History 123

He who swears fealty to his lord ought always to have these six things in memory: what is harmless, safe, honorable, useful, easy, practical.
--Fulbert of Chartres
 
Two there are, august emperor, by which this world is chiefly ruled, the sacred authority of the priesthood and the royal power.
--Pope Gelasius
 
Neither kings nor princes nor any rank of men enjoy as much reputation or credit as a good merchant.
--Italian Merchant, 1458

Texts:

2. Joseph Strayer, On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State;

3. Brian Tierney, ed., The Crisis of Church and State, 1050-1300;

4. Brian Tierney, ed., The Middle Ages, 2 vols.
 
 

Links

History Resources:

Index of Resources for Historians

Labyrinth

Medieval Movies

Medieval Source Book

Byzantine and Medieval Links Page

On-Line Reference Book for Medieval Studies

WWW Medieval Resources

Course Objectives under "Intellectual Perspectives" (Humanities and Cultures):

• To obtain a solid grasp of the events, personages and major social and cultural themes of the period between the fall of Rome in the fifth century to the dawn of the Renaissance in the mid-fourteenth century.
• To make broad comparisons and contrasts between the major cultural trends in Western European society, including religion, economy, politics, family life and letters in this period.
• To become acquainted with the great theories and theoreticians of political and theological thought in the middle ages and to connect these ideas to the cultural trends emerging and evolving over these centuries.
• To see the history of a culture as being told in more than just documents (letters, chronicles, edicts, etc.—the traditional tools of the historian’s craft), but also in architecture, art and artifacts.
• To provide a stimulating intellectual environment where unbridled curiosity is rewarded and connections with other courses in other fields is strongly encouraged.
• To provide students with the opportunity to hone their writing and speaking skills, to further develop their critical thinking and argumentation skills, and to provide them with the chance to voice their own views and impressions of the course material openly and freely.
• To instill a love of learning and a respect for past and foreign cultures.

Assignments and Expectations:

2. Quizzes. Four quizzes, one of which will be a map quiz. All quizzes will be announced in advance. Make-ups are given only in extreme cases and only at the discretion of the professor.

3. Paper. 7-page paper on a topic or source to be agreed upon between the student and professor. Please note well: late papers are penalized one-third of a grade for every weekday late.

4. Participation. Students will be expected to attend class and to have prepared for lectures and for discussion by having read and thought about the assigned readings. Of particular importance is the discussion of the source texts, which will occupy a large portion of class time. Unexcused absences will lower the participation component of student grades.

5. Movies. There will also be a number of films on medieval topics that we shall screen, some in class, others at night. All out-of-class events are optional for students, but strongly recommended.
 
 

Grading:

1. The final grade will be determined according to the following breakdown:

2. Grades will be assigned according to the follow numerical equivalencies:

80-82 B-, .....Etc.

Academic Integrity

If you are at any time unsure as to whether your work is plagiaristic, you should consult with the professor.

See the "Links" section above for more resources on plagiarism.

Course Schedule

Week III.

Week IV.

Week V.

Week VI.

Week VIII.
Mid Break
 
 

Week IX.

Week XI.

Week XII.