HSRU-1300: INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL
HISTORY
Section 001: TF
Section 002: TF
Instructor: Tomas Zahora
Office: Dealy
647
Office Hours: Tuesday,
Friday,
and by appointment
E-mail: tzahora@highstream.com
Web Page: http://www.tomaszahora.org
syllabus, handouts, lecture outlines, and helpful links will be updated
throughout semester
Required texts:
Brian Tierney and Sidney Painter,
Paul Halsall et al., Internet
Medieval Sourcebook www.fordham.edu/halsall
(links to specific texts are provided below)
[Caveat
regarding the sourcebook: The IMS is an amazing resource that makes
conveniently available a vast amount of texts, and it is quite proper for you
to begin searching for essay topics by browsing through its links. Be aware,
though, that for the sake of avoiding copyright royalties, the database often
uses dated translations, which can make reading a complicated text quite a
challenge. Moreover, small textual errors are not infrequent, so use common
sense when analyzing texts in detail. For your essays, use printed editions.]
Course objectives:
The
primary goal of the course is to introduce the students to the historical and historiographic vocabulary of the period extending roughly
from 5th to early 14th century of the Common Era.
Whether
known as the Dark Ages, The Age of Faith, The Middle Age, or The Age of
Christianity, the era we conventionally know as the Middle Ages witnessed the
laying of the foundations of modern Western world. A closer acquaintance with
medieval lives, beliefs, social movements, and events provides one with a
cognitive alphabet whose letters still determine to a large extent our
perception of the world we inhabit. The second goal of the course is to
introduce the students to select primary sources and to provide them with basic
skills of approaching them. Finally, students will be encouraged to seek
continuities, discontinuities, and impact upon subsequent periods among the
issues, forces, and ideas presented in class.
Course requirements and evaluation:
Class attendance 5
%
Blackboard participation 10 %
Essay
project 35
%
Exam 1 25
%
Exam 2 25
%
Optional Final Exam (comprehensive) (replaces lowest
exam grade)
Total 100%
If
you miss one of the two exams, you will have
to take the comprehensive final exam to make up for the absence. You do not
need to take the final exam if you are satisfied with your grade and have not
missed one of the previous exams. Should you nevertheless decide to take the
final exam, the lowest of your previous exam scores will be dropped. Final exam
grade will be kept, regardless of results. No incompletes will be given in the
course.
Attendance policy:
You
do not need to bring documentation to excuse your absence. Likewise, you do not
need to ask me for permission to miss class. Class attendance constitutes five
percent of your total course gradeyou do the math. The same goes for
Blackboard participation. In other words, a few missed classes will not
automatically shift you down on the grade scalebut absences do add up, and
missed lectures will hurt at exam time. Should you happen to miss an exam, you
will have to take the final.
Blackboard:
Blackboard
will serve as the main discussion forum for the primary sources (links are
provided in class schedule below). Students will be divided into three groups:
A, B, and C. Each group will take turns contributing analytical comments about
the readings, responding to their colleagues comments, and taking a break, in
weekly intervals.
How
will this be done?
First,
have a look at the Class Schedule part of the syllabus. Beginning with Week
2, you will see a bracketed section following the weekly caption, for instance:
Week 2: Christianity in the Late Roman Empire; The Fathers of the Church;
Monasticism (Chapter 3) [Comments: A; Responses: B]. This means that during the
second week, group A will be responsible for commenting on primary sources, and
group B for replying to group As comments.
COMMENTS:
The assigned group will distribute
that weeks primary readings among its members, one text per student (on
average, two students will comment on one source). Every one of that groups
students will prepare a brief commentary (two paragraphs or more), which will
place the passage in its proper historical context and underline its
peculiarities or simply comment on what the reader finds interesting. Remember
to contextualize your readings: writing I just love this passage will not do.
RESPONSES: Each member of the assigned group will respond to
at least two comments. Feel free to respond to more than two comments, or
continue a line of responses. Try to distribute your responses so that every
comment receives at least one reply. Each response should be at least one
paragraph (4-8 lines) in length, and should reflect an understanding of
historical context. Again, writing I really feel like John is completely wrong
when he says he just loves this passage will not do. Explain WHY John is
wrong, or WHY he is right, or WHY the question is more complicated than John
suggested, or WHAT IT IS you think is much more important than what John
proposed, etc.
Grading the Blackboard: I will read Blackboard contributions on Mondays after
Excellent, well thought-out comment
or response: 6 points
Good, average comment or response: 5
points
Last-minute two-liner: 4 points
Missed contribution: 0 points
Deadlines: Comments are due by
Essay Project (handouts with more specific information
will be provided):
Essays
are due as noted in class schedule below. Late assignments will incur 5%
penalty for each day they are late, beginning at 4:01 p.m. of the due day.
