The Middle Ages: People to Know Flashcards
King Clovis
KING CLOVIS: A Frankish king who became Catholic in AD 496.
- Because he became a Catholic, he won support of the Romans living in his kingdom.
- Before long, almost all of the Franks became Catholic.
Gregory VII
GREGORY VII
- Elected pope in 1073
- Wanted to stop nobles and kings from interfering in Church affairs, so issued a decree forbidding kings from appointment high-ranking Church officials.
- excommunicated HENRY IV when he refused to obey that decree, and said he was no longer the Holy Roman emperor.
- Since German nobles stuck up for Pope Gregory VII, King Henry backed down and stood barefoot in the snow to be un-excommunicated, which Gregory did. But Henry still wasn’t emperor.
- So Henry went to war when nobles chose a new king. He captured Rome and named a new pope, but Gregory’s allies drove out Henry’s forces, but the dispute was not resolved until 1122 with the CONCORDAT OF WORMS.
Henry IV
HENRY IV
- When Pope GREGORY VII said kings could no longer appoint officials in the church, Henry got angry. He didn’t want to give up that power, because he had been appointing Bishops in Germany for years.
- So Pope Gregory EXCOMMUNICATED Henry, and said he was no longer emperor.
- Henry begged barefoot in the snow to be un-excommunicated, which he then was, but nobles still picked a new emperor that wasn’t him.
- Henry said nope, I’m still emperor, so he invaded Rome, appointing a new pope.
- Dispute was not resolved until the CONCORDAT OF WORMS was signed about 50 years later.
Pope Urban II
POPE URBAN II
- In 1095 Pope Urban II called for the first crusade, or holy war, against the Muslim Turks.
- Wanted to free Jerusalem, the Holy Land where Jesus had lived, from the Muslims.
- Said “Jerusalem is the navel (center) of the world … the land which the Redeemer (Jesus) of mankind illuminated by his coming … This royal city, situated in the middle of the world, is now held captive by his enemies…”
King Edward (the Confessor)
KING EDWARD (the Confessor):
King Ferdinand
KING FERDINAND
Joan of Arc
JOAN OF ARC
A French peasant girl whose faith inspired the French army to take the city of Orleans for France. She was captured by the English and burned at the stake by the Inquisition.
* Joan told Charles, prince of southern France, that her favorite saints had urged her to free France. He was persuaded by her honesty and gave her an army.
* Joan’s faith stirred the soldiers and they took the city. Shortly after, Charles was declared king but a few months later English captured Joan and handed her over to the INQUISITION which had her burned at the stake.
Harold Godwinson
HAROLD GODWINSON
Saladin
SALADIN: A brilliant Muslim commander who defeated Christians to capture Jerusalem in 1187, sparking the Third Crusade.
* Saladin was was ruler of Egypt, and united Muslims and declared war against Christian states that the crusaders had built.
Charles Martel
CHARLES MARTEL: powerful noble who wanted to unite all Frankish nobles under his rule.
- Pope offered him support since he was Catholic, and because the Catholic Church wanted to restore order in the lands of the Western Roman Empire.
- But first, Martel had to defend Europe from invasion. In AD 732 Martel led the Franks against the Muslims, and defeated them at the BATTLE OF TOURS. This stoped the Muslim advance, and Christianity remained Europe’s major religion.
William the Conqueror
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
William I, usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman King of England.
* descendant of the Viking ruler who conquered NORMANDY, and cousins with King Edward of England.
* When King Edward died, a noble named HAROLD GODWINSON was made king, but William thought it should be him. So William took his knights army to England and beat Harold and his foot soldiers at the BATTLE OF HASTINGS and was now king of England. That’s how he got his name ‘the conqueror’
Thomas Aquinas
THOMAS AQUINAS Thomas Aquinas (a Dominican friar and priest) was sholasticism’s greatest champion. He was best known for combining church teachings with the ideas of Aristotle
Queen Isabella
QUEEN ISABELLA
Charlemagne
CHARLEMAGNE
“Charles the Great” was crowned Emperor of the Romans by the pope, officially creating a new Roman Empire in AD 800.
* Grandson of Charles Martel
* Protected the pope when the Lombards (a Germanic group) tried to regain their territory.
* Invaded eastern Germany and defeated the Saxons, ordering them to convert to Christianity.
* Invaded Spain and gained control of the northeastern corner from the Muslims.
* Unlike other Frankish rulers, Charlemagne pushed for more education of his people.
* He tried to learn to write late in life, but never was very successful.
King John
KING JOHN
