalry is the code that knights live by.

Common Law

Definition: The part of English law that is derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes. Often contrasted with statutory law. Sentence: The body of English law is adopted and modified separately by different states of the US and the Federal Government.

Theology

Definition: The study of the nature of God and religious beliefs. Sentence: There is a course on Theology at the university.

Thomas a Becket

Definition: Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. Sentence: Thomas a Becket was assassinated.

Wergild

Definition: Wergild, also spelled Wergeld, or Weregild, (Old English: "man payment"), in ancient Germanic law, the amount of compensation paid by a person committing an offense to the injured party or, in case of death, to his family. Sentence: The thief payed his debt to the people he stole from.

Franciscans

Definition: a friar, sister, or lay member of a Christian religious order founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi, or of an order based on Franciscan rule. The Franciscan orders are noted for preachers and missionaries. Sentence: Friar Lawrence was a Franciscan.

Guilds

Definition: a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power

Cistercians

Definition: a monk or nun of an order founded in 1098 as a stricter branch of the Benedictines. The monks are now divided into two observances, the strict observance, whose adherents are known popularly as Trappists, and the common observance, which has certain relaxations. Sentence: Also called "white monks."

Inquisition

Definition: a period of prolonged and intensive questioning or investigation. Sentence: Scientologists use this to interrogate members who are trying to get out.

Apprentice

Definition: a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period at low wages

Sacraments

Definition: a religious ceremony or act of the Christian Church that is regarded as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual divine grace, in particular Sentence: I took part in the sacrament in church.

Assisi

Definition: a town in E Umbria, in central Italy: birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi. Sentence: In the early middle ages Assisi was subject to to dukes, but in the 9th century it was mostly independent.

Journeymen

Definition: a trained worker who is employed by someone else Sentence: Some one who is well trained in their craft who works for someone else.

Oxford

Definition: a type of lace-up shoe with a low heel. Sentence: This probably isn't the right definition.

Masterpiece

Definition: a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship Sentence: The Mona Lisa is a Masterpiece.

Hildegard of Bingen

Definition: also known as Saint Hildegard and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary, and polymath. Sentence: Jack of all trades.

Serfs

Definition: an agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on his lord's. Sentence: once a serf, always a serf.

Ordeal

Definition: an ancient test of guilt or innocence by subjection of the accused to severe pain, survival of which was taken as divine proof of innocence. Sentence: The accused Witch was put on trial, if she survives she is innocent.

Patricians

Definition: an aristocrat or nobleman Sentence: Everybody wants to be and Aristocrat.

Interdict

Definition: an authoritative prohibition Sentence: A Prohibition.

Relics

Definition: an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest. Sentence: The crown Jewels are relics from Great Britain's past.

Heresy

Definition: belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine. Sentence: The theory that the Earth revolves around the sun was heresy.

Anti-semitism

Definition: hostility to or prejudice against Jews. Sentence: Hitler is a famous practitioner of this.

Dominicans

Definition: member of the Roman Catholic order of preaching friars founded by St. Dominic, or of a religious order for women founded on similar principles. Sentence: The Dominican Church was built in a public square.

Feudalism

Definition: the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. Sentence: Peasants were allowed to live on the feudalists ;and as long as they worked for them.

Vernacular

Definition: the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. sentence: Yo man whats poppin?

Bourgeoisie

Definition: the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes. Sentence: "The truth is that liberal humanism is at once largely ineffectual, and the best ideology of the 'human' that present bourgeois society can muster." Terry Eagleton

Scholasticism

Definition: the system of theology and philosophy taught in medieval European universities, based on Aristotelian logic and the writings of the early Church Fathers and having a strong emphasis on tradition and dogma. Sentence: The University produced many intelligent scholars.

Bishopric

Definition:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has bishops, but not dioceses. LDS bishops are leaders of a ward. They serve a term, or calling, and are sustained by the members of the ward. The bishop and two councilors are called the bishopric. Sentence: The Worshipers went to the church to see the Bishopric preach.