HIST 311: Augustus Caesar to Charlemagne: Europe in the First Millennium (3 credit hours) Instructor: Craig M Nakashian Phone:

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1 HIST 311: Augustus Caesar to Charlemagne: Europe in the First Millennium (3 credit hours) Instructor: Craig M Nakashian Phone: Texas A&M University-Texarkana Craig.nakashian@tamut.edu Office: UC226 Website- Course description This course examines the history of Europe from the birth of the Roman Empire under Augustus Caesar to the creation of Charlemagne s Empire in the ninth century. Along the way, we will discover how the Romans and their Germanic neighbors shaped the realm that was to become Europe, and laid the foundation for the creation of the medieval world. Topics covered will include the origins of Christianity and Islam, the development of the Christian church, the creation of European kingship, the evolution of a European aristocracy, and the collapse of the Mediterranean economy. Texts Karl Christ, The Romans (ISBN ) Rosamond McKitterick, The Early Middle Ages (ISBN ) Geary, Readings in Medieval History, Volume I (ISBN ) Student Learner Outcomes Students will analyze primary evidence related to the civilizations of Europe from 31 BC through 800 AD. Students will create, present, and defend arguments addressing topics of historical interest related to the course materials. Students will discuss historical theories and evidence related to the early civilizations of western Eurasia. Assessment/Requirements Brief Analytical Essays [75% of course grade; 15 points each; 75 points total]. These essays should be about four pages (that s four FULL pages, none of this three pages and a few lines on page four nonsense). The topics are listed in the days that they are DUE. Remember that these are ANALYTICAL essays. I want original arguments and interpretations of the questions. A summary of the reading is NOT acceptable. There are eleven of these questions, though I will only require you to write five. If you write more than five, I will count your five best grades. Final Paper [25% of course grade; 25 points] This will be a take-home examination requiring you to discuss the primary themes covered in the course. We will discuss possible final examination questions towards the end of the course. I will expect the paper to be 8-10 pages.

2 Class Participation [BONUS! Up to 5 points] Discussion is vitally important. During and/or after class, I will record on a matrix each student s participation and will evaluate the quality of each student s participation. Good participation means reading and thinking about the materials, and engaging with that material in class by asking and answering questions. Participate!! Grading Scheme [100 points total] My grading system is designed to put you in control of your final grade. For each assignment you complete you will accumulate points. The more points you accumulate, the higher your grade becomes. You can always tell how you are doing by comparing your point total to the scale below. The only way to lose points is by missing class. A = B = C= D= F= 59 and less Attendance Policy Students are expected to attend EVERY class period prepared to discuss applicable materials. You will be allowed TWO (2) unexcused absences over the course of the semester, and for every unexcused absence beyond TWO (2), you will lose one point on your final grade, up to a maximum of TEN (10) points. Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations through the A&M-Texarkana Disability Services Office by calling Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected of students enrolled in this course. Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and undocumented use of materials from any source, constitute academic dishonesty, and may be grounds for a grade of "F" in the course and/or disciplinary actions." For additional information see the university policy manual. Account Upon application to Texas A&M University-Texarkana an individual will be assigned an A&M- Texarkana account. This account will be used to deliver official university correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the university account and is expected to check the official A&M-Texarkana account on a frequent and consistent basis. Faculty and students are required to utilize the university account when communicating about coursework.

3 Drop Policy: Dropping a course means a student wishes to drop an individual course but remains registered in other courses for the current semester. Withdrawing means a student wishes to drop ALL courses they are enrolled in for the semester. Students who will not be attending for the semester and wish to drop ALL courses for the semester, MUST submit a drop/withdraw form to the Registrar's Office in order to officially withdraw from the university for the semester. For more information, see Session Drop/Withdraw deadlines for the Fall 2014 semester Drop without a grade (will not be recorded on academic transcript) Last day drop/withdraw (will be recorded on academic transcript; no refund of tuition/fees) 16 week (Aug 25-Dec 10) Wednesday, Sept. 10 Friday, Nov. 14 1st 8 week (Aug 25-Oct 17) Tuesday, Sept. 2 Thurs, Oct. 9 2nd 8 week (Oct 20- Dec 10) Monday, Oct. 27 Friday, Nov. 21 Class Etiquette: Students are expected to be respectful of the instructor and their fellow students during any class activities. Therefore, the following rules of conduct will be followed, or a student may be asked to leave the class: 1) Electronic devices may be utilized ONLY for the purposes of learning. They may be used for the taking of notes, but not for watching films, listening to music, surfing the internet, etc. If you want to do those sorts of activities, do them in the comfort of your own home. 2) Phones must be set to vibrate, or turned off completely, and cannot be used to make calls, send texts, etc, during class. Again do those activities on your own time, not our time. 3) Students are not allowed to bring food into the class. It is a distraction to the professor and other students. Drinks, however, are acceptable. 4) Students will be respectful of one another and the instructor during all class discussions. Insults, ad hominem attacks, and purposely inflammatory statements will not be tolerated. If you are unsure what constitutes any of these, please ask me before spouting off. Essay Grading: For a guide to how I grade your analytical essays, please refer to I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you familiarize yourself with those guidelines, as I will grade your essays with the assumption that you have done so.

