Chapter 7 - The Middle Ages

Justinian

Byzantine emperor who conquered much of Western Roman Empire and ruled as an autocrat

What was the legacy of Charlemagne?

Charlemagne reunited much of the old Roman empire which would later become the foundation for the Holy Roman Empire.

What was the impact of the Christian church on medieval Europe?

Civilization in Western Europe was built around Christianity. Different people were united by one faith and people viewed non-Christians with suspicion and hostility. The church was not only a place of worship, but a social center as well. The Christian church would become the most powerful institution in Western Europe and it controlled spiritual life and held enormous influence over secular affairs.

Justinian's Code

Code of Laws established by Justinian, he told people to write down all Roman laws, became basis for much of Western Law

William the Conqueror

Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066 and claimed the English crown

How did feudal monarchs strengthen their kingdoms?

Feudal monarchs strengthened their kingdoms by attempting to seize more power over their nobles and the Church. Some wold be successful and centralize power.

What led to the development of feudalism?

Feudalism developed out of the lack of unity and strong government across Europe and this need for protection as people formed small communities around a lord.

Charles Martel

Frankish leader who defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours

Clovis

Frankish ruler who conquered Gaul (France)

Hugh Capet

French king who increases royal power and established stability

Henry IV

Holy Roman Emperor who was excommunicated for not obeying pope's orders, thought he could pick bishops

What did the system of feudalism look like?

Lords divided up their land among vassals in exchange for protection. The fiefs, or estates ranged from a few acres to hundreds of square miles. Peasants worked the land. Vassals often held fiefs from more than one lord.

What conflicts did feudal monarchs face?

Many feudal monarchs clashed with the Catholic church and their own nobles.

What the result of the conflicts feudal monarchs faced?

Many feudal monarchs were excommunicated and forced to repent or bow down to their nobles.

Cyrillic

Russian alphabet inspired by the Byzantine alphabet

What were the causes and effects of the Crusades?

The Crusades were an attempt by Pope Urban II in 1095 to win back the Holy Land. Armies of ordinary men and women would be inspired to join the knights in the cause. The first Crusade resulted in the Christian knights taking back control of Jerusalem. Conflict between Muslims and Christians would continue and left a bitter legacy between the two religions.

How did the smaller kingdoms established by Germanic tribes change Europe?

The Germanic tribes invaded the Western Roman Empire causing it to fall and fragmented Europe into smaller and more isolated regions.

What period is defined as the Middle Ages?

The Middle Ages is the period of time in Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 1476, to the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th Century.

What are the characteristics of the Middle Ages time period?

The Middle Ages were characterized by violence, disease, famine, and a lack of education (especially in the early Middle Ages).

How did the events of the late Middle Ages cause significant change across Europe?

The black plague (bubonic plague) swept across Europe and killed 1/3 of the population.

How was the manorial system structured?

The lord of the manor, or estate, exercised legal and economic power over the peasants who lived on the estate. The peasants owed the lord their labor and goods. Most peasants were serfs, not slaves, but not free. The serfs were tied to the land and not allowed to leave without the lord's permission. Generally, the manor was self-sufficient.

Battle of Tours

a battle between Christian Franks led by Charles Martel and Muslims from Spain, the battle stopped Muslims from advancing farther into Europe

Capital

a battle in which Christians stopped the Muslim advance into Western Europe, 732

Fief

a feudal estate belonging to a vassal

Vassal

a knight who promised to support a lord in exchange for land

Gothic Style

a new type of architecture characterized by pointed arches, gargoyles, and flying buttresses

Black Death (Bubonic Plague)

a plague that killed one out of three Europeans and led to the end of the medieval era

Crusades

a series of military campaigns to establish Christian control over the Holy Land

Feudalism

a system based on the granting of land for loyalty, military assistance, and other services

Manor

an estate ruled by a lord, often functioned as mini towns

Urban II

announced first crusade to reclaim the holy land

Constantinople

capital of the Byzantine Empire, heart of trade, located in a defensive position

Secular

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual matters

Otto I

crowned emperor of the German States of Central Europe, later the Holy Roman Empire

Louis IX

deeply admired French king that persecuted heretics and muslims

Vernacular

everyday language of the people

Excommunication

exclusion from the Roman Catholic Church as a punishment for refusing to obey church law

Christine de Pisan

female medieval author

Philip IV

fought with pope and created the Estates General

Magna Carta

great charter signed by John that affirmed feudal rights and protected privilege of nobles

Thomas Aquinas

influential scholastic

Holy Roman Empire

kingdom originally made up of what is now Germany and Italy, created by Charlemagne

Chivalry

knight's code of conduct, emphasis on being brave and true to their word, rarely followed

Middle Class

made of merchants and artisans, expanded after the black death

Medieval

of or relating to the middle ages

Gregory VII

pope that believed only he had the right to appoint bishops

Innocent III

pope that excommunicated John after John disagreed with his choice for archbishop

Charlemagne

powerful Frankish ruler who built a huge empire, crowned Emperor of the Romans

Anti-Semitism

prejudice against Jews, blamed for disasters and famine

John

rejected the pope's choice for an archbishop and was excommunicated, was forced by Barons to sign Magna Carta

Scholasticism

relating biblical stories to science and Greek and Roman works

Knight

soldiers who were trained from boyhood and were supposed to be chivalrous

Autocrat

sole ruler with complete authority

Philip Augustus

strengthened French royal power, introduced national tax, used middle class in government jobs

Manorial System

the economic system of medieval Europe based on peasants working on their lords estates

Franks

the most successful tribe to emerge after the fall of the Roman Empire

Vikings

warriors from Scandinavia who conquered many areas in Europe and established colonies

Serf

workers who were tied to the land on which they lived