History H206:
Medieval Civilization
Spring
2007
Jordan
Hall A100
TuTh 1-2:15
Section 26092
Prof. Deborah Deliyannis
ddeliyan@indiana.edu
Office: Ballantine Hall 708
Office
Hours: W 1:30-3:30
Description
What do we mean by "Medieval Civilization"? Chronologically, the Middle Ages spans
more than a thousand years (from approximately 400 to 1500 AD), and
covers the
many different political, cultural, and ethnic communities of Europe. There was not one medieval
civilization, but many medieval civilizations, related in some ways to
each
other, but distinct and constantly changing. This
class will be an introduction to the history of the
Middle Ages through its culture and ways of life.
Because the period to be covered is so vast, we
will focus
our attention on six moments in time and space that are representative
of some
of the communities of the Middle Ages. We will look at villages and
cathedral
towns, monasteries and manor houses, and for each, we will think about
how we
learn about them through primary sources and physical remains. We will consider who lived in the
community, what activities they took part in, what the community looked like physically, and what
aspects of medieval life and culture are represented there.
Website
In order to access parts of this website, you will
have to follow
instructions given to you in the first week of class.
All powerpoints shown in class will be placed on
Oncourse in the "resources" section; several readings, and other
materials for the class, will also be placed there.
Books
Readings in this course come from two sources. One of these is a textbook, for sale in the Bookstore:
Barbara Rosenwein, A
Short
History of the Middle Ages, 2nd
edition
(Broadview Press, 2004).
In addition, for each class there will be a document or documents which represent primary sources, which can be found on the world wide web or on Oncourse in the "resources" section. These texts are required (and the assignments are based on them); you may either read them online or print them out.
Structure
The class will consist primarily of lectures; if you have a question at any time during the lecture, feel free to raise your hand and ask. If you find something confusing, probably many other people do too, and they will appreciate your question also.
If at any time outside of class you have questions or wish to talk to me about any aspect of the class, please come to my office hours, as listed above. If these times are not convenient, I will be happy to schedule an appointment. I am also very accessible via e-mail.
Course requirements
6% Attendance at lecture
10% Participation in small focus group
40% Four short papers on readings (10% each)
16% Midterm exam
28% Final exam
100% TOTAL
Assignments
Attendance will be taken in lecture; your attendance will be worth 6% of your final grade. You will be allowed two 'free' absences.
In the third week of the semester, each of you will be assigned to a focus group made up of five or six people. Each group will be assigned one class day. On your assigned day, you will be expected to sit in the front row of the classroom. At the end of lecture, for the last 20 minutes of class, your group will come to the front and discuss the day's class. You will be asked to summarize the main points of the lecture, and will be given a discussion question (asked at the beginning of class) to facilitate your discussion. Basically, you will be acting like a small class and everyone else will watch you. You will be graded on how much you participate; you don't have to have understood everything in the lecture, but you do have to ask questions about the parts you didn't understand.
The short (1000 words) papers on each unit will be due in class the day following completion of the unit. Of the six papers, you must write four of them. You may choose the topics that most interest you, or the ones that fit best with your schedule. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE MIDTERM AND FINAL WILL COVER MATERIAL FROM ALL UNITS, EVEN THOSE FOR WHICH YOU SKIP THE PAPER; YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MATERIAL.
For each paper, an essay question has been assigned; you should answer the question specifically by making references to the texts that are the outside readings (and refer to them by name in your paper). Assignments are due in class on the day they are due. Because you do not have to do all six assignments, late assignments will not be accepted. You never know what crisis will befall you during the semester; it is strongly suggested that you turn in the first papers rather than waiting until the end of the semester. Papers will only be accepted in class on the day they are due (i.e. you can't email them during class time or turn them in to the office), without specific permission from the instructor. Papers will be considered late if they are submitted after the end of class on the day that they are due. Late papers will be marked down one letter grade for every day that they are late.
If you choose to turn in more than four papers, extra credit of up to 2% on your semester average will be given for each extra paper. You will receive 1% extra for a B or B+ paper, and 2% for an A- or A paper. We will calculate your grade to your best advantage.
The midterm and final exam will consist of a combination of short answer identifications and short essay questions. Questions will address material covered in lectures and the textbook, and also specific questions about the outside readings.
Tentative Schedule and Reading Assignments
Introduction
Jan. 9: Introduction
Medieval Europe, pp. 19-75, 95-110
Essay question [due Jan. 25]: What is your impression of a Late Antique city? What were the major institutions, buildings, population groups, etc.? Who were the authority figures in these cities?