4 Course Reading/Assignment Schedule (Readings listed in italics) Tue- Aug 26 Introduction- What is this period? Empire, Late Antiquity, Dark Ages, Early Medieval, etc. Thurs- Aug 28 The Roman Republic Christ, 1-48 Tue- Sept 2 Roman Empire- Government Christ, 49-63, Thurs- Sept 4 Idealized Roman Leadership- Augustus Caesar Suetonius, Life of Augustus Essay 1- What were Augustus s most significant characteristics and accomplishments, and what enabled him to gain and maintain control of Rome where others had failed before him? Tue- Sept 9 Roman Empire- Society Christ, Thurs- Sept 11 Roman Empire- Daily Life Christ, Tue- Sept 16 Roman Social Mobility Petronius, The Satyricon (Chapters 5-10) Essay 2- What can The Satyricon tell us about Roman life and society in the first century A.D. Remember, this is a work of fiction, so be careful to separate imaginary or exaggerated elements (but recall that those can tell much about the society as well!). Thurs- Sept 18 Late Antiquity- Government Christ, Geary, Theodosian Code, 1-27 Tue- Sept 23 Late Antiquity- Religion Christ, ,

5 Thurs- Sept 25 Christianity in the Empire Geary, Saint Augustine, City of God, Geary, The Passions of St. Perpetua and Felicitas, Essay 3- a) How does Augustine characterize the changes taking place within the Roman Empire, and how has Christianity influenced his views (i.e.- how would a non-christian Roman see things differently)? OR b) Discuss the martyrdom of St. Perpetua. What does her death tell us about how Christians saw themselves within the Empire, and what tensions does it show within Roman society? Tue- Sept 30 Late Antiquity- Society Christ, Thurs- Oct 2 Roman Views of the other Geary, Tacitus, Germania, Essay 4- Describe and discuss the key features of Germanic society, according to Tacitus. What can this tell us about how Tacitus sees Roman society as well? Tue- Oct 7 Successor States I- Germanic Kingdoms Christ, Geary, Jordanes, History of the Goths, Thurs- Oct 9 Germanic Kingship McKitterick, Chapter One- Politics Geary, Gregory of Tours, Life of Clovis, Essay 5- What are the key characteristics of fifth-century kingship as exemplified by Clovis? How does this compare with the rule of Augustus, and how similar were Germanic kingdoms to the Roman Empire? Tue- Oct 14 Romans and Barbarians McKitterick, Chapter Two- Society Geary, Salic Law, Thurs- Oct 16 Theories of the Fall of the Roman Empire I- Gibbon and Rostovzeff Gibbon and Rostovzeff (Blackboard) Essay 6- When does each author assume that the collapse of Roman civilization took place, and why? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each author s argument?

6 Tue- Oct 21 The Christian Church III- Orthodox, Heresy, and Schism McKitterick, Chapter Four- Religion Ambrose of Milan, Letter Thurs- Oct 23 The Christian Church I- The Bishop in Society Geary, Remigius of Reims and Avitus Letters to Clovis, Tue- Oct 28 The Christian Church II- Monasticism and Asceticism Geary, Saint Benedict, Rules for Monasteries, Essay 7- What role do miracles play in the biography of Saint Benedict? What kinds of miracles does Benedict perform, when, and why is he able to perform them? What is Gregory s purpose in describing these miracles? Thurs- Oct 30 Successor States II- Byzantium Procopius, Secret History (At least Chapters 6-19, but feel free to read more!) Essay 8- What were the key characteristics of Justinian s approach to governance (bearing in mind Procopius s biases), and how does this compare with the ideal Roman rule of Augustus? Tue- Nov 4 Merovingian Economy McKitterick, Chapter Three- The Economy Thurs- Nov 6 Theories of the Fall of the Roman Empire II- Brown and Pirenne McKitterick, Chapter Three- The Economy Brown and Pirenne Readings (Blackboard) Essay 9- When does each author assume the collapse of Roman civilization took place, and why? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each argument? Tue- Nov 11 Successor States III- Islamic Empire Arab Conquest of Egypt, Pact of Umar- Thurs- Nov 13 Carolingian Empire I- Government Carolingian Government (Blackboard)

7 Tue- Nov 18 Carolingian Kingship Geary, Einhard, Life of Charlemagne, Essay 10- What made Charlemagne a great ruler, according to Einhard, and how does Charlemagne compare to Augustus? Was he justified in claiming to be another Roman emperor? Thurs- Nov 20 Carolingian Empire II- Culture McKitterick, Chapter Five- Culture Tue- Nov 25 Carolingian Empire III- Society McKitterick, Chapter Six- Europe and the Wider World Thurs- Nov 27 THANKSGIVING! Tue- Dec 2 Anglo-Saxon England Geary, Asser s Life of King Alfred, Geary, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Thurs- Dec 4 Culture of the Germanic Kingdoms Battle of Maldon (Blackboard) Essay 11- What does the poem tell us about the values of the Germanic warrior aristocracy and the forces that held it together? How does this compare to Roman society? Tue- Dec 9 Finals Week Thurs- Dec 11 Finals Week

HRS 131: MEDIEVAL CULTURE Professor Mary Doyno Fall 2015 Tuesdays 10:30-11:45am Calaveras 123 Thursdays (on-line)

1 HRS 131: MEDIEVAL CULTURE Professor Mary Doyno Fall 2015 Tuesdays 10:30-11:45am Calaveras 123 Thursdays (on-line) Catalogue Description Decline of Rome to the Renaissance. Emphasis will be placed on