Chapter 9 Study Guide
Name: _________________________ Date: _____
Section 1: Transforming the Roman World
1. What time period is considered the Middle Ages? AND Why do historians call that time period the Dark Ages?
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2. What two groups of Germanic people moved into the lands of the Roman Empire? AND Where did they settle?
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3. Who founded the Kingdom of the Franks? ________________________________________________________________
4. What were Clovis’ main accomplishments? _______________________________________________________________
5. Why did Clovis convert to Christianity? AND What were two (2) consequences of his conversion?
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6. What was the crucial social bond among the Germanic people (social bond in the Frankish Kingdom)? ________________
7. Describe the Germanic system of law of wergild and trial by ordeal (legal system in the Frankish Kingdom).
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8. Describe the organization of the Catholic Church from top to the bottom.
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9. Explain the importance of the man known as the pope. (What title does the pope hold in the Catholic Church?)
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10. In what endeavor was Pope Gregory I especially active? ___________________________________________________
11. Who are the pagans? _______________________________________________________________________________
12. What is the monastic movement? AND Who was St. Benedict?
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13. Who were the monks, where did they live, and whom did they report to?
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14. List the daily activities of the Benedictine monks. _________________________________________________________
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15. What two important functions did monks perform? ________________________________________________________
16. What are scriptoria? AND What are they so important to the history of Western Europe. __________________________
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17. Why was the monastic movement successful at spreading the Christian religion? ________________________________
18. Describe the lives of the monks of Mount Athos.
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19. Who were the mayors of the palace? AND Who was the most famous mayor of the palace? Why?
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20. Who was Charles Martel? ____________________________________________________________________________
21. Put the following rulers in order of succession: Charles Martel, Charlemagne, Clovis, Pepin II, Pepin the Short, sons of
Clovis. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 2: Feudalism
1. Into what three kingdoms was the Frankish kingdom divided after Charlemagne’s death in 814?
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2. What three groups of people conquered Europe? AND Where did they come from? AND What parts of Europe did they
settle? ____________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. What two other names are the Vikings known by? _________________________________________________________
4. What skills did the Vikings have? ______________________________________________________________________
5. Describe the ships of the Vikings. AND Why were the Viking ships excellent tools of conquest? ____________________
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6. What are the reasons for the Vikings’ conquest? ___________________________________________________________
7. How did the invasions of Europe contribute to the development of feudalism? ___________________________________
8. Describe the feudal system of medieval Europe: the structure of feudal society, who owed what to whom, and the feudal
oath (homage). _____________________________________________________________________________________
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9. What were the two major social classes in the feudal system? ________________________________________________
10. Who were the knights? AND How did they train, fight, lived? ________________________________________________
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11. Describe the daily lives of peasants in medieval Europe. AND Explain why the relationship between noble and peasant
was unfair? ________________________________________________________________________________________
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12. Define: dragon ship, vassal, tournament, jousting, chivalry, fief, manor, lord, serf, fallow.
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13. What were castles used for? AND How did castles provide protection (moat, drawbridge, thick walls, narrow slots for
windows, top of rocks)?
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14. When did castles become obsolete? _____________________________________________________________________
Section 3: The Growth of European Kingdoms - England
1. What is the difference between United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England? __________________________________
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2. What is the capital of the United Kingdom? Who is its monarch and political leader? _____________________________
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3. Who are the Anglo-Saxons? ___________________________________________________________________________
4. Who was William of Normandy? AND What is he known for? _______________________________________________
5. Describe and note the English king whose name is associated with each of the following: Common Law, Domesday Book,
House of Commons, House of Lords, Magna Carta, murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas Becket),
Parliament. ________________________________________________________________________________________
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6. What is the significance of the Magna Carta? AND How is it related to the U.S. Constitution? ______________________
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7. What are the similarities/differences between medieval English Parliament and the U.S. Congress?
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Chapter 9/Section 4: The Byzantine Empire and the Crusades
1. Who was Justinian AND what were two of his accomplishments?
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2. Explain how the Eastern Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire. _____________________________________
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3. When did the Byzantine Empire exist (from what year to what year)? _______________________________________
4. Describe the language, capital, type of church, and head of church of the Western Roman AND Byzantine Empires.
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5. What was the largest city in Europe in the Middle Ages AND why? ________________________________________
6. What was the height of the Byzantine Empire AND why? ________________________________________________
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7. Define schism AND explain why there was a schism in the Christian Church in the Middle Ages. ________________
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8. Define the word Crusades AND explain what prompted (caused) the Crusades, who fought in the Crusades, and why.
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9. What were the effects of the Crusades? _______________________________________________________________
10. Identify: orthodox, patriarch, Hagia Sophia, Seljuk Turks, Holy Land, Battle of Manzikert, Pope Urban II, infidel.
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