Political and Cultural Change in Early Medieval Western Europe

All flashcards

What is acculturation?

Acculturation is the process by which groups adopt, adapt, and blend one another’s cultural practices. In successor kingdoms, Roman and Germanic traditions combined in religion, administration, and society.

What happened in 476?

Odoacer deposed the western emperor Romulus Augustulus and took the title King of Italy. The date is a conventional marker because Roman culture and institutions continued in many places.

What was wergild?

Wergild, or blood price, was compensation paid for injury or death. Its amount could vary according to a person’s social standing and was intended to help limit revenge and violence.

Who was Theodoric the Great?

Theodoric was an Ostrogothic king who ruled Italy from 493. He relied on Roman administrators, repaired infrastructure, pursued diplomacy, and presented himself as a successor to Roman rulers.

Why was Clovis’s conversion significant?

Clovis’s conversion to Catholic Christianity helped win church support and strengthen connections between the Franks and their Gallo-Roman subjects.

Quiz questions

1. Why is the year 476 traditionally used as a turning point in western European history?Answer: Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus and ruled as King of Italy.
2. What does acculturation describe in post-Roman western Europe?Answer: The adaptation and blending of cultural practices between Roman and Germanic populations.
3. What was wergild intended to help accomplish?Answer: Compensating for injury or death and reducing cycles of revenge.
4. How did Theodoric draw on Roman traditions to govern Italy?Answer: He employed Roman aristocrats in administration and repaired infrastructure.
5. How did Clovis’s Catholic conversion help strengthen his rule?Answer: It helped him gain church support and build ties with Gallo-Roman subjects.