8th Medieval Europe Test Review

Movement backward; passing from a more complex to a simpler structure

• Retrogression

• Regress

• Reversion

• Retention

What impact did the invasions of the western Roman Empire from 400-1000 CE have on the stability of Western Europe?

• caused a feeling of helplessness and fear

• created many changes in government and laws

• written laws and architecture faltered, or faded, and basically went away

• kingdoms were weaker and armies weren’t professionally trained

What impact did the invasions of the western Roman Empire from 400-1,000 CE have on the stability of Western Europe?

• created many changes in government and laws

• people lived in constant threat of invasion and had to fight for their land and homes frequently

• Plague killed many and peasants demanded a better life helping bring an end to feudalism

• there was less trade, less wealth, fewer cities, fewer people and fewer goods

How did the fall of the Roman Empire affect Western Europe culturally? 

• written laws and architecture faltered, or faded, and basically went away

• viewed Roman literature as pagan, so education and literacy declined and basically went away

• most people lived on farms

• people lived in fear of invasion from outside groups

How did the fall of the Roman Empire affect Western Europe economically?

• people gave the church one tenth of their earnings

• groups valued rural agricultural settlements instead of the wealthy Roman city-life so cities fell into ruin

• kingdoms were weaker and armies weren’t professionally trained

• a peasant farmer (90% of population) was given a plot of land which they could farm and protection

Why was the Catholic Church so rich and powerful?

• people paid the church for baptism, marriage, and communion

• people gave the church one tenth of their earnings

• a peasant farmer (90% of population) was given a plot of land which they could farm and protection

• warfare was constant for power and land because there was little money and land was wealth

Why was the Catholic Church so rich and powerful?

• a peasant farmer (90% of population) was given a plot of land which they could farm and protection

• people paid penances to the church

• wealthy gave land to the church

• groups valued rural agricultural settlements instead of the wealthy Roman city-life so cities fell into ruin

What was life like for people in Medieval Europe living under a feudal arrangement? 

• with no central authority in Europe, feudalism worked for both kings and peasants

• a peasant farmer (90% of population) was given a plot of land which they could farm and protection

• kings got loyalty and protection, peasants got security and a way to eek out a life

• long range trade was replaced by locally produced goods, as trade slowed so did wealth

What was life like for people in Medieval Europe living under a feudal arrangement?  

• peasants could be bound to the land without rights to travel or move up the social hierarchy

• merchants or artisans could be independent but had to pay rent to the lord

• wealth increased because of trade and the production of goods to buy

• no centralized power Kings had to protect their own land from invasions through granting land for loyalty and military service

What were some of the characteristics of the late medieval period which helped bring Western Europe out of the Dark Ages?  

• the growth of cities

• Plague killed many and peasants demanded a better life helping bring an end to feudalism

• start of universities which taught law, medicine, theology, and the arts and an interest in education

• increased trade with foreign places