HISTORY : Greeks, Romans, Kings & Crusaders: European History to 1600

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1 HISTORY : Greeks, Romans, Kings & Crusaders: European History to 1600 Professor Scott G. Bruce Teaching Assistants: Ms. Sarah Luginbill and Ms. Manon Williams Time: MWF 2:00-2:50pm (Spring Semester 2016) in Hellems 252 Office Hours: MW 3:00 to 4:30pm in Hellems Course Description This lecture course explores the origins and transformation of western society in the Mediterranean Basin and northern Europe from the fall of Troy (c BCE) to the end of the Thirty Years War (1648 CE). Through lectures and discussions, the course investigates the historical circumstances that resulted in the rise and fall of ancient civilizations and the emergence and erosion of medieval societies. In particular, it emphasizes the role played by law, religion, gender, and the memory of the past as key components in the political formation and cultural identity of ancient and medieval peoples and states. The lectures proceed chronologically and fall into two thematic sections: (a) Ancient Worlds, and (b) Medieval Civilizations. The weekly discussion meetings will focus on the interpretation of ancient and medieval texts in English translation as well as the analysis of scholarly articles by prominent historians of premodern Europe. Course Requirements Each student is required to attend all of the lectures and weekly discussion meetings. The lectures will provide you with a broad, historical framework that will help you to contextualize and better understand the weekly reading assignments. These assignments are primarily English translations of Greek and Latin works by ancient and medieval philosophers, poets, monks, and kings. In their words, we can hear the echoes of voices expressing the ideals and concerns of a long distant past. The Friday discussion meetings allow you to share your impressions and interpretations of these readings and respond to the ideas raised by others. In addition, many of the texts that you will analyze and discuss in these meetings will be relevant to the essay questions that comprise the midterm and final exams. You should complete the assigned readings a few days before your discussion meeting to give yourself time to reflect on their meaning and significance. Always bring the weekly reading assignment with you on Fridays. Prepare thoroughly and come ready to discuss the reading assignment for the week. In addition, there will be a short quiz on most Fridays on Key Terms and People from that week s reading assignment. There will be a total of twelve quizzes over the course of semester worth (in total) 30% of your final grade. 1

2 Each student will also write two exams (worth 35% each). Appended to this syllabus are lists of ten (10) possible essay questions for the midterm and final exams. All of these questions concern the significance of important persons or themes in ancient and medieval history. On the exams, students will be expected to answer one (1) of these essay questions from a choice of three (3). Please read the rubrics of the exams carefully. The grading breakdown for the course is as follows: Weekly Quizzes (12 x 2.5%) 30% Midterm Exam 35% Final Exam 35% Please note: Students who do not complete ALL of the assigned coursework (including all twelve quizzes!) will receive an F in the class, irrespective of the grades of any other completed work. The following books are required for purchase: Lynn Hunt et al, The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, Volume 1: To 1750, 5 th edition (Boston and New York, 2016). Homer, The Odyssey, trans. Robert Fagels (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, 1998). Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics, 2007). Beowulf: A New Verse Translation, trans. Seamus Heaney (W.W. Norton and Co., 2001). Two Lives of Charlemagne, trans. David Ganz (Penguin Classics, 2008). Jay Rubenstein, The First Crusade: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford/St. Martin s, 2015). The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, trans. Betty Radice (Penguin Classics, 2004). John Aberth, The Black Death: The Great Mortality of : A Brief History with Documents (Bedford/St. Martin s, 2005). William Shakespeare, Hamlet (Signet Classics). Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects (Viking, 2011). 2

3 Important Information for All Students Cell phones must be turned off and put away before entering the lecture hall. Laptop computers are not permitted for use during lectures or discussions of HIST 1011 unless you have a letter from Disability Services (DS) stating your documented medical need to use one. Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from DS and discuss specific needs with the professor immediately, preferably during the first two weeks of class. DS determines accommodations based on documented disabilities ( ; disabilityservices.colorado.edu). The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises or create an environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence hall. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at For information about the ODH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed, see All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; ). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension or expulsion). Additional information can be found here: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express opinions. See 3

