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.

Whitby, Synod. 664. Settled dispute, favoring Roman over Celtic church. Defined Easter date as first Sunday after full moon after vernal equinox. March 22 to April 25. Wilfrid.

Wiesel, Elie. 1928-. Romanian Holocaust victim, author. After the Darkness 2002. Foundation for Humanity. .

Wilfrid, St. 634-709. Bishop of York 665-. Urged Roman usages at Whitby Synod.

Wittstock, Battle. 1636. Sweden defeats Holy Roman Empire in Thirty Years War.

Wordsworth, William. 1770-1850. English Romantic lyric ballad Lake Poet. “Nature’s Priest”.

Worms, Diet of. 1521. Called by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Lutheranism outlawed. Luther declared heretic, exiled. Reformation.

Worms, Synod. 1076. Called by Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV to depose Pope Gregory VII. 1122 Concordat of Worms.

Xanthos, Sieges. Lycians defend against: 546BC Persians. 43BC Romans. Residents commit mass suicide both times. Asia Minor.

Young Germany. 1830-50. Literary movement vs Nationalism and Romanticism. Heine. Wienbarg.

Zoë. 978-1050. Byzantine Empress 1028-. Married and murdered Romanus III. Crowned lover Michael IV and son Michael V. Married Constantine IX.

Zwingli, Huldrych. 1484-1531. Swiss humanist and religious reformer. Zurich Reformation 1522. Urged priests to marry. Attacked Roman mass and worship of images. Swiss Evangelical Church. Killed in Kappel Wars.

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