Ulpian. -228. Roman prefect. Writings were source for Justinian’s Digest.

Ultramontanism. 15-19C. Roman Catholic movement for papal authority. Gallicanism.

Ursulines. 1535. Roman Catholic order founded by Angela Merci for the education of women.

Usury. Maximum interest rates: Rome 50BC: 12%, 529: 8%. Islam 622: 0%. Christian 1311: 0%. England: 1623 8%, 1651 6%, 1713 5%, 1854 eliminated. USA, by State: 5-45%

Utraquists. 15C. Moderate Bohemian Hussite sect; most re-absorbed by Roman Catholic Church 1620. Moravian Church.

Valdemar I. 1131-82. King of Denmark 1157-. Conquered Norway. Allied with Sweden, France, Holy Roman Empire.

Valens. 328-78. East Roman Emperor 364-. Killed at Adrianople.

Valentine, St. c270. 2 Christians martyred by Claudius II. Modern celebration derives from Roman Lupercalia fertility festival.

Valentinian III. 419-55. Roman Emperor 425-. Lost Africa to Vandals, Gaul to Huns.

Varro, Marcus. 116-27BC. Prolific Roman scholar, satirist. 600 books. “Know thyself”.

Venus. Roman goddess of love and beauty. =Aphrodite.

Vespasian. 9-79. Roman Emperor, 69-. Began Colosseum 72. Fiscal reform, stability.

Vestal Virgins. Chaste Roman guardians of Temple to Vesta, goddess of the hearth.

Vichy. Seat of Pétain’s pro-German government, 1940-44 in unoccupied southern France. Source of waters famous since Roman times.

Vigny, Alfred de. 1797-1863. French Romantic writer. Shakespeare adaptations. Cinq-Mars 1826.

Virgil. 70-19BC Roman epic poet. Aeneid 30-19BC. Bucolics. Georgics 36BC.

Vitruvius. 1C BC. Roman architect, writer. De architectura 27BC.

Voodoo. Carribean religious cult of ritual and magic. Synthesis of African rites and French Roman Catholicism.

Vulcan. Roman god of destruction, fire, weapons. = Hephaestos.

Wagner, Richard. 1813-83. German Romantic opera composer/librettist. Leitmotif. Unified drama and music in long and complex operas. Tannhäuser 1845. Lohengrin 1850. Nibelung Ring 1853-76. Tristan and Isolde 1857-9. Parsifal 1882.

Walachia. 1290 Vlachs settle. 1417 Ottoman suzerainty. 1774 Russia. 1859 +Moldavia =Romania.

Walpole, Horace. 1717-97. English writer, connoisseur. First Gothic Romance. Castle of Otranto 1765.

Warsaw Pact. 1955-91. USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, E Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania. Treaty for the combined defence of Eastern Europe under Soviet supreme command.

Watling Street. Roman road from London to NW England. Part still in use.

Weber, Carl von. 1786-1826. German Romantic opera composer. Oberon 1826.

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