4 Explanation of the Grading Scale The highest possible grade, an A paper or exam demonstrates exceptional insight as well as an outstanding mastery of the course or research material. Students who achieve this grade have proven that they have a nuanced understanding of the theoretical issues and historical content presented in the course. Their arguments show intellectual originality and creativity and are sensitive to historical context. They articulate their ideas with clarity and elegance. An A- paper or exam demonstrates an excellent mastery of the course or research material. Students who achieve this grade have displayed independent thought, superior analytical skills, considerable insight, and the ability to articulate their ideas with clarity. A B+ paper or exam exhibits a strong mastery of the course or research material. Students who achieve this grade have shown very competent analytical skills, good insight, and the ability to articulate their ideas with reasonable success. They give evidence of independent thought, but their arguments are not presented as clearly or convincingly as those who earn the highest grades. A B or B- paper or exam exhibits a good mastery of the course or research material. Students in this grade range display occasional insights, but generally provide a less than thorough defense of their independent theses because of weaknesses in writing, argument, organization or use of evidence. A C+, C or C- paper or exam demonstrates an acceptable mastery of the course or research material, but with very little evidence of insight into the conceptual issues raised by the readings. Students who achieve this grade offer little more than a mere summary of ideas and information covered in the course, are insensitive to historical context, and suffer from factual errors, unclear writing, poor organization or inadequate research (or some combination of the above). Whereas the grading standards for written work between A and C- are concerned with the presentation of argument and evidence, a paper or exam that belongs to a lower category demonstrates an inadequate command of the course or research material. A D paper or exam demonstrates serious deficiencies or severe flaws in the student s command of course or research material. An F paper or exam demonstrates no competence in the course or research materials. It indicates the student s neglect or lack of effort in the course 4

5 Lecture Schedule and Reading Assignments HW100 = Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects (Viking, 2011). Week 1: Introduction to the Course PART ONE: ANCIENT WORLDS (M Jan. 16) Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (no lecture today) (W Jan. 18) Lecture 1. The Trojan War and European Identity (F Jan. 20) Exercise: The Limits of Evidence HW100, pp (no. 15: Early Writing Tablet). Consider the following two pieces of evidence, both of them 3000 years old: (a) a preserved piece of human feces; and (b) a shopping list [D2L]. Think about the limits of these two kinds of evidence for our understanding about what happened in the distant past. Do either of them actually tell us what really happened? If not, then what other kinds of information about the past can we infer from them? Write down your thoughts about this exercise in an informal essay of no more than 200 words and hand it in at the beginning of class. Week 2: The Birth of Classical Europe (M Jan. 23) Lecture 2. The Aegean World in the Bronze Age (W Jan. 25) Lecture 3. Communities and Commerce in the Iron Age (F Jan. 27) Discussion: Gods and the Otherworld in Ancient Greece The Making of the West, chapter 1. Quiz #1: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 38) Read Homer, The Odyssey (in its entirety!). Composed around 800 BCE, Homer s poem is one of the most ancient works of western literature. Consider the following questions as you read it and find at least three examples to support your answers: (1) How do the Greek gods differ from mortal people? Why are they worthy of worship? What form does this worship take? (2) How does the poet characterize the afterlife? Do the dead carry memories of their former lives? What kind of interaction do they have with the living? (3) Was there a moral code that governed the lives of the ancient Greeks? Were there incentives for leading a virtuous life? ODYSSEUS ESCAPES FROM THE CAVE OF POLYPHEMOS (510 BCE) 5

6 Week 3: The Rise of the Greeks (M Jan. 30) Lecture 4. The Greek Polis in the Shadow of Persia (W Feb. 1) Lecture 5. The Athenian Empire of the Fifth Century BCE (F Jan. 3) Discussion: Housing the Stranger in the Ancient World The Making of the West, chapters 2 and 3. HW100, pp (no. 27: Parthenon Sculpture: Centaur and Lapith). Quiz #2: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, pp. 74 and 110) Review Homer, The Odyssey, with the following questions in mind: (1) Hospitality is clearly an important virtue in the world of Homer. Discuss the qualities and obligations of a good host. How do strangers expect to be greeted and entertained? What are they obliged to offer in return? Consider the last part of this question with reference to the suitors at Odysseus house. (2) Bad hosts are almost as common as good hosts in The Odyssey. What are their attributes? What deters people from being bad hosts? Discuss this topic with reference to the cyclops. (3) Why does hospitality matter in the ancient Mediterranean world? What does it tell us about the lives of ancient people, the workings of ancient commerce, and the role of the gods in Greek thought? Week 4: Legacies of Ancient Greece (M Feb. 6) Lecture 6. The Greek World at War with Itself (W Feb. 8) Lecture 7. Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World (F Feb. 10) Discussion: Myth and Method in the Earliest Histories The Making of the West, chapter 4. HW100, pp (no. 33: Rosetta Stone). Quiz #3: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 140) Read the opening passages of Herodotus Histories; and Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War [D2L]. How dos these two ancient historians differ in their approach to the past? Are their respective historical methodologies (their use of evidence, their criteria for proof, the ways in which they deal with conflicting testimony in their sources) similar to or different from the objective stance of modern historians? Which one would you place your trust in? CHILD S SARCOPHAGUS WITH HERCULES BATTLING CENTAURS (C. 150 CE) [PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM] 6

