Chp 10: Reshaping of Medieval Europe

Apprentice

a young boy began his occupational training as an apprentice; entered the home of the master craftsman and worked hard in return for food, lodging and training; varied from 2 to 7 years

List four basic freedoms shared by most townspeople

(1) Free status after living in a town for a year and a day (2) exemption from manorial obligations - not required to labor for the lord of the manor - the townspeople worked as a group in service to the lord, usually in the form of a cash payment (3) town justice - tried by court in one's own town instead of in a feudal court (4) commercial privileges: right to buy and sell freely in the town market; free from feudal interference and protected from competition from outside merchants

List three factors that aided a revival of learning during the twelfth century

(1) improving political and economic conditions, (2) transmission of Byzantine and Arab knowledge through the Crusades which opened new avenues of study when their writings became available in Europe (3) Increased need for education to meet the demands of law and business as government expanded

Where did we get our word bank

? From the Italian word "banca" which means bench and refers to the medieval European moneychangers

Quadrivium

A Middle Ages group of studies which included arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music

Trivium

A Middle Ages group of study which included grammar (Latin), rhetoric (speaking), and logic

What were two of the earliest universities begun in Europe?

Bologna in northern Italy and at Paris. How did they differ? Bologna was organized by the students who organized a guild to ensure that their teachers provided the education for which they paid; Paris university grew out of an old cathedral school and was supervised by a guild of masters or professors; Bologna was leading center for study of law and Paris was center for study of theology; both served as models for other universities

Who served as middlemen in trade between Europe and the Orient?

Italian merchants

Moors

Spanish Muslims who were in control of most of the Iberian Peninsula for three centuries

Why do you think the Hanseatic League maintained its own navy and waged war against countries?

To protect and grow their commercial interests; maintained the navy to protect their shipping routes; waged war to gain and maintain control over trade

What were the centers of trade for large scale international trade?

Trade fairs

Taille

a royal land tax in France which was used to maintain a strong army and defeat the English; this tax could be increased without consent (in contrast to the English king, who had to rely in Parliament for funds)

Journeyman

aka "Day-laborer," granted at the end of apprenticeship; young man could seek employment and earn wages as a skilled worker; usually remained at the home of the master craftsman & worked at his master's shop

Bull

an official papal document

Peter Abelard

another of the three most significant scholastic thinkers of the time period; advocated the frequent asking of questions as the "first key to wisdom." His philosophy was "by doubting we arrive at inquiry (asking critical questions), and through inquiry we perceive the truth."

Thomas Aquinas

another of the three most significant scholastic thinkers of the time period; called "the prince of the Schoolmen," said that when the church's teaching and Aristotle disagreed, the church's teaching was right and Aristotle was wrong; his book is called Summa Theologiae and followed this approach to theology and philosophy

Hundred Years' War

between England and France; 1337 - 1453; began as a conflict between feudal lords & ended as a rivalry between two emerging nation-states; contributed to the decline of feudalism in England & France and stimulated the growth of national identity in both coutries

Vernacular

common spoken language used in literature by writers in the twelfth century

Henry VII

crowned king after Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field; founded the powerful Tudor dynasty; firmly established the power of the English monarchy and build the English nation into a major European power - this position held for over 400 years

Diet

the German equivalent of the English Parliament

Boniface VIII

decline of the papacy began under him; he sought to control Europe the same way that Innocent III had; taxes and the arrest of a bishop caused conflict; French King Philip IV largely ignored him

Schism

divided the allegiance of the nations of Europe for 40 years; Roman church ended up with two popes because the French-dominated College of Cardinals elected an Italian as Pope due to Roman mob threat, but then declared it invalid and elected a new pope who ruled from Avignon. Both men claimed to be the rightful pope and each excommunicated the other

Charter

document outlining rights and freedoms of townspeople given by a feudal lord

Habsburg

family who built a strong base of power among the southern German states despite the efforts of the German nobles; became known as Austria

Council of Constance

finally settled the schism; large gathering of church leaders who succeeded in deposing the other claimants to the papal office and secured the election of Martin V as the sole pope.

Guilds

formal organization of merchants and craftsmen who banded together to protect their common commercial interests. The guild's primary function was to regulate the business activity of a given town. Two types: Merchant and craft

Maximilian I

greatly enlarged the Habsburg possessions through marriage; modern Belgium & Holland, Milan, Spain; resulted in Spain, the Low Countries, the Holy Roman Empire, and territory in the New World (Spanish possessions) came under Habsburg rule

What were the primary centers of trade on the local level in Europe?

markets

Moneychangers

men who were experienced in judging the approximate value of coins, discovering counterfeit currency and determining one currency's value in relation to another; became important because most merchants did not know the value of coins minted outside their own region

middle class

new social class that erupted and was composed of merchants, bankers, craftsmen, and skilled laborers; "men of the town" known as burgesses in England, burgeois in France and Burgers in Germany (Burg means walled town)

Geoffrey Chaucer

one of the two greatest writers of the late medieval period; English poet; The Canterbury Tales; collection of stories told by pilgrims on their way to visit the tomb of Tomas a Becket ad Canterbury; depicted English life and customs

Dante Alighieri

one of the two greatest writers of the late medieval period; Italian poet; Divine Comedy; ranks as one of the most brilliant works in all literature; takes an imaginary journey through hell, purgatory and paradise; reflects the religious beliefs, social order, and political turbulence of the late Middle Ages

Master

required years of experience & $ to open his own shop; had to undergo an oral exam, present an example of workmanship ("Master piece") and take oath to conduct himself according to the regulations of the guild; once approved, he could open his own shop and take on his own apprentices

Anselm

the earliest of the three most significant scholastic thinkers (1033-1109); he realized that faith in God's revelation is essential to proper understanding, but did not reject the use of reason; believed Christians should use reason to better understand God's revelation; best remembered for his use of logical arguments to support the existence of God and the satisfaction concept of the atonement

Unam Sanctam

the famous bull issued by Boniface VIII in which he asserted that it is "altogether necessary to salvation for every human being to be subject to the Roman pontiff"

Hanseatic League

the most famous association of towns; they formed associations with other towns to promote & protect their mutual commercial interests; more than 70 German cities in N-Western Europe ("The Hanse" - German for guild)

Romanesque

the prevalent architectural style in Europe; means "Roman-like," thick walls with stone vaults and ceilings; rounded arches, heavy columns, small doors and windows; dark and gloomy churches (as compared to Gothic, which had higher ceilings, thinner walls, and larger windows and doors; light and delicate architecture)

War of the Roses

two rival families, the houses of York and Lancaster, fought for the English throne. 30 years of intermittent conflict;

Troubadours

wandering minstrels (musicians or singers who sang or recited lyric or heroic poetry); they popularized vernacular in lyric poetry

Reconquista

warriors of the "reconquest" who successfully reclaimed the entire peninsula except for the kingdom of Granada by the late thirteenth century

Golden Bull

written constitution from the great nobles in Germany establishing the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire