E UROPE IN THE H IGH M IDDLE A GES ( AD)

Transcription

1 E UROPE IN THE H IGH M IDDLE A GES ( AD) Syllabus Fall 2015 Monday \Wednesday \Friday 1:00-1:50pm Economics 13 Office: Hellems 348 Office Hours: M: 2:30-4:30 pm; and by appointment alester@colorado.edu C OURSE D ESCRIPTION The High Middle Ages, ca , was one of the most dynamic periods in the history of Europe. This course will address topics such as kingship and law, as well as changes in religion, culture, gender and ideology. We will look closely at a number of specific themes including: the impact of population growth and ecological change, the creation of constitutional and legal norms for the regulation of power and capital, the emergence of specific gender dynamics expressed through the medium of courtly literature, the creation of the University as a corporation and an institution; contact between Christian, Muslims and Jews; and the role of religion in shaping a European Christian ideology and defining notions of Holy War; the changing nature of Christian spirituality and the threat of heresy; as well as the emergence of concepts such as romantic love, individuality, and rationality. We will explore the origins of these concepts and institutions and examine how and why they shaped they European and western traditions. The course is divided chronologically into four thematic sections: (1) Order and Innovation in the 11 th Century, (2) The Individual and Society in the 12 th Century (3) The State and the Spirit: The Flowering of the 13 th Century, and (4) Changes and Challenges of the 14 th Century. C OURSE R EQUIREMENTS The lectures in the course provide not only an outline of historical events and their significance, but also an interpretation of these events with an eye to how historians, both in the past as well as in the present, construct the High Middle Ages. The lecture and discussion components of this course are designed to compliment one another. The discussions are a time for you to share your thoughts and interpretations of the readings and engage the comments and ideas raised by others in a respectful and useful manner. Writing and reading history is part of a much larger dialogue that involves you, the texts and sources listed below, their authors and copyists, as well as modern historians and your colleagues in this class. I strongly urge you to complete the readings a few days in advance of the discussion so you can generate your own thoughts and questions beforehand. I will indicate which texts we will focus on in discussion, but ALWAYS bring all components of the weekly readings with you to discussion sections. Your participation is crucial for the success of intellectual exchange in the course as well as for your grade! 1

2 Grades for the course are based on an assessment in four areas: (1) Attendance, but most importantly, engaged and active participation in discussion % (2) Two short (3-5 pages) written assignments, a research paper proposal and formal prospectus - 20 % (3) In-class midterm exam and final exam -- 40% (4) Final research paper (12-15 pages) on a topic chosen in consultation with the professor, - 25% Your final grade will reflect a consideration of all of the above dimensions. Each student is required to attend all lectures and discussion sections. All papers are due in-class at the beginning of the class period. Any paper handed in late without a medical excuse (even an hour after class) will be down-graded a full letter grade (thus an A- will be a B-) for every day they are late. T EXTS All of the books for the course are on reserve in Norlin Library. The following books are available for purchase at the CU Bookstore. Several texts are also available on e-reserve through the Norlin Library webpage as indicated below under the weekly reading assignment. R EQUIRED T EXTS: Song of Roland, trans. Robert Harrison (Signet, 2002) Njal s Saga, ed. and trans. Robert Cook (Penguin, 2002) The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII, trans. E. Emerton (Columbia UP, 1990) Thomas Bisson, Tormented Voices: Power, Crisis, and Humanity in Rural Catalonia (Harvard UP, 1998) Robert the Monk s History of the First Crusade: Historia Iherosolimitana, trans. Carol Sweetenham (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005) Abelard and Heloise, The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, trans. Betty Radice and Michael Clanchy revised ed. (Penguin, 2003) Gottfried von Strassburg, Tristan (Penguin, 1960) Augustine Thompson, Francis of Assisi The Life (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2013). Joinville and Villehardouin, Chronicles of the Crusades, trans. Margaret Shaw (Penguin, 1963) The Trial of Joan of Arc, trans. Daniel Hobbins (Cambridge, Mass., Harvard UP, 2007). William Chester Jordan, The Penguin History of Europe in the High Middle Ages (Penguin, 2001). This offers a general overview that is to be read alongside the primary sources should you wish for more of a political and social background for the period. [hereafter, Jordan] Note on sources: In this course you will be asked to engage and analyze a wide variety of sources, many of which are written texts that take different forms. Some will no doubt prove more accessible than others. In addition to written texts a significant emphasis will be given to visual material, including manuscript illuminations, and architectural and archaeological remains. Occasionally you will be asked to read visual sources and give equal weight to what they can tell us and how they can supplement our interpretations of the period. A willingness to imagine and indulge the circumstances of a different period in time, that is, to take seriously the descriptions, claims, and forms authors and artists use to communicate their contemporary concerns is the most useful tool you can bring to these sources. 2

3 S CHEDULE OF LECTURES, D ISCUSSIONS AND R EADINGS Part One: Order and Innovation in the Eleventh Century Week 1: Introduction and the Idea of Medieval Europe 24 Aug [Lecture 1]: Introduction, Christendom in the Year Aug [Lecture 2]: From Charlemagne to an Imagined Social Order in the 11 th Century 28 Aug [Lecture 3]: Mediterranean Europe and its Kingdoms [Jordan]: Chapter 1 Week 2: Order and Ideals: Structures of Society 31 Aug [Lecture 4]: Rhythms of Rural Life: Serfs, Saints and Peace 2 Sept [Discussion]: Christian Kingship and Social Relationships Song of Roland 4 Sept [Lecture 5]: Northern Europe: Political Ecology and the Frontiers Song of Roland [Jordan]: Chapters 2 & 4 Week 3: Oral and Written Culture: Law and Authority in the North 7 Sept NO CLASS Labor Day 9 Sept [Lecture 6]: Expansion and Colonization at the Borders of Christendom 11 Sept [Discussion]: Gender, Authority and Peace: The Culture of Feud & Family Njal s Saga read all of it (see the plot summary, pp ), pay particular attention to chapters 1-45 (pp. 3-78); and (pp ). [Jordan]: Chapter 3 Week 4: Church and Empire: Contested Liberties 14 Sept [Lecture 7]: The German Empire: Power and the Holy First Short Paper Due: (5-pages max) Due at the beginning of class September 14th 16 Sept [Lecture 8]: Rise of the Papacy and the Vision of Reform 18 Sept [Discussion]: Power and the Papal Pen: Letters and the Making of Europe The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII, ed. and trans. E. Emerton [Jordan]: Chapters 5 & 6 3

4 Part Two: The Individual and Society in the Twelfth Century Week 5: Religious Intolerance and the Expansion of Christendom 21 Sept [Lecture 9]: The First Crusade and the Image of Jerusalem in the Medieval Mind 23 Sept [Lecture 10]: Making and Meaning of Heresy: The Formation of a Persecuting Society? 25 Sept [Discussion]: A Monk s Tale of the Crusade Robert the Monk s History of the First Crusade: Historia Iherosolimitana, trans. Carol Sweetenham [Jordan]: Chapter 7 Week 6: Power and Lordship: The Foundations of Medieval Government 28 Sept [Lecture 11]: Kingship and Written Records: France and England 30 Sept [Discussion]: The Practice of History: Texts and Imagination (Small Groups) 2 Oct NO CLASS Prof. Lester is away Book Review (3-pages max) Due to me via on Friday October 2nd Bisson, Tormented Voices Find Reviews of Bisson s book on JSTOR [Jordan]: Chapters 10 & 11 Week 7: A Twelfth-Century Renaissance 5 Oct NO CLASS Prof. Lester is away READ for 7 OCT: See D2L for special reading assignment for this class meeting. 7 Oct [Guest Lecture 12]: Jewish Culture and Learning in Medieval Europe Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten 9 Oct [Lecture 13]: Learning, Translation and the Culture of the Schools Begin Abelard and Heloise, The History of My Calamities, and Selected Letters [Jordan]: Chapters 8 & 9 4

5 Week 8: States of Learning: Men, Women, Writing and Reading 12 Oct. [Discussion]: Abelard and Heloise: A Female Voice in the 12 th Century 14 Oct In-class REVIEW & IDs 16 Oct MIDTERM ESSAY EXAM in class bring your blue books!! Part Three: The State and the Spirit: The Flowering of the Thirteenth Century Week 9: Making Saints and Sinners in the Streets: Thirteenth-Century Piety 19 Oct [Lecture 14]: Social Structures and the Social Reform (Urban Culture II Italy and Flanders) 21 Oct [Discussion]: New Urban Sanctity and Social Mission: Saint Francis in Context 23 Oct NO CLASS Attend the CMEMS CONFERENCE October 2014 British and Irish Studies Room, Norlin Library Selections from the Life of Yvette of Huy [D2L]; and Augustine Thompson, Saint Francis The Life [Jordan]: Chapters 12 & 13; Week 10: Heretics and Reform: The Inquisitorial Mind and Technologies of Power 26 Oct [Lecture 15]: Heresy, Reform, and the Legislation of Belief Paper Topic: 1-page Research Paper Proposal: Due at the beginning of class, Oct 26 th. 28 Oct [Lecture 16]: Universities and Inquisitions: Mechanisms of Authority and Control 30 Oct [Discussion]: The Reformed Church -- Confession, Inquisition, and the Laity The Canons of the Fourth Lateran Council; Preachers Handbook on Confession [D2L] [Jordan]: Chapters 14 & 15 Begin to read Tristan Week 11:* The Gothic World and Courtly Culture 2 Nov [Lecture 17]: The Gothic Style and the Court Scene: Romance and Materiality 4 Nov [Discussion]: Vernacular Literature and the Court Imagined 6 Nov NO CLASS Prof. Lester is away 5

6 Tristan [Jordan]: Chapters 16 & 17 * This week please plan to meet with me during office hours or by appointment to discuss feedback and progress on your final paper topic. Week 12: Christian Kingship and Political Power in the Thirteenth Century 9 Nov [Lecture 18]: A King and The Barons: Balancing Powers 11 Nov [Lecture 19]: Crusading and Royal Ideology 13 Nov [Discussion]: The Rex Christissimus and His Sources Paper Prospectus and Preliminary Bibliography: Due at the beginning of class Nov 13 th. Joinville, The Life of Saint Louis The Contents of the Sainte-Chapelle [D2L website links] [Jordan]: Review Chapter 15 Part Four: Changes and Challenges of the Fourteenth Century Week 13: Fear and Crisis in the Fourteenth Century 16 Nov [Lecture 20]: The Mediterranean, the Mongols, and Christendom s Realignment 18 Nov [Lecture 21]: The Wrath(s) of God: Famine, Plague, and War 20 Nov [Discussion]: Medieval Pandemic: Black Death and its Meaning Choose TWO articles in the special issue of The Medieval Globe, ed. Monica Green [Links on D2L] [Jordan]: Chapter 18 & 19 Begin Joan of Arc Readings over break 6

7 Week 14: THANKSGIVING BREAK March NO CLASS ENJOY! Week 15: Political and Social Violence 30 Nov [Lecture 22]: The Hundred Years War: France, England and the Rise of Nations? 2 Dec [Lecture 23]: War on the Ground: Ecologies of Conflict 4 Dec [Lecture 24]: Joan of Arc in Context: Sources and Voices The Trial of Joan of Arc, ed. and trans. Daniel Hobbins [Jordan]: Chapter 20 NB: NOV 30th is the last day I will accept paper drafts Week 16: The Final Days 7 Dec [FILM CLIPS] Religious Persecution and the Politics of the Divine 9 Dec [Discussion] The Trial of Joan of Arc: Gender, Religion and Salvation 11 Dec In-class REVIEW for exam [Jordan]: Chapter 20, 21 and Epilogue F INAL P APER: Due MONDAY 13 December 2015 in my box in the History Department (Hellems 204) by 5pm. FINAL EXAM 17 December 2015 In our classroom 7:30-10pm Please remember your blue books! 7

8 O THER I MPORTANT M ATTERS Academic Integrity and the Course Environment Academic integrity means upholding the highest standards in the performance of your course work. Taking pride in the formation, acknowledgement, and execution of your own ideas, from conception through to the final written product, is part of the academic and intellectual process. To violate or alter this by taking ideas or written material from another source (be it a fellow student, a published book, article or website) is both morally dishonest as well as breach of the University s Honor Code. Moreover, it compromises the goals and purposes of academic study under any circumstances. Academic integrity is as much about your own personal moral responsibilities as it is about your grade in this course. Plagiarism and Honor Code: 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 on the Honor Code can be found at If you are found to be in violation of the Honor Code in this course, specifically if you plagiarize any material whatsoever, you will receive a Grade of F for the course. Personal Conduct and Behavior Decorum: 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. Additional information may be found at Sexual Harassment: 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 Sexual Harassment (OSH) at or the Office of Judicial Affairs at Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at Students with Disabilities If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit a letter to me from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: , Willard 322, or Religious Observances/Class Absences Attendance in this course is required for both lectures and discussion. Please notify me early in the semester if you anticipate that you may miss a class meeting so that there is adequate time to make necessary arrangements. If you are absent for more than three unexcused class meetings your participation grade will be an automatic F. Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. If you 8

9 have a potential class conflict because of religious observance, you must inform me of that conflict within three weeks of the start of classes. See policy details at GUIDELINES RELATED TO GRADING AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS IN THE COURSE: An A or A- paper, written assignment or exam demonstrates an exemplary command of the course material. Such assignments offer a close and critical reading of the texts and a consideration of issues raised in the course as a whole, offer a synthesis of the readings, discussions, and lectures and present a perceptive, compelling, independent argument. They are clearly written and well- organized. The argument or thesis shows intellectual originality and creativity (a willingness to take risks with ideas and interpretations), are attuned to historical context, supported by a well- chosen variety of specific examples from the texts, and (in the case of papers) rely upon a critical reading of primary material. A B+ or B paper, written assignment, or exam shares many aspects in common with A- level work, but falls short in either the organization and clarity of its writing (stylistically), the formation and presentation of its argument (organizationally), or in the quality and level of critical engagement (substantively). A B- paper, written assignment or exam demonstrates a command of the course material and a general understanding of the historical context but offers a less than thorough presentation of the writer s independent thesis due to weakness in writing, argument, organization or presentation of evidence. A C+, C, or C- paper, written assignment, or exam offers little more than a summary of ideas and information covered in the course or presented in the specific question. They are insensitive to the historical context, do not respond to the assignment adequately, suffer from factual errors, unclear writing, lack of organization, or inadequate use of evidence, or a combination of these problems. Papers, written assignments and exams that belong to the D or F categories demonstrate inadequate command of the course material: A D paper, written assignment, or exam demonstrates serious deficiencies or clear flaws in the student s command of the course material or readings at hand. And F paper, written assignment, or exam demonstrates NO competence in the course or reading materials. It indicates a student s neglect or lack of effort in the course. I strongly encourage you to come to my office hours (M 2:30-4:30pm & by appointment) if you have questions or concerns either before an assignment is due, or concerning your performance in the course. Graded assignments and exams will be returned in class. After two weeks you can come by my office during office hours to pick up your assignments if you have not picked them up in class. I do not e- mail grades during the semester or at the end of the course. We address a great deal of material in this course, and at times it will feel overwhelming. Please come and talk with me if that is the case. 9