1. Monasticism in medieval Europe:

A. was entirely a male area of activity.

B. involved an egalitarian governance structure.

C. included women, many of whom belonged to royal families

D. was based upon the model established by St. Basil.

im confused between A and B

2. All of the following are correct regarding the development of fief holding EXCEPT it:
A. was a response by local leaders who gathered military retainers to protect themselves, as the remnants of the imperial government could not adequately defend the state.

B. led to the creation of a large number of knights who literally owed their livings to the lord who granted them a fief.

C. led to a five hundred year period when warfare was dominated by heavily armed cavalry.

D. was a result of the Church's attempt to give serfs and peasants more social mobility

is it D

1. A

2. D -- correct

1. Monasticism in medieval Europe:

To determine the correct answer, we need to understand what monasticism is and how it functioned in medieval Europe. Monasticism refers to a religious practice where individuals would withdraw from society to live in secluded communities, dedicating their lives to prayer, devotion, and spiritual contemplation.

A. The statement "was entirely a male area of activity" is not entirely correct. While it is true that most monastic orders were predominantly male, there were also orders that allowed women to participate. One notable example is the Benedictine nuns who lived in convents. Therefore, option A is incorrect.

B. The statement "involved an egalitarian governance structure" is also not accurate. Monastic orders typically had hierarchical structures with leaders such as abbots or abbesses. This means that option B is also incorrect.

C. The statement "included women, many of whom belonged to royal families" is the most accurate choice. As mentioned earlier, there were women who participated in monasticism, and some of them were indeed from royal families. This makes option C the correct answer.

D. The statement "was based upon the model established by St. Basil" is incorrect. St. Basil, a fourth-century Christian theologian, did have a significant influence on monasticism but not specifically in medieval Europe. Therefore, option D is incorrect.

2. Development of fief holding:

To determine the correct answer, we need to understand the concept of fief holding and its historical development.

A. The statement "was a response by local leaders who gathered military retainers to protect themselves, as the remnants of the imperial government could not adequately defend the state" accurately describes how fief holding developed. Local leaders, or nobles, gathered military retainers or knights to provide protection in a time of political instability. This makes option A correct.

B. The statement "led to the creation of a large number of knights who literally owed their livings to the lord who granted them a fief" is also correct. Knights were granted fiefs by their lords, and in return, they provided military service and other forms of support. This makes option B correct.

C. The statement "led to a five hundred year period when warfare was dominated by heavily armed cavalry" accurately describes the impact of fief holding on warfare. The rise of knights and the importance of cavalry were key features of medieval warfare. This makes option C correct.

D. The statement "was a result of the Church's attempt to give serfs and peasants more social mobility" is incorrect. The development of fief holding was not primarily driven by the Church's attempt to give social mobility to serfs and peasants. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

In summary, for the second question, the correct answer is NOT D.