j Flashcards
(39 cards)
Who was the Germanic tribal leader who sieged and sacked Rome?
Alaric
Alaric was the king of the Visigoths.
What was that leader’s tribe called?
Visigoths
What happened to all the gold and loot plundered from the sack of Rome?
25% of it was buried with Alaric when he died somewhere in southern Italy
The total treasure was accumulated over 800 years of Roman plunder.
What was one negative consequence of Rome’s expanding trade networks?
Global spread of diseases
Why did Rome begin training and hiring mercenaries as the Empire collapsed?
They ran out of money and needed defenses.
What major world historical event occurred in 284?
Roman Empire split into 2 halves - Eastern & Western
Eastern half is rich, speaks mostly Greek, capital is Constantinople, called Byzantium. Western half is poorer, speaks Latin, capital is Rome.
Why did the Renaissance scholars describe the period after the fall of Rome as ‘Dark Ages’?
Because the period before the fall of Rome was much more bright and the Dark Ages were so bad and dark and empty.
After the fall of Roman Imperial power, what happened politically in western Europe?
Europe split into many different powers
How did this make them vulnerable to invasions?
Invaders could easily take land as not everyone was united.
What roles did the Church Monasteries play during the Dark Ages?
The light in the dark, the hope and to become free.
Which people did Clovis unite under his strong leadership?
Franks
The ‘Venerable Bede’ was the first historian of which former Roman nation?
English monk, wrote the history of the Roman Empire
What 2 economic activities replaced trade and industry in the Dark Ages?
- Herding
- Agriculture
What percentage of all children died before reaching adolescence in the Dark Ages?
50%
What catastrophe stopped Justinian from realizing his dream of reuniting the Empire?
Black Death
Who was crowned ‘Emperor of Rome’ on Christmas Day 800 AD?
Charlemagne
What great city became the most powerful Roman city after the fall of the city of Rome?
Constantinople
Charlemagne was remarkable because he built schools for ALL his subjects, regardless of what?
Class
Life in the Dark Ages was ‘nasty, brutal and ….?’
short
What religion was a constant threat to Christendom during the Dark Ages?
Moors/Islam
What was the purpose of the super strict rules in Christian monasteries?
Human will being broken, follow Christ
What were the rules designed to tame?
The human will
What benefits did the Christian faith offer the people of Europe during the Dark Ages?
- A place to become free
- Gave people food
- People donated to the church
List 2 or 3 reasons why the Vikings were pressured to leave their homeland and go plundering.
- Overpopulation
- Needed land
- Wanted wealth
