History 1010-200:

 

Western Civilization from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century

 

 

FALL 2008

 

 

Humanities Building (HUMN)1B50

Lectures MW:  1:00-1:50pm

Recitation TBA

Professor Lester

Office Hours: M: 9:30-10:30 & T: 3:30-5:00

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 1648, 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, 2007).

 

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:

 

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.

 

Lester K. Little, “Life and Afterlife of the First Plague Pandemic,” in Plague and the End of Antiquity: The Pandemic of 541-750, ed. Lester K. Little (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007), 3-32.

 

Jo N. Hays, “Historians and Epidemics: Simple Questions, Complex Answers,” in Plague and the End of Antiquity: The Pandemic of 541-750, ed. Lester K. Little (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007), 33-56.

 

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/

 

 

 

 

 

ø

 

Schedule of Lectures, Readings, and Discussion

 

 

[L] = Lecture

[T] = Textbook: The Making of the West, Hunt, Rosenwein, et al.

 

 

 

Week 1 – Foundations and Texts: Locating the West and its Civilizations

 

[M: Aug. 25] – L1: Introductions – The Syllabus and the Study of the History of the West

[W: Aug. 27] – L2: The Earliest Civilizations

 

                                    No reading or recitation meeting this week

 

 

Week 2 – The Ancient World

 

[M: Sep. 1] – NO CLASS – Labor Day Holiday

[W: Sep. 3] – L3: The Ancient Near East

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 1, pp. 1-49; Begin Homer, The Iliad.

 

Recitation Topic: Ancient Society and Written Culture—Comments on Reading Primary Documents

 

 

Week 3 – Hellenism and the Mediterranean

 

[M: Sep. 8] – L4: Politics and Reason in Classical Greece

[W: Sep. 10] – L5: The Hellenistic Kingdoms

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 2, pp. 51-89; Continue The Iliad – through Book 12.

 

Recitation Topic: Kingship, Consensus and Reason among the Greeks

 

                       

Week 4 – Rome: From Kingdom to Republic

 

[M: Sep. 15] – L6: The Rise of Rome

[W: Sep 17] – L7: From Republic to the First Among Equals

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 3, pp. 91-127; Finish The Iliad.

 

Recitation Topic: Revenge, Anger, and the Wrath of Men in the Greek World

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5 – Rome: Empire and Expansion

 

[M: Sep. 22] – L8: The Roman Empire and its Frontiers

A                   **5-page paper on The Iliad due at the beginning of class on MONDAY

[W: Sep 24] – L9: Emergence of Christianity

 

Read: [T]: Chapter 4, pp. 129-169; Ronald Mellor, Augustus and the Creation of the Roman Empire. Selections: Introduction, pp. 59-68, 74-76, 82-95, 102-105, 108-122, 133-136, 139-141, 152-154, 156-157, 160-166.

 

Recitation Topic: Augustus and the Imperial Image

 

 

Week 6 –Late Antiquity and the Christianization of Empire

 

[M: Sep. 29] -- L10: The Third Century Crisis and the Making of Martyrdom

[W: Oct. 1] – L11: Spread of Christianity: Constantine and the Bishops

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 5, pp. 171-211. The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity (on e-reserve); and Brent D. Shaw, “On the Passion of Perpetua,” Past and Present 139 (1993): 3-45

 (on e-reserve).

 

Recitation Topic: Gender, Christianity and the Roman State – Review for Exam

 

 

Week 7 – The Fall and Its Aftermath

 

[M: Oct. 6] – L12: The Fall of Rome, the Coming of the Huns, and the German Tribes

[W: Oct. 8] – First Exam: The End of the Ancient World  

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 6, p. 213-235.

 

Recitation Topic: No recitation meeting this week.

 

 

Week 8 – Emergence of the European West

 

[M: Oct. 13] – L13: The Rise of Islam

[W: Oct. 15] – L14: The Western Church and Its Kingdoms

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 6, pp. 235-257, and Chapter 7, pp. 259-293. Lester K. Little, “Life and Afterlife of the First Plague Pandemic”; and Jo N. Hays, “Historians and Epidemics: Simple Questions, Complex Answers,” (both articles on e-reserve)

 

Recitation Topic: Islam and the West – the spread of disease

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 9 – Reform and Renewal

 

[M: Oct. 20] – L15: Carolingian Kingship and Culture

[W: Oct. 22] – L16 The Gregorian Reform

 

Read: [T]: Chapter 8, pp. 295-337; and Michael McCormick, “New Light on the ‘Dark Ages’: How the Slave Trade Fuelled the Carolingian Economy,” Past & Present 177 (2002): 17-54 (on e-reserve).