7 Week 5: The Rise of Rome (M Feb. 13) Lecture 8. The Roman Republic (W Feb. 15) Lecture 9. From Republic to Empire (F Feb. 17) Discussion: Imperial Ideals in the Early Empire The Making of the West, chapter 5. HW100, pp (no. 35: Head of Augustus). Quiz #4: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 172) Read any two (2) biographies in Suetonius The Twelve Caesars. In these literary portraits of the earliest Roman emperors, Suetonius presents several ideals for imperial rule. Which qualities distinguish a good emperor from a bad emperor? Do the vices of the emperor ever enhance their power? What role do the wives and mothers of emperors play in their reign? How do the qualities of good and bad rulers compare to the ideals that we hold for our own political leaders? Week 6: The Roman Peace (M Feb. 20) Lecture 10. Life on the Roman Frontiers (W Feb. 22) Lecture 11. The Rise of Christianity (F Feb. 24) Exercise: How Empires Fall Read Peter Heather, "Empire and Development: The Fall of the Roman West," History and Policy: Connecting Historians, Policymakers and the Media (June, 2006) [D2L]. Does the paradigm of the fall of the Roman Empire apply to contemporary America? What can American policy-makers learn from the history of the late Roman Empire? Are the "lessons of the past" useful in the present or merely wishful thinking? Write down your thoughts about this exercise in an informal essay of no more than 200 words and hand it in at the beginning of class. Week 7: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (M Feb. 27) Lecture 12. Crisis and Response in the Late Empire (W March 1) Lecture 13. Decline and Fall I: Religion (F March 3) Midterm Examination Review with Graduate Teaching Assistants. The Making of the West, chapters 6 and 7. Quiz #5: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, pp. 208 and 246) Week 8: The End of the Ancient World (M March 6) Lecture 14. Decline and Fall II: Barbarism (W March 8) In-Class Midterm Examination (50 minutes; bring a Blue Book!) (F March 10) No reading assignments or discussion meeting this week. 7

8 Week 9: The New Participants PART TWO: MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS (M March 13) Lecture 15. The Rise of the House of Islam (W March 15) Lecture 16. Christianity in the Northern World (F March 17) Discussion: Making Sense of Monsters in Dark Age Europe The Making of the West, chapter 8. HW100, pp (no. 47: Sutton Hoo Helmet). Quiz #6: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 276) Consider the depiction of monsters in the Beowulf poem (trans. Seamus Heaney), which was composed in the decades around 700 CE. What makes Grendel, his mother, and the dragon monstrous in the eyes of northern Europeans in early medieval Europe? What social norms and expectations do these monsters subvert? How do they compare to the monsters of your youth? Week 10: From Mohammed to Charlemagne (M March 20) Lecture 17. The Roman Empire of Charlemagne (W March 22) Lecture 18. The Carolingian Renaissance (F March 24) Discussion: Imperial Ideals in Early Medieval Europe The Making of the West, chapter 9. HW100, pp (no. 53: Lothair Crystal). Quiz #7: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 310) Read The Two Lives of Charlemagne by Einhard and Notker the Stammerer. Written many decades apart in the ninth century, each of these imperial portraits attempts to emphasize contrasting ideals of kingship. How do they differ in their representation of Charlemagne? How has the context of each author (especially their proximity to the emperor in time and place) influenced their depiction of the great king? How do they compare with Suetonius portraits of the earliest emperors of Rome? EXAMPLE OF CAROLINGIAN MINISCULE IN THE SACRAMENTARY OF METZ (C. 870) [PARIS BN MS LATIN 1141, FOL. 7V] 8

9 Week 11: Spring Break (March 27-31) No classes this week! Week 12: Professor Bruce is away at a conference (April 3-7) No classes this week! Week 13: The Reform of the Church and its Consequences (M April 10) Lecture 19. The Abbey of Cluny and its Influence in Church Affairs (W April 12) Lecture 20. Crusading Ideals and the Road to Jerusalem (F April 14) Discussion: Religious Reform and Holy War in the Eleventh Century The Making of the West, chapter 10. HW100, pp (no. 61: The Lewis Chessmen). Quiz #8: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 344) Read Jay Rubenstein, The First Crusade: A Brief History with Documents. What was the motivation and the goals of the First Crusade for ordinary Christians? According to Rubenstein, why did the First Crusade become a holy war in Antioch? Was crusading an act of love? To what degree was the First Crusade successful? Week 14: Sacred Learning and the Business of States in the Middle Ages (M April 17) Lecture 20. The Medieval Origins of the Modern University (W April 19) Lecture 21. State-Building and the Albigensian Crusade (F April 21) Discussion: The Perils of Pedagogy in the Twelfth Century The Making of the West, chapters HW100, pp (no. 66: Holy Thorn Reliquary). Quiz #9: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, pp. 376 and 406) Read Abelard s The History of My Calamities. What were the causes of Abelard s many calamities? How were these calamities influenced by new trends in intellectual inquiry and teaching in the early twelfth century? What did Abelard have to gain in making public his calamities? In your opinion, was he telling the truth? Week 15: The End of the Middle Ages (M April 24) Lecture 22. The Great Famine and the Black Death (W April 26) Lecture 23. The Discovery of the Ancient Past (F April 28) Discussion: Responses to the Black Death The Making of the West, chapter 13. Quiz #10: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 438) Read John Aberth, The Black Death, pp with the following questions in mind: (1) How did medieval people respond medically to the Black Death? Were any of their treatments effective in curbing the onslaught of the plague? Did anyone understand the nature of the epidemic? (2) Characterize the impact of the plague on the social and economic life of late medieval Europe. Are there any modern events that compare to this premodern event in scope and impact? (3) Did Christians, Jews and Muslims view the plague differently. If so, why? 9

