Medieval Civilization
History 111, Spring 2002
Medieval Civilization
History 111, Spring 2002
Dr. Amy Livingstone
309 Hollenbeck Hall
Phone: x7842
Email: alivingstone@wittenberg.edu
Office Hours:
MW 10:10-11:30 a.m., TT 2:00-3:00 p.m. and by appointment.
Course Description:
Knights in shining armor, peasants toiling in the fields, damsels in distress, castles, cathedrals, crusades…. These are some of the enduring images of the medieval world. This course will explore the social, cultural and economic changes that made up the dynamic period we call the middle ages. Through lectures, discussion, films, debates and readings, the important developments, accomplishments and failings of the medieval centuries will be brought to life. The medieval centuries, perhaps more than any other era of history, was a time when personalities shaped and affected the course of history.
Required Texts:
A. Daniel Frankforter, The Medieval Millennium: An Introduction
Norman Cantor, The Medieval Reader
John F. Benton, Self and Society in Medieval France
Louise Collis, Memoirs of a Medieval Woman: The Life and Times of Margery
Kempe
Assignments will also be made in the Internet Medieval Sourcebook at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html. Students should become familiar with this site.
Assignments and Grade Determination:
1. Exams: Three one-hour essay exams throughout the semester.
2. Paper: Students will write an analytical paper comparing the books by John F. Benton and Louise Collis. The paper should be five pages in length. Detailed instructions for the paper will be handed out early in the semester.
3. Quizzes: There will be at least eleven unannounced quizzes during the semester. Only ten of these quizzes will count toward your final quiz grade. There will be no make-up quizzes.
4. Book Discussions: Students will be graded on their contributions to discussion of Self and Society in Medieval France and Memoirs of a Medieval Woman.
5. Group Presentation: Students will be assigned to groups and responsible for leading discussion of the course readings assigned for that day.
6. Class participation and attendance: Class participation is a significant part of your grade in this course. This grade is determined by:
· Attending Class (more than five absences will lower the final
grade for the course by one grade. More than nine absences will result
in failure of the course. Students with perfect attendance will receive
10 bonus points).
· Participating in large and small group discussions
· Reading and preparing for discussions
· Completing individual in-class writing and group assignments.
Rough Drafts: I am willing to read rough drafts of your papers. Please budget enough time before the assignment is due so I can make comments and you will have time to revise the paper (a minimum of four days is suggested).
Assignments will be penalized ONE LETTER GRADE for each day it is late. After five days, assignments will no longer be accepted.
Point distributions:
Exams (100 points each)
300 points
Paper
200 points
Book Discussions (50 points each)
100 points
Group Presentation
50 points
Class Participation
100 points
Quizzes 100 points
Please Note: In order to pass this course all assignments must be completed.
Extensions: Permission for make-up exams or extensions for papers will be given only in extenuating circumstances. Please consult with the instructor.
Academic Honesty: Cheating and Plagiarism are unacceptable and will result in a failing grade.
Out of respect for the instructor and fellow class members, please do not wear hats in the classroom
Be advised: The instructor reserves the right to make additional assignments, change the dates of tests or due dates for papers. In other words, all of the above and below is subject to revision or change at the instructor’s discretion.
Course Schedule and Reading Assignments
Study Aids:
Medieval Chronology at http://eawc.evansville.edu/chronology/extract.cgi?place=me
Medieval Timelines at http://chaos1.hypermart.net/medi/
and
http://web.uccs.edu/~history/index/med102timelines.html#chlaterempire
Group Assignments and Schedule:
****IMS = Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Week 1: January 14 Introduction to the Middle Ages
January
16
What is “medieval”?