 

Recitation Topic: Points of Contact: Controlling and Constructing a Contested Sea

 

 

Week 10 – Reformation of the Twelfth Century

 

[M: Oct. 27] – L17: The First Crusade and the Expansion of Europe

[W: Oct. 29] – L18: Monasticism and the Twelfth-Century Renaissance

 

Read: [T]: Chapter 9, pp. 339-358; Maureen C. Miller, Power and the Holy in the Age of the Investiture Conflict: A Brief History with Documents – Selections: Introduction, pp. 45- 121, 132-138.

 

Recitation Topic: The Meaning of Reform and the Rise of the Medieval Papacy

 

 

Week 11 – Intellectual Culture in Medieval Europe

 

[M: Nov. 3] – L19: The Rise of the Universities

[W: Nov. 5] -- L20: Urban Culture and the Fourth Lateran Council

 

Read: [T]: Chapter 9, pp. 358-383; The Letters of Abelard and Heloise – Read the Introduction and Letters 1-6, pp. 1-111.

 

Recitation Topic: Desire and Asceticism: Finding a Female Voice? – Review for Exam

 

 

Week 12 – Europe in the High Middle Ages

 

[M: Nov. 10] – L21: France and the Medieval State

[W: Nov. 12] – Second Exam: Transformations of Medieval Society

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 10, pp. 385-423;

 

Recitation Topic: No recitation meeting this week.

 

 

Week 13 – The Transition to Early Modern Europe

 

[M: Nov. 17] – L22: The Calamities of the Fourteenth Century – The Black Death

[W: Nov. 19] – L23: Humanism and an Italian “Renaissance”

 

Read: [T]: Chapter 11, pp. 425-471; John Aberth, The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents – Selections: Introduction, pp. 9-66, 75-82, 87-91, 106-110, 117-137, 160-178

 

Recitation Topic:  The Other Side of the Divide: Early Modern Europe and a New Perspective?

 

 

 

 

NO CLASS  -- THANKSGIVING BREAK -- (enjoy!)

 

 

“

 

 

 

Week 14 – Reformation and Response

 

[M: Dec. 1] – L24: Print Culture and the Protestant Movement

[W: Dec. 3] – L25: The Case of England – The Stripping of the Altars

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 12, pp. 473-521; Shakespeare, Hamlet

 

Recitation Topic: Hamlet – One man’s struggle with religion and politics

 

 

Week 15 – Three New Worlds

 

[M: Dec. 8] – L26: The Catholic Response and the Export of Catholic Culture

A              **Final Paper (5-pages) on Hamlet due at the beginning of class Wednesday Dec. 10th **

[W: Dec. 10] – L27: Science and the Self: Macrocosms and Microcosms – Some Brief Concluding                                               Remarks

 

            Read: [T]: Chapter 13, pp. 523-565.

 

Recitation Topic: Review for Exam

           

 

 

 

Third Exam: The Early Modern World – Thursday December 18th, 2008

Humanities 1B50, 7:30-10:00 AM!

 

 

Please remember to bring your Bluebooks!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 9:30-10:30am & T 3:30-5pm, or 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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History 1010-200: Western Civilization to the 17th Century

 

Prof. Lester · Fall 2008

 

 

Questions and Guidelines for the First Written Assignment

 

 

 

Paper I: The Iliad and the World of the Ancient Greeks:

 

Due: At the beginning of class, Monday September 22, 2008

 

Write a 5-page paper in response to one of the questions below. Do a close reading of The Iliad and craft a well thought-out and elegant essay. Your paper should have a thesis that is clearly stated and should be grounded in the historical context during which the epic poem was sung (ca. 1200-1000BC) and later written down (ca. 750BC). Be sure to integrate quotations from the text to support your argument and to end with a clear and insightful conclusion. You DO NOT need to do any outside reading or research for this paper! I am looking for your own personal reading and interpretation of this source, in your words.

 

1.         Analyze how Achilles both embodies and challenges the Greek ideal of arête or excellence as a warrior hero. His status as a hero is built not only on his skills, but also the development of his character throughout the epic poem. By the end do you think Homer still intends him to be a hero?

 

 

2.         Homer gives Greek and Trojan women little to no role in warfare, but he depicts them as important in determining the fate of cities, dynasties, and several heroes of the story. Characterize the role and authority given to women in The Iliad. Be sure to consider the distinction between women who are wives (queens and mothers) and women who are the “prizes” of men. You may wish to focus on one particular woman.

 

 

3.         The Iliad grapples with the tension between war and the chaos it unleashes on the one hand, and civilization and ordered governance on the other. Identify an emblematic scene or example of ordered civilization and discuss how the Greeks understood this ideal.

 

 

 

 

Parenthetical citations will suffice for this assignment, that is, simply give the book number, lines of the poem, and page number of any quotations you use. For example: (Bk. 24, lns, 592--6, p. 605). Any outside sources that you consult must be listed in a Works Cited page at the end of the paper. For further details please speak with your TAs.