You
have TWO OPTIONS:
1. TWO SIX-PAGE
ESSAYS. Write two 2000-word (about six pages, double-spaced, 1 margins)
essays. Each essay, worth 17.5% of your total course grade, must be based on at
least one primary source. Choose a text that interests youexcerpts or full
texts in the Internet Medieval Sourcebook are a good startread the whole work
(let me know if the books turn out to be too long or too complex), and write an
essay in which you analyze themes you consider interesting or especially
relevant. Use at least four secondary sources (books, scholarly articles) to
complement your analysis, prepare an annotated bibliography of secondary
sources, and attach it at the end of your essay.
For
example, if you are interested in Chivalry, you can read one of Chrιtien de Troyes romances, and compare his treatment of knighthood
with modern scholarly analyses; or if you like Charlemagne, an essay based on Einhards or Notkers biographies
is always a challenging and rewarding effort. Any primary text or a combination
of texts or documents (let us say, of at least 50 printed pages in combined
length) can be used as a basis for your essay.
[NOTE: If you, like myself, enjoy procrastinating, I recommend
this option. Deadlines for the longer essay do come later in the semester, but
so does a slew of other exams, essays, and responsibilities.]
OR
2. ONE
TWELVE-PAGE ESSAY. Write a 4000-word (about twelve pages, double-spaced,
1 margins) essay that will trace the development, within the period of time
under discussion, of a broader political, social, or intellectual problem or
question that you find intriguing or particularly relevant. Begin by selecting
appropriate primary sources (at least two sources). Read the entire texts
(again, consult me if the texts are too long or complex), research the
treatment of your thesis by contemporaneous writers or modern historians, and
build up a brief annotated bibliography consisting of at least eight secondary sources
(books, scholarly articles).
This
essay project allows you to broaden the scope of your research. For example, if
you are interested in economics, you can study or compare different Hanse charters and privileges, the ups and downs of
medieval fairs, or scholastic analyses of economical activities; if
ecclesiastical history is your thing, a comparison of a saints biography from
earlier period (say, 8-9th century) with a work from the 11th-12th
century could address issues like the changing ideal of a Christian life, or
position of women in medieval society. As in the shorter essay project, there
is no limit as far as topics are concerned: follow your interests. Together,
the primary sources should be at least 100 pages in length.
Course Schedule
► NOTE: readings marked with a
star symbol («) will be considered as
passages for identification on exams. You should make a special mental note of
these writings authors, historical context, and theses when preparing for
exams.
Week 1: Introduction; Why Middle Ages?
Friday
3 September
Suggested
Week 2: Christianity in the Late Roman Empire; The
Fathers of the Church; Monasticism (Chapter 3) [Comments: A; Responses: B]
Tuesday 7 September
Friday 10 September
READINGS:
Ammianus Marcellinus: The Luxury of the Rich in Rome http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/ammianus-history14.html
Eusebius:
excerpt from Ecclesiastical history
on conversion of Constantine http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/conv-const.html
« Theodosian Code on Religion http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/codex-theod1.html
« St. Augustine: excerpt from The City of God. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/aug-city2.html
Tertullian:
On Pagan Learning. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/200Tertullian-pagan.html
« St Benedict of Nursia:
excerpts from The Rule http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/rul-benedict-excerp.html
Week 3: Fusions: Peoples, Structures, Traditions (Chapters
4-5) [Comments:
C; Responses: A]
Tuesday
14 September
Friday
17 September
« Tacitus: excerpts from Germania http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus-germania-excerp.html
Sidonius Apollinaris: A Civilized Barbarian and a Barbarous Roman http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/sidonius2.html
« Gregory of Tours: History
of the Franks, conversion of Clovis http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gregory-clovisconv.html
Ordeal
texts: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/ordeals1.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/water-ordeal.html
« Procopius on Justinian: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/procop-anec1.html
Week 4: Irish and Anglo-Saxon Christianity; Islam (Chapter 6) [Comments: B; Responses: C]
Tuesday
21 September
Friday
24 September ► Essay topics due (1/2-1 page outline of your
proposed essay topic)
St. Columbas
Rule http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columba-rule.html
« Bede: Conversion
of England: The Ecclesiastical History http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/bede1.html
« The Quran: Surahs 1, 47 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/koran-sel.html
Yakut:
Baghdad under Abbasids http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1000baghdad.html
The Thousand and One Nights:
Lady and her suitors http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/1001.html
Week 5: Muhammad, Charlemagne, and the Dark Ages (Chapter 7) [Comments: B; Responses: A]
Tuesday
28 September
Friday
1 October: LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW WITHOUT INCURRING WF
Letter
of Gregory II to Charles Martel http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g2-martellet.html
« The Donation of Constantine http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/donatconst.html
« Einhard: Selections from Life
of Charlemagne http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html
Letter
of summons to fight for Charlemagne http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/carol-sum1.html
Chronicles
describe the ravages of the Northmen http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/843bertin.html
Week 6: Ruling the Unruly: Medieval Institutions
(Chapters 8-9) [No Blackboard obligation]
Tuesday
5 October
Friday
8 October ► Draft of essay one is due by 4:00 p.m., if you decided
to do two separate essays. If you chose to work on the large project, see
schedule for week 8.
