Villalobos Eamon Barkhordarian

Period C 9/15/08

Answer Key for “Rise of Christianity and the Middle

Ages”
Study Guide Topics
a. The powerful Roman Empire started losing its power around this time. In the
year 476 C.E, the Roman Empire fell. The churches were then organized and
held in the same buildings the Romans used, but abandoned. When the Roman
Empire fell, it created a “power vacuum” and all the power the Roman Empire
had was transferred to the churches.
b. At first, Emperor Constantine was the one that began the Christian conversion.
He was the Emperor of Rome who stopped the persecution of Christians and in
324 made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire; in 330 he
moved his capital from Rome to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople
c. He revived learning, extended Christian civilization, and furthered the blending
of German, Roman, and Christian traditions. He set up a strong, efficient
government.
d. Once the Christian church split, the Eastern Church’s capital was
Constantinople and was associated with the Byzantine Empire. The western
church, headed by the pope, had Rome as its capital and became known as the
Roman Catholic Church. It became the most powerful secular force in
Medieval Europe.
e. Feudalism, The Manor Economy, and the Roman Catholic Church were the
dominant political, economical, and social forces.
Villalobos Eamon Barkhordarian
Period C 9/15/08

Identifications
Feudalism- The social system that developed in Europe in the 8th century; vassals were
given land by lords, and in return had to provide service and loyalty. It gave organization
to society.
Knight-The soldiers of the time. They were important because they wer the protectors of
the people
Magna Carta- The document that redefined the relationship between the kings and his
vassals. It was the first document that gave the power to the people.
Reconqiusta- Christian re conquest of the Iberian peninsula from around 1100 till 1492.
Spain took action against the Muslims to recapture Spain.
Indulgences-What Christians paid for in order to get their sins taken away. This was
important because it was something heavily abused by the church.
Parliament-
The Manor economy-
Secular- non religious.
Common Law-
Guilds-
The Black Death-
Heresy-
Vassals-
Charlemagne-
Excommunication-
Pope-
Domesday Book-
Serfs-
Fief-
The Holy Roman Empire-
Constantinople-
Villalobos Eamon Barkhordarian
Period C 9/15/08

Pope Urban-
William of Normandy-
The Great Schism-