10 Week 16: Revolution and Reformation (M May 1) Lecture 24. The Protestant Reformation (W May 3) Lecture 25. Luther s Impact and the Catholic Response (F May 5) Discussion: Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me. The Making of the West, chapter 14. HW100, pp (no. 85: Reformation Centenary Broadsheet). Quiz #11: Key Terms and People (Making of the West, p. 470). Read William Shakespeare s tragedy Hamlet, in the context of the Protestant Reformation. To what degree are the anxieties expressed in the play the result of the abandonment of Catholic beliefs? Is Hamlet a Catholic or a Protestant? What about Shakespeare? Consider these questions with regard to Shakespeare s depiction of the ghost of Hamlet s father and Hamlet s own suicidal tendencies. HAMLET S MONOLOGUE (WITH DIFFERENT WORDING!) FROM A QUARTO PUBLISHED IN 1611 [FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY, WASHINGTON DC] 10

11 Essay Questions for the Midterm Examination (8 March 2017) ANCIENT WORLDS Essay Question: Answer one (1) of the following questions out of a choice of three (3). Make sure that your answer has a thesis and follows a coherent line of argument. Finish your answer with a conclusion that summarizes your argument. Be subtle and precise. Avoid sweeping generalizations. Evidence for your answers should come solely from information in the Making of the West textbook, from the content of lectures, and from the readings assigned for the course. You may not use notes of any kind on the exam. The essay question is worth 100% of the midterm exam. 1. What were the causes, characteristics and consequences of the Neolithic Revolution? 2. How might the invention of writing have promoted the growth of stronger city-states and the first empire? 3. How did the religion of the Hebrews differ from that of other ancient peoples? 4. How did the development of the Greek city-state (polis) encourage new modes of thinking and expression in science, philosophy, and literature? 5. What factors produced political change in fifth-century BCE Athens? 6. How did new trends in philosophical thought challenge traditional views of religion and democracy in ancient Greece? 7. How might Alexander s expeditions have influenced developments in politics, philosophy, and science? 8. What traditional social values played the most important role in the expansion of Rome from a local monarchy to a dominant empire? Did these same values also contribute to fall of the Roman Republic? 9. Describe the quality of rule and the mechanisms of succession during the Roman Empire. Discuss how they contributed both to the "Roman Peace" and to the "Crisis of the Third Century." 10. Why were the early Christians persecuted? 11

12 Essay Questions for the Final Examination (Date and Time TBA) MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS Essay Question: Answer one (1) of the following questions out of a choice of three (3). Make sure that your answer has a thesis and follows a coherent line of argument. Finish your answer with a conclusion that summarizes your findings. Be subtle and precise. Avoid sweeping generalizations. Evidence for your answers should come solely from information in the Making of the West textbook, from the content of lectures, and from the readings assigned for the course. You may not use notes of any kind on the exam. The essay question is worth 100% of the final exam. 1. What does the poem Beowulf tell us about the principles of warrior culture in early medieval Europe? 2. What stresses did the Byzantine Empire endure in the seventh and eighth centuries, and how was iconoclasm a response to those stresses? 3. Account for the military successes of Islam in the seventh and eighth centuries with reference to the geographical extent of Muslim conquests. 4. What were the strengths and weaknesses of Carolingian institutions of government, warfare, and defense? 5. What was at stake for the participants in the Investiture Controversy? 6. What were the objectives and results of Christian crusades to the Holy Land? 6. What new institutions resulted from the commercial revolution? 7. Examine the changes in medieval rulership in thirteenth-century France and England, with reference to the rise of representative institutions. 8. Discuss the impact of the Black Death on fourteenth-century Europe and some of the responses to it. 9. Account for the rise and widespread success of the Protestant Reformation. How did the Catholic church respond to this challenge? 10. In what ways did the discovery of the Americas effect Europe? 12