HISTORY 1010-001:

History 1010-100:

Western Civilization from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century

FALL 2010

Humanities Building (DUAN) G1B30

Lectures MW: 8:00-8:50pm

Recitation TBA

Professor Lester

Office Hours: M: 9:30-10:30 & W: 11:30-1:00pm

Office: Hellems 348

and by appointment

E-mail: alester@colorado.edu

Course Description

This course explores the origins and development of western societies from the ancient period through the seventeenth century. We will focus on the changes and continuities that characterize the civilizations of the west with a particular eye to the European and Mediterranean world. We will also analyze when societies collapse and how they are reformed and question the ways that historians characterize ruptures and breaks in the past as well as renaissances and renewals. The lectures proceed chronologically and fall (roughly) into three thematic sections (a) Ancient Worlds (b) Medieval Civilizations (c) Early Modern Societies. The course emphasizes several themes including: the generation of large political entities such as empires and states; the process of urbanization; the role of law; the significance of economic systems and long distance trade networks; as well as changes in religion and the rise of monotheism; the meaning of gender; and the power of ideologies in the cultural formation of societies.

Course Objectives and Goals

The course is intended to provide students with a broad overview of western civilization and specifically European society from the first evidence of written culture to ca. 1600, when the more familiar lines of modern nation states begin to be drawn. It is also intended to provide students with an introduction to the discipline of history and historical analysis. By looking closely, in lectures and discussions at the written and cultural products of these societies students will develop an understanding of how individuals lived in, thought about, and shaped their worlds in the past. The lectures are intended to provide an historical framework that will help you to contextualize and better understand the reading assignments. Lectures are designed to complement the reading in the textbook and the primary sources. At times the lectures will focus on specific themes and examples, offering an in-depth portrait of a particular historical development intended to flesh out ideas in the texts from a different perspective.

The reading assignments are English translations of works by ancient, medieval and early modern philosophers, poets, monks, nuns, clerics, and playwrights. In their words, we can hear the voices of the long distant past expressing the ideals and concerns of their societies. To this end, students will learn to read and analyze primary sources in translations as well as engage the arguments of current historians by reading and discussing several focused articles throughout the semester. The goal of discussions is to consider these texts in the spirit of free and generous exchange of ideas, which is an integral component of the western intellectual tradition. Moreover, many of the texts that we will analyze in these meetings will be relevant to the essay questions that comprise exams.

In addition to providing a basic overview of western history in these centuries, the course also seeks to teach students the basic components of historical thinking and writing. We will discuss what sorts of questions can fruitfully be asked of particular types of sources and consider seemingly contradictory points of view set forth by the evidence as well as by historians who have interpreted past events in light of these sources. Finally, students will learn to present their own conclusions, ideas, and theses clearly and persuasively in both discussions and in written form on exams and in papers.

Requirements and Evaluation

Attendance and Participation in Recitations (20%):

Attendance at lectures and recitation sections is required. Grades for participation are assessed on just that: participation in recitation discussion. This course privileges an active engagement with the primary source texts and a willingness to take risks by offering one’s opinions, raising important issues of interpretation, and asking questions of our sources. Please come prepared to raise questions (indeed, it is a good idea to generate questions and write them down beforehand) and participate. Always bring the weekly reading assignment with you to the recitation meetings.

** Course policy on recitations: If you miss more than one unexcused recitation you will receive a failing grade for this portion of the course. If you miss more than three unexcused recitations you will NOT receive a passing grade in the course overall.

Written Assignments (20%):

History entails the study of written culture. Historians depend on written documents and sources from the past, just as they produce written syntheses of such material to form an argumentative picture of past societies. Writing, therefore, is fundamental to the discipline of history. In light of this you will be asked to write two papers. The first will analyze the epic poem the Iliad, by Homer (10%) and the second paper will focus on our final primary source, Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (10%). Guidelines and questions relating to each assignment will be handed out beforehand. All late assignments will be graded down one whole letter grade for each day they are late. There may also be shorter written assignments relating to each recitation meeting to be determined by your TA.

Exams (60%):

There will be three exams that will punctuate the course (worth 20% each). Exams will focus on material discussed in depth in lecture and during the discussions and will draw upon terms and ideas presented in lecture rather than in the textbook. Indeed the textbook is considered a supplement to the lecture material rather than the other way around. Should you miss a significant number of lectures for any reason is it extremely unlikely that you will pass the exam.

**To receive a passing grade in this course your must complete ALL of the assigned work **

Texts

All texts listed below are available for purchase at the CU bookstore and are also on reserve in Norlin Library.

The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures Volume I: To 1740 – A Concise History, ed. Lynn Hunt, et al. (NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010).

Homer, The Iliad. trans. Robert Flagels (Penguin Classics, 1998).

Augustus and the Creation of the Roman Empire: A Brief History with Documents, ed. Ronald Mellor (NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006).

Power and the Holy in the Age of the Investiture Conflict: A Brief History with Documents, ed. Maureen C. Miller (NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005).

Letters of Abelard and Heloise, ed. Betty Radice and Michael Clanchy (NY: Penguin Classics, 2004) (Revised edition).

The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents, ed. John Aberth (NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2005).

William Shakespeare, Hamlet, ed. Sylvan Barnet (Signet Classics, 1998).

In addition to the books available for purchase we will also read several excerpts of shorter primary sources as well as three scholarly articles. This material, listed below, is available on e-reserve. E-reserves must be accessed through the Norlin Library catalog at: http://libraries.colorado.edu/screens/coursereserves.html, once there, follow the prompts for the professor’s name [LESTER] or course title [HIST 1010-001] and print out the specific texts.

Articles/Readings:

Brent D. Shaw, “On the Passion of Perpetua,” Past and Present 139 (1993): 3-45.

Michael McCormick, “New Light on the ‘Dark Ages’: How the Slave Trade Fuelled the Carolingian Economy,” Past & Present 177 (2002): 17-54.

Selections from Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People (New York, revised ed. 1990).

Selection from Fred Donner, Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam (Cambridge, MA, 2010) – Chapter 2.

The course syllabus and lecture outlines will be available on the course WEBSITE:

http://spot.colorado.edu/~alester/Courses/History_1010/syllabus.html

You may follow the links on the syllabus under each lecture date to the corresponding lecture outline. These outlines will be posted during the week of the lecture.

Other Important Matters

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 the 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; 303-725-2273). 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 by not limited to university probation, suspension or expulsion). Additional information on the Honor Code can be found at

http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html

http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/

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

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.htmland at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code

The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh

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. Please contact: 303/492-8671, Willard 322 or http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices

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. See policy details at:

http:/www.colorado.edu/policies/fac relig.html and http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/