Internet Archeology assignment
Frankforter, preface, Chapter 1; Cantor, General Introduction;
Unit I: Medieval Foundations
January 18
Defining the Medieval World: Roman Legacy
Frankforter, Chapter 2 St. Augustine, pp. 32-34; Rule of St. Benedict,
pp. 34-41
Questions
for Discussion
Week 2: January 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – no class
January 23
The Germanic Migrations
Frankforter, Chapter 3
Questions for Discussion
Unit II: The Development of the Medieval World
January
25
The Germanic Successor States
Cantor: Beowulf, pp. 10-14; Gregory the Great, p. 31;
IMS,
Sidonius Apollonarius,
Letters, "A Country House Life in Gaul" and "a Visigothic King" at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/sidonius1.html
“ A Civilized Visigoth and a Barbarous Roman,” at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/sidonius2.html
Theodoric, Selected letters at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/theodoric1.html
Questions for Discussion
Week 3: January 28
The Franks: The Merovingians
Frankforter, pp. 95-109; IMS, Gregory of Tours account of Clovis
and the Vase at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gregtours1.html;
Two Accounts of Clovis’ conversion, at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/496clovis.html
Questions for Discussion
January
30
The Byzantine Empire
Frankforter, pp. 70-74; 83-89
IMS, Procopius, On Justinian, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/procop-anec1.html
Procopius, Description of the Hagia Sophia,
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/procop-deaed1.html
Selections from the Corpus Juris Civilis, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/corpus1.html
Questions for Discussion
February
1
The Islamic Empire
Frankforter, pp. 74-83; pp. 89-94
Questions for Discussion
Week 4: February 4
The Islamic Empire
IMS, Ibn Ishaq, Selections from the Life of Muhammad, at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/muhammadi-sira.html
The Qu'ran: Surahs 1 and 47, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/koran-sel.html
Questions for Discussion
February 6 Charlemagne
Frankforter, pp. 110-121; Cantor pp. 97-104
Questions for Discussion
February 8 Charlemagne:
Group Presentation
IMS, General Capitulary for the Missi at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/carol-missi1.html
Capitulary for Saxony, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/carol-saxony.html
Letter to Baugulf of Fulda at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/carol-baugulf.html
Questions for Discussion
Week 5: February 11 Life
under the Carolingians : Group Presentation
IMS, AbbJ Irminon, Polyptyque de Villeneuve-St.Georges at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/800irminon.html
Asnapium: Inventory at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/800Asnapium.html
Capitulary De Villis, at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/carol-devillis.html
Questions for Discussion
February
13 Exam
Review Questions for the First Exam
Unit IV: The Central Middle Ages: Recovery, Stability and Expansion
February 15 The Dissolution of the Carolingian
World and the Rise of the Feudal Order
Frankforter, pp. 123-146; Cantor, The Song of Roland, pp. 7-10; Feudal
Homage, pp. 21-23;
Fulbert of Chartres , pp. 88-89
IMS, Annales of Xanten at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/xanten1.html
Three Sources on the Ravages of the Northmen in Frankland, at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/843bertin.html
Questions
for Discussion
Week 6: February 18 Medieval
Peasants
IMS, The Dialogue Between Master & Disciple at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1000workers.html
Domesday Book Description of Hecham Manor at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/hecham.html
Domesday Book: Manors of the Abbey of St. Peter, Winchester at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1086Winchestermanor.html
Archeology of Medieval Villages, at http://loki.stockton.edu/~ken/wharram/wharram.htm
Questions for Discussion
February 20 The Feudal House:
Group Presentation
Cantor, Raoul de Cambrai, pp. 17-21; Women of the Nobility, pp. 195-202
Questions for Discussion
February
22 The Medieval Monastery
Plan of St. Gall, ed. by Walter Horn, on Reserve in the Library
Cantor, Rule of St. Benedict, pp. 34-41; Abbot Samson, pp. 41-50
Questions for Discussion
Week 7: February 25 Discussion of Self
and Society in Medieval France
Questions for Discussion
February
27 Discussion of Self and Society in Medieval
France
Questions for Discussion
March
1
Discussion of Self and Society in Medieval France
Questions for Discussion
Week 8: March 4
The Feudal Church: Cluny and Truce of God
Frankforter, pp. 158-168; Cantor, Truce of God, pp.89-90
IMS, Regulations of the Property of Cluny at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1150Clunyprop.html
Selections from the Cartulary of St. Trond at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1j.html#The
Church and the Economy
Questions for Discussion
March 6
The Investiture Conflict: Group Presentation
Frankforter, pp. 158-178;
IMS, Gregory VII:Dictatus Papae at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-dictpap.html
Gregory VII: Lay Investitures Forbidden at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-reform2.html
Gregory VII, Deposition of Henry IV at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-ban1.html
Henry IV: Letter to Gregory VII at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/henry4-to-g7a.html
Questions for
Discussion
March 8 Hooray It's Spring Break!!