Jan. 11: The
Late Roman Empire
Ammianus
Marcellinus, "The Luxury of the Rich in Rome," c. 400 AD
Jan. 16:
Christianity in the empire
Ambrose of Milan, selected letters [read
Epistle XX,
'to his sister']
Jan. 18: The 'transformation of the Roman world'
Cassiodorus,
Variae, two letters
(on Oncourse, CassiodorusCities.doc)
Jan. 23: The Byzantine Mediterranean
Jan. 25: The rise of Islam
Ravenna
papers due
Medieval Europe, pp. 75-94,
110-130
Essay question [due Feb. 13]: What kinds of people were living in a Germanic village? How much can we learn from archaeology about their lives, as compared to from texts of the sort that you have been assigned?
Jan. 30: Kingship and social organization
Salic Law, selections
(on Oncourse, SalicLaw.doc)
Feb. 1:
Religion
Bede, selections from the Ecclesiastical
History (on Oncourse,
BedeH206.doc)
Feb. 6: Towns
and trade
Alcuin, Life of Saint
Vedastus (selection) (on
Oncourse, Vedastus.doc)
Gregory of Tours,
Life of St. Patroclus (on Oncourse, gregVPpatroclus.pdf)
Feb. 8:
Charlemagne and his empire
Asnapium:
An
Inventory of One of Charlemagne's Estates
Abbe Irminon, Polyptyque de Villeneuve-St. Georges, c. 800
Medieval Europe, pp. 177-183, 192-206, 239-249, 251-278
Essay question [due Feb. 27]: How does the layout of a monastery like Cluny help to foster the aim of a monastic life?
Feb. 13: Monasticism
West Stow papers due
The
Rule of St.
Benedict, selections, c. 530
Feb. 15: Church and State
Feb. 20: Later criticisms and reforms
Critique and
Ideal: the Cistercian Renewal (read
Bernard of Clairvaux, from the Apology for William and "Peace on Earth":
A Contemporary Description of
Clairvaux)
Feb. 22: The Crusades
William of Tyre, The Foundation of the Order of Knights Templar
Bernard of Clairvaux, In praise of the new Knighthood
Feb. 27: Orthodoxy and heresy
Cluny papers due
Mar. 1: MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Wharram
Percy:
a feudal village
[note: the link here is to an external website]
Medieval Europe, pp. 131-164,
184-190, 207-223
Essay question [due Mar. 27]: How does Wharram Percy reflect the organization of society in the later Middle Ages?
Mar. 6: The Vikings and their aftermath
Dudo of St. Quentin, Gesta Normannorum, selections (on Oncourse, dudovikings.doc)
Mar. 8: Feudal society
The
Domesday Book, Instructions and
Example
SPRING BREAK
Mar. 20: The agricultural revolution
Manorial Management and Organization, c. 1275
Mar. 22: The medieval castle
Selections from The History
of the Counts of
Guines and Lords of Ardres (on
Oncourse,
Guines.doc)
Mar. 27: The Year 1000
Wharram
Percy papers due
Chartres: a twelfth-century cathedral town
Medieval Europe, pp. 171-176,
190-192, 224-238
Essay question [due Apr. 12]: Twelfth-century art and culture was concentrated in the newly thriving cities. Why was this? Who was sponsoring and paying for it?
Mar. 29: The economic expansion and the rise of cities
The
Cathedral
Chapter of Chartres-The Riot of 1210
Three
Disputes
involving the Cathedral Chapter of Chartres, 1215-1224
Apr. 3: The 'twelfth century renaissance'
Robert
de Courcon, Statues
for the University of Paris
Jacques de
Vitry,
History, Life of the Students at
Paris
Apr. 5: Chivalry and Courtly Love
Medieval song lyrics
(on Oncourse, lyrics.doc)
Apr. 10: Gothic architecture
Suger,
De administratione (excerpts)
Florence: a
city and the Black Death
Medieval Europe, pp. 279-323
Essay question [due Apr. 26]: Who are the movers and shakers in Florence? From where do they get their authority? How do they impact the development and appearance of the city? Who are the other inhabitants?
Apr. 12: Late
Medieval Government
Chartres
papers due
Treaty
for
Peace and Commercial Harmony Between Florence & St. Gimignano, 1225
Apr. 17: The
Black Death
Boccaccio,
the
Decameron, Introduction
Apr. 19: The
fourteenth-century crisis: economics, revolts, and war
Niccolo Machiavelli, History of Florence, on the Ciompi revolt
Apr. 24: Birth of the Renaissance
Vasari,
Lives of the Artists, on
Lorenzo de Ghiberti
Conclusion
Apr. 26: The
End of the Middle Ages
Florence
papers due
FINAL EXAM: Thurs.,
May 3, 7:15-9:15 p.m., in Jordan Hall A100 (the
usual classroom)