MEDIEVAL EUROPE: COURSE DESCRIPTION AND SCHEDULE

HIST/CLHU 425/525
Fall 2006
East 213, T 7-10 PM

Clayton Miles Lehmann
East 210; 5573
Office Hours: 11:00-12:00 TTh

This course surveys the history of Europe and the Mediterranean from the third century after Christ to the fourteenth, from the dissolution of the classical world and its transformation into the worlds of Islam, Byzantium, and the medieval West to the beginning of the early modern world. While the primary emphasis is on the West, Islam and Byzantium receive significant attention.

Students must attend all lectures, read all assignments, and participate actively in discussions. Each student will read a history by a medieval author, chosen by 7 Sept in consultation with the instructor, present a summary and evaluation of the work to the class, and write a short (5-10 pp) paper on a problem raised in reading the history. The presentation for a given historian will occur in accordance with the chronological progression of the course. From time to time the instructor will administer surprise quizzes over the readings.

Graduate students will, in addition, write a research paper on a topic approved by the instructor.

The final grade will depend on two exams (50 points each), the presentation (10 points), quizzes (5 points each, dropping the lowest score) and the paper (50 points). Poor attendance will reduce the final grade; students who expect to miss more than one meeting should consult with the instructor the first day of class. In particular, each unexcused absence from another student’s presentation will result in a 10-point reduction from the final grade.

REQUIRED BOOKS

George Holmes, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe. New ed. Oxford: Oxford Univ Press, 2001. 0192854356
Patrick J Geary. Readings in Medieval History. 3d ed. Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 2003. 1551115506
Peter Abélard and Héloïse. The Letters of Abelard and Heloise. Trans Betty Radice. Rev ed. London: Penguin Books, 2003. 0140448993

RECOMMENDED BOOK

Kate L Turabian. A Manual for Writers. 7th ed. Chicago: Univ of Chicago Press, 2007. 0226823377

Regental and University policies

1. Freedom in learning. Students are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are enrolled. Under Board of Regents and University policy, student academic performance shall be evaluated solely on an academic basis and students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study. Students who believe that an academic evaluation is unrelated to academic standards but is related instead to judgment of their personal opinion or conduct should contact the dean of the college which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.
2. If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Director of the Office of Disability Services, (Service Center 199; 677-6389) as early as possible in the semester.
3. No credit can be given for a dishonest assignment. At the discretion of the instructor, a student caught engaging in any form of academic dishonesty may be:
a. Given a zero for that assignment.
b. Allowed to rewrite and resubmit the assignment for credit.
c. Assigned a reduced grade for the course.
d. Dropped from the course.
e. Failed in the course.

SCHEDULE

1 Sept Introduction and Chronological Overview

Part One: Late Antiquity

8 Sept Constantine to Justinian: Political Holmes ch 1; Geary 69-82 (Tacitus), 83-117 (Jordanes), 120-28 (tomb of Childeric), 138-61 (Gregory of Tours) Constantine to Justinian: Religious Geary 29-60 (Augustine), 168-48 (Rule of St Benedict), 199-220 (Gregory the Great) SELECT HISTORIAN

15 Sept Constantine to Justinian: Cultural
Slides: Late Antiquity

Part Two: Islam and Byzantium

22 Sept Islam

29 Sept Byzantium: Political and Cultural
Report: Jaime Buckelman: Procopius
Slides: Islamic and Byzantine Architecture

Part Three: Reconstruction of Europe

6 Oct Roman Survivals and Early Medieval England
Holmes ch 2; Geary 224-35 (Bede), 236-52 (Life of King Alfred), 252-61 (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles)
Reports: Nick Fleming: Jordanes; Megan Boke: Isidore of Seville; Mark van Gerpen: Bede; Austin Fischbach: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; Charles Middlebroks: Asser
Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire
Geary 282-96 (Einhard), 297-302, 308-315 (Capitularies)
Report: Michael A. Ramsey: Einhard

13 Oct Charlemagne’s Successors and the Last Barbarians
Report: Alex Jorgensen: Al-Tabari
Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture

20 Oct MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Part Four: High Middle Ages

27 Oct Feudal Society
Geary 386 (Fulbert of Chartres), 387-92 (Hugh of Lusignan), 393-406 (Galbert of Bruges), 321-27 (Cluniac foundation)
Political Revival: The Empire
Holmes ch 3; Geary 608-634 (Investiture Controversy), 636-45 (Otto of Freising),663-85 (Golden Bull)

3 Nov    Political Revival: France
                Geary 686-704 (Joinville), 742-57 (Trial of Joan of Arc)
                Political Revival: England
                Geary 758-65 (Domesday Book), 776-93 (Magna Carta)
                Reports: Lisa Serres: Geoffrey of Monmouth; Keaton Bauman: John of Salisbury; Mathew Ahrlin: Matthew Paris

10 Nov    Revival of the Church
               Holmes, ch 4; Geary 443-69 (Fourth Lateran Council), 470-73 (Rule of St Francis), 474-77 (Clare of Assisi), 490-92 (Thomas of Cantimpré)
                The Crusades
                Geary 407-442 (accounts of the crusades)
                Reports: Adam Ericsson: Fulcher of Chartres; Kyle Hemeyer: William of Tyre; Jacob Flaws: Geoffrey de Villehardouin; Tori Georgiana: Anna Comnena; Garret Devries: John VI Cantacuzenus

17 Nov    Expansion of Europe
                Report: Amanda Zalud: Ibn Khaldun
                The Inquisition
                Geary 524-44 (Inquisition Records)

Part Five: Late Middle Ages

24 Nov Revival of Learning
Geary 493-523 (Bonaventure, Siger of Brabant, Aquinas); disc: Héloïse et Abélard
Political Crises
Holmes chs 5-6; Geary 545-66 (Marsilius of Padua)
Report: Dan Rogotzke: John Froissart

1 Dec Economic Developments
Geary 836-51 (Dati)
Gothic Art and Architecture

8 Dec Catch-up and Review
Papers Due

15 Dec 8-10 PM FINAL EXAM