March 9-17 Spring Break
Week 9: March 18
Feudal Politics: France and England
Frankforter, pp. 148-158;
IMS, Read Chapters XIX and XXIV in Selections on Louis
VI/Louis the Fat at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/suger-louisthefat.html
Selections on William the Conqueror at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/will1-lawsb.html
and http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/domesday1.html
Henry II: The Constitutions of Clarendon at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/cclarendon.html
Questions for Discussion
March 20
The Crusades
Frankforter, pp. 162-172; 232-234
IMS, Urban II: Speech at Clermont: Five Versions at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html
Questions for Discussion
March
22
Exam
Review Questions for
the Second Exam
Week 10: March 25
Economic Development: Capitalism
Frankforter, pp. 173-188; Cantor, pp. 67-72; pp. 79-85
Readings in Handout Passed out in Class
March 27
Medieval Towns: Tensions and Space
Cantor, pp. 72-75
IMS, Henry I of England, Grant of a Fair to Ramsey Abbey at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1110ramsey.html
William Clito, Count of Flanders, Charter for the Town of St. Omer at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1127stomer.html
Questions for Discussion
March 29 Good Friday – No Class
Week 11: April 1
Religion in the Central Middle Ages
Cantor, pp. 124-130
IMS, Urban Heretics at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/waldo1.html
Questions for Discussion:
April 3
Cultural Prosperity: The Twelfth-Century Renaissance
Frankforter, pp. 188-206, 210-216; Cantor, pp. 145-158
Questions for Discussion
April
5
Church and State: Tensions
Frankforter, pp. 249-52; Cantor, Innocent III, p. 32.
Questions for
Discussion
Week 12: April 8
Government and Law: Group Presentation
Frankforter, Chapter 10; Cantor, pp. 166-169
Questions for Discussion
April 10
Tensions: Social and Deviant: Group Presentation
Cantor, pp. 268-275; 256-260
Questions for Discussion
April 12
Cathedrals
Internet Assignment
Cantor, pp. 114-120; 171-179; Frankforter, pp. 200-226;
IMS, Robert de Courcon, Statutes for the University of Paris at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/courcon1.html
Jacques de Vitry, Student Life at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vitry1.html
Medieval Student Songs at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/medievalstudentsongs.html
Questions for
Discussion and Internet Assignment
Week 13: April 15 Discussion of Memoirs of a Medieval
Woman
Guidelines and Questions
for Discussion
April 17 Discussion of Memoirs of a Medieval Woman
Guidelines and Questions
for Discussion
April 19 Discussion of Memoirs of a Medieval Woman
Guidelines
and Questions for Discussion
Unit V: The Waning of the Middle Ages
Week 14: April 22 Roots of Crisis:
Famine and Plague
Frankforter, pp. 277-286
Cantor, pp. 280-284, 301-306
Questions for Discussion
April 24 Social and Psychological Revolt: Group Presentation
Cantor, pp. 283-293
Questions for
Discussion
April
26 The Late Medieval Church
Frankforter, pp. 286-301
Questions for Discussion
Week 15: April 29 Leadership, Society and War
Cantor, pp. 310-313; 318-324
Questions for Discussion
May 1 The Anchoress
May 3 The Anchoress
Week 16: May 6 The End of the Middle Ages
Questions for Discussion
May 8 Final Exam
Final Exams:
Section 1, 9:10 MWF, Friday, May 10, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Section 2, 11:30 MWF, Monday, May 13, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Important Dates:
February 8 Group Presentation
February 11 Group Presentation
February 13 Exam
February 20 Group Presentation
February 25-March 3 Discussion of Self and Society in Medieval France
March 6 Group Presentation
March 22 Exam
April 8 Group Presentation
April 12 Group Presentation
April 15-19 Discussion of Memoirs of a Medieval Woman
April 22 Paper Due
April 24 Group Presentation
May 10 or May 13 Exam