12 Medieval Europe and Byzantium Free Online FlashCards

Why is “feudalism” an imperfect description of medieval political relationships?

It is a useful shorthand for diverse local arrangements, not one standardized system used uniformly across medieval Europe.

What did a vassal receive in exchange for service to a lord?

A fief was land or income granted by a lord to a vassal in return for service, commonly military aid and counsel.

How did manorialism differ from lord–vassal relationships?

Manorialism organized rural production and authority around an estate; feudal relationships concerned personal ties between lords and vassals.

What defined a serf’s position on a medieval manor?

Serfs were legally bound to the land and owed labor, rents, or payments; obligations differed among regions and peasants.

Why was the Holy Roman Empire politically decentralized?

The emperor’s authority depended on negotiation with princes and church leaders because the empire consisted of many territories.

What political change occurred in England and France over time?

In England and France, monarchies developed more centralized institutions over time, though royal success varied.

How did the Church exercise political power in medieval Europe?

Bishops and abbots held land, rulers sought their support, and popes sometimes asserted authority over secular rulers.

How did Byzantines understand their empire and its cultural traditions?

They understood their state as the Roman Empire. Byzantine culture combined Roman political traditions, Greek language and learning, and Orthodox Christianity.

What were three major initiatives of Justinian I?

He sought to restore Roman power in the Mediterranean, sponsored a major compilation of Roman law, and rebuilt Hagia Sophia.

What happened to Constantinople and Byzantium from 1204 to 1453?

After crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, Byzantine rulers restored control of the city in 1261; the Ottoman conquest ended the state in 1453.

What were the Crusades?

They were religiously sanctioned military campaigns, most famously launched by western European Christians toward the eastern Mediterranean.

How did the Fourth Crusade deepen divisions among Christians?

In 1204, crusaders sacked Constantinople and established Latin rule there, deepening divisions between Latin Catholic and Byzantine Orthodox Christians.