Fulbert of
Chartres: on mutual obligations http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/fulbert1.html
« 12th century fief ceremonies http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/feud-fief1.html
Population
estimates http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/pop-in-eur.html
Week 7: Dawn of a New Age
(Chapter 10) [Comments: A; Responses: C]
Tuesday
12 October ► MIDTERM EXAM
Friday
15 October
William
of Malmesbury: on the conquest of England http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1066malmesbury.html
Laws
of William the Conqueror http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/will1-lawsb.html
« The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Domesday book
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1186ASChron-Domesday.html
Extracts
from Domesday Book http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/domesday1.html
Week 8: Monks, Bishops,
Emperors, and Popes (Chapters 10-11) [Comments: C; Responses: B]
Tuesday
19 October
Friday 22 October ► Essay 1 (if you are
writing two separate essays) or Draft of the long essay is due by
« Gregory VII, Dictatus
papae http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-dictpap.html
Henry IV deposes Gregory VII http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/henry4-to-g7a.html
Gregory
VII deposes Henry IV http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-ban1.html
Gregory
VII deposes Henry IV again http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-ban2.html
« Concordat of Worms, 1122 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/worms1.html
Week 9: Outer Reaches
of the World (Chapters 12, 13) [Comments:
A; Responses: B]
Tuesday
26 October
Friday
29 October
Russian
Primary Chronicle: Conversion of Rus http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dml0www/christin.html
Raoul Glaber: On the Millennium http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/glaber-1000.html
« Versions of Urban IIs
Clermont Address: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html
Capture
of Jerusalem http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/cde-jlem.html
The
Fourth Crusade http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/4cde.html
King
Richard Captures a Caravan http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1192caravan.html
Week 10: Building a
Christian World (Chapter 14) [Comments: C; Responses: A]
Tuesday
2 November: ELECTION DAY: NO CLASS
Friday
5 November
On
kinds of laborers http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1000workers.html
Cluny:
property regulations http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1150Clunyprop.html
English
kings grant trading rights to Cologne http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1194hanse-koln-london.html
« Guibert of Nogent: communal uprising in Laon http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/guibert-laon.html
Adalbert of
Worms: fishermens guild http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1105fishermangild.html
Week 11: Dwarfs on the
Shoulders of Giants (Chapter 15) [Comments: B; Responses: C]
Tuesday
9 November
Friday
12 November
« St. Anselm of Canterbury: Proslogion
extracts http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/anselm.html
Adelard of
Bath: preface to Difficult Questions http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/adelardbath1.html
Abelard:
prologue to Sic et non http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/Abelard-SicetNon-Prologue.html
« Abelard: extracts from Historia
calamitarum http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/abelard-sel.html
Heloise
(?): letter to Abelard http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/heloise1.html
« St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Apology
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/bernard1.html
Week 12: Chivalric Society (Chapters
15-16) [Comments: B; Responses: A]
Tuesday
16 November
Friday
19 November ► Draft of essay two is due by 4:00 p.m., if you
decided to do two separate essays. If you chose to work on the large project,
you will have turned in your draft by now, and all that remains is finishing
your essay and turning it in by 4:00 p.m., Friday, 3 December (See schedule for
week 14).
Gratian on
marriage http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gratian1.html
« John of
« Chrιtien de Troyes: Lancelot
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1170chretien-lancelot.html
Capellanus:
The Art of Courtly Love http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/capellanus.html
Riot
at Chartres in 1210 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1210chartres.html
Week 13: The One and
Only Catholic Church (Chapter 17) [No Blackboard obligation]
Tuesday
23 November
Friday
26 November: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: NO CLASS
Week 14: Stupor Mundi and Other, More Mundane Aspects of Medieval
Government (Chapter 18) [Comments: A; Responses: C]
Tuesday
30 November
Friday 3 December ► Essay 2 or Large Essay
Project Due by
Caesarius
of Heisterbach on heretics http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/caesarius-heresies.html
« Innocent IIIs policies http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/innIII-policies.html
Select
canons of the Fourth Lateran Council http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/lat4-select.html
Frederick
IIs conflict with the Church http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1245FrederickII.html
St.
Louis sends advice to his son http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/stlouis1.html
Week 15: A New Breed of
Giants (Chapter 19) [Comments: C; Responses: B]
Tuesday
7 December
Friday
10 December ► SECOND EXAM
Robert
de Courηon: Statutes of the University of Paris http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/courcon1.html
« St. Thomas Aquinas: the truth of reason is not
contrary to the truth of faith http://www.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/gc1_7.htm
Boniface
VIII: Clericis laicos
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/b8-clericos.html
Marsilius
of Padua: Defensor Pacis
conclusion http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/marsiglio1.html
Raimon de
Cornet: corruption in Avignon http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/14Ccornet.html
Week 16
SECTION
002 ONLY: Friday 17 December,
Week 17
SECTION
001 ONLY: Monday 20 December,