other terms Flashcards
Rhetors
Teachers of rhetoric (study and uses of language)
Cult of Saints
veneration of saints as holy and powerful intercessors with God in Christian tradition
Relics
Physical remains or objects associated with a holy figure or event, considered to have spiritual power or significance
Pilgrimage
Journey made by an individual or group to a sacred place or shine, usually for religious reason
imago dei
‘image of God,’ the idea that humans are created in the likeness of God
Apocryphal Acts
non-canonical accounts of the deeds and teachings of Christian apostles and other early figures
Acts of Paul & Thecla
Apocryphal acts that detail the Apostle Paul and his devout student Thecla
Carthage
Powerful city-state in North Africa that rose in 5th cen BC, later a major center for Christianity and key player in the conflicts between Vandals, Byzantines, and Arab conquerors
Manichaeism
dualistic religion with origins in Persia, combines elements of Christianity, Gnosticism, and Zoroastrianism
Donatism
schismatic movement that emerged in North Africa, rigid insistence on purity of the church and exclusion of those who lapsed in faith during religious persecution (like Diocletian persecution)
Pelagian Controversy
theological debate between pelagius and augustine over the nature of sin, free will, and grace
Visigoths
Germanic peoples who established a kingdom in Iberia after the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Vandals
Germanic peoples who established a kingdom in North Africa, known for sacking Rome in 455 and Nicene Christian persecution
Huns
Nomadic peoples from Central Asia, created powerful empire under the leadership of Attila
Ostrogoths
Germanic peoples who established a kingdom in Italy after the fall of the West Roman Empire, after they helped in the fall of the Empire
magister militum
master of soldiers, highest military office
Theodosian Code
Roman laws created in 438 that served as a primary legal authority in the Eastern Roman Empire
Theotokos
“Mother of God,” referring to the Virgin Mary
Council of Ephesus
affirmed the orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation, declared Mary as theotokos, and condemned Nestorianism
Miaphysite
doctrine that emphasizes the unity between Jesus Christ’s divinity and humanity
Council of Chalcedon
declared that Jesus Christ had two distinct natures, one divine and one human
Anglo-Saxons
Germanic poeple who migrated to England in 5th-6th centuries, basis for English civilization
Franks
confederation of Germanic tribes who emerged as a dominant force in Western Europe, eventually founded Frankish Empire
Nika Revolt
deadly riot in Constantinople during 532, sparked by chariot race rivalry and fueled by social and political reasons (greens vs blues)
Corpus Iuris Civilis
“Justinian Law Code,” collection of Roman laws compiled under the direction of Justinian I
Lombards
Germanic peoples who migrated to and established a kingdom in Italy following the Ostrogothic kingdom
Salic law
code of laws that served as the basis for legal system of the Franks and other Germanic tribes, dealing with issues like inheritance, criminal law, and property rights
wergeld
monetary compensation or payment used in Germanic societies as a means for resolving conflict
trivium
lower division of the several liberal arts. grammar, logic, and rhetoric
quadrivium
upper division of liberal arts. arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music
vivarium
monastery founded by Cassiodorus in Southern Italy focused on preserving and studying classical literature
exarch
governor or viceroy of large territorial jurisdiction in Byzantine Empire, direct representative of the Emperor
Slavs & Avars
ethnic groups (slavs were eastern european, avars were central asian) that challenged the Byzantine Empire’s control over the Balkans and contributed to the emergence of new policies in the region
Ctesiphon
Ancient city located on the east bank of Tigris River, was a capital of Parthian and Sassanian Empires
Zoroastrianism
Ancient Persian religion, monotheistic with the belief of good and evil, the worship of one God, and individual choice between right and wrong
Mecca
the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad
Medina
second holiest city in Islam, site of the first Islamic community established by the prophet Muhammad in 622
kaaba
cube-shaped building, house of God, center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, focal point of worship
Hijra
migration of the prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622
caliph
successor to the prophet Muhammad as political and religious leader of the Muslim community
Battle of Yarmuk
636 battle fought between Arab Muslim forces and Byzantine Empire, resulting in Muslim victory and opening the way for the Muslim conquest of Syria
Rashidun Caliphate
first Islamic caliphate, ruled by the first four caliphs who succeeded the prophet Muhammad, characterized by significant expansion and consolidation of Muslim territories
Umayyad Caliphate
second Islamic caliphate established after the death of the prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty
Dhimmi
non-Muslims living under Islamic rule who are granted legal protection in exchange for paying special taxes and accepting certain restrictions on their religious practices
Saracens
term commonly used in Medieval Europe to refer to Muslims of Arab and Berber origins
