Abbot    ab·bot
      head of monastery: the monk in charge of a monastery

Alchemy   al·che·my
    a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life

Bacchus   Bac·chus
    classical god of wine: in Greek and Roman mythology, the god of wine, identified with the Greek god Dionysus and the Roman god Liber.

Chariot   char·i·ot
    ancient 2-wheeled vehicle: a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle without seats, used in ancient times in races, warfare, or processions

Christian   Chris·tian
     believer in Jesus Christ as savior: somebody whose religion is Christianity

Cloak   cloak
    outer garment: a loose sleeveless outer garment that fastens at the neck

Derision   de·ri·sion
    mocking scorn: contempt and mockery

Diocletian   Di·o·cle·tian
    245(or 248)-313(or 316) Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus Roman emperor (284-305); reorganized administration, finances, military forces of empire; reign noted for last great persecution of Christians

Epithet   ep·i·thet
    a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing

Fortunatus Purse
    The hero of a medieval European folk tale, the starving, impoverished Fortunatus is visited by Fortune and asked to choose between health, strength, wisdom, beauty, and wealth. Choosing wealth, he receives an inexhaustible purse of money—the proverbial “Fortunatus purse”

Good Friday   Good Friday
    the Friday before Easter observed in churches as the anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ

Hallucination   hal·lu·ci·na·tion
    perception of objects with no reality

Magistrate     mag·is·trate
    an official entrusted with administration of the laws

Matins    mat·ins
    a service of liturgical prayer used for regular morning worship in churches of the Anglican communion

Mediterranean Sea    Med·i·ter·ra·nean Sea
    sea 2300 miles (3700 kilometers) long between Europe & Africa connecting with the Atlantic through Strait of Gibraltar & with Red Sea through Suez Canal

Monastery    mon·as·tery
    a house for persons under religious vows; especially : an establishment for monks

Monastic    mo·nas·tic
    of or relating to monasteries or to monks or nuns

Monk    monk
    a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery

Nobleman    no·ble·man
    a man of noble rank

Novgorod    Nov·go·rod
    medieval principality Eastern Europe extending from Lake Peipus & Lithuania to the Urals

Novice   nov·ice
    a person admitted to probationary membership in a religious community

Palpable   pal·pa·ble
    capable of being touched or felt

Penance   pen·ance
    an act performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin

Plague   plague
    an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality

Plume   plume
    a cluster of distinctive feathers

Protege   pro·té·gé
    one who is protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence, or influence

Roman Empire   Holy Roman Empire
    an empire consisting primarily of a loose confederation of German and Italian territories under the suzerainty of an emperor and existing from the 9th or 10th century to 1806

Roman Senate   sen·ate
    the supreme council of the ancient Roman republic and empire

Slav   Slav
    a person whose native tongue is a Slavic language

Toga   to·ga
    the loose outer garment worn in public by citizens of ancient Rome

Tunic   tu·nic
    a simple slip-on garment made with or without sleeves and usually knee-length or longer, belted at the waist, and worn as an under or outer garment by men and women of ancient Greece and Rome

Wineskin   wine·skin
    a bag that is made from the skin of an animal (as a goat) and that is used for holding wine