Western Civilization I (to 1500)
HIST H-113
Spring 2009
Instructor:Amy Bosworth
Office:CA 313
Phone: 317-274-3811 (History Department main office)
E-mail:
Office Hours: Mondays 12:00-1:00, Wednesdays 9:30-10:30, and by appointment
Course Goals:
The pyramids of Egypt, the Battle of Thermopylae, Julius Caesar, chivalric knights and their ladies -- concepts made part of the twenty-first century consciousness through film, books, television, and popular culture. Yet for many they represent only fuzzy images of a time long past and of cultures alien to modern American society. This will course will introduce students to the history of western civilization between c.4000 BCE and 1500 CE. Lectures and assigned readings will highlight political institutions, systems of belief, intellectual culture, and daily life in the societies of the Ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe. Students will also read primary source documents and learn to critically analyze these works in short papers.
Required Texts
The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures (Volume A to 1500), third edition - Lynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, and Bonnie G. Smith
Spartacus and the Slave Wars: A Brief History with Documents - Brent D. Shaw
Two Lives of Charlemagne - Einhard and Notker, translated by David Ganz
The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350 - John Aberth
* Please let the professor know if you have difficulty locating any of these books.
Course Requirements
Examinations - 50%
-Students will take two examinations, one on Wednesday, March 4 and one during final exam week (date and time TBA). Each exam is worth 25% of the final grade. They will evaluate knowledge of lecture material, class discussion topics, and assigned readings.
-Each examination will consist of two essay questions and five short-answer identification terms. Study guides will be provided no later than two weeks before each exam and will also be posted on Oncourse.
-Students unable to take an exam during the time scheduled must contact the professor at least 24 hours prior to the exam to schedule an alternate day and time. Make up exams will only be offered if the professor is contacted ahead of time.
Short Papers - 30%
-Students will write three short papers (3-5 pages each) based on primary source readings. Each paper is worth 10% of the final grade. These assignments will ask students to analyze and respond to several questions about a text. Grades will be based on the student’s understanding of the material, use of evidentiary support, and clear expression of his/her argument.
-No outside research is permitted.
-Detailed instructions for each assignment and a grading rubric will be provided no later than one week before the due date. Assignments will also be posted on Oncourse.
-All papers are due at the beginning of class. Any paper turned in after 11:45am on the due date will be considered late. Ten (10) points will be deducted for every day a paper is late. Papers will not be accepted more than five (5) days after the due date. Late papers ONLY may be emailed.
Primary Source Activities - 10%
-Students will complete two primary source activities, each worth 5% of the final grade. The first activity will introduce students to the methods historians use to critically analyze primary source documents. The second will stress how to use these texts when writing about past cultures, events, people, etc.
-Detailed instructions, along with the reading assignment, will be distributed in class and also posted on Oncourse.
-All primary source activities are due at the beginning of class. Any activity turned in after 11:45am on the due date will be considered late. Ten (10) points will be deducted for every day a primary source activity is late. Activities will not be accepted more than five (5) days after the due date. Late activities ONLY may be emailed.
Quizzes and In-Class Activities - 10%
-Students will complete a variety of written in-class assignments based on the primary source materials and other readings provided by the instructor. Activities will build upon and enhance the lecture materials and provide a foundation for in-class discussions. Students will work independently or in small groups and turn in their work at the end of class.
-Short quizzes will also be given periodically. They will be based on lecture material and the assigned readings from The Making of the West.
-Quizzes and activities will not be announced. Make up assignments will only be offered for absences due to documented illness or official university activities.
-Missing more than six (6) quizzes and/or in-class activities will automatically result in a grade of ‘0’ for the quizzes/activities portion of the final grade.
Lecture and Reading Schedule
* Please have all readings done at the beginning of each week.
Week 1 - January 12 & 14
Let’s Begin …
-Introduction to the Course
-The Beginning of “Civilization”: The Neolithic Age and Emergence ofMesopotamia
-Reading: The Making of the West, prologue and pp.3-16
Week 2 - January 19 & 21
More than Pyramids: Ancient Egypt
-NO CLASS MONDAY (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.16-31
Week 3 - January 26 & 28
Ancient Greece
-Athens v. Sparta: Greek Political Organization
-Culture and Society and Ancient Greece
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.33-80
-Primary Source Activity #1 due Monday, January 26
Week 4 - February 2 & 4
Bringing the World Together: Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age
-NO CLASS WEDNESDAY
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.81-131
-Primary Source Activity #2 due Monday, February 2
Week 5 - February 9 & 11
From Republic to Empire
-The Rise of Rome and It’s Neighbors to the North
-Crossing the Rubicon: Rome Becomes an Empire
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.133-161
Week 6 - February 16 & 18
Who Were the Romans?
-Culture and Society in Ancient Rome
-Reading: Spartacus and the Slave Wars
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.163-180
-Paper #1 due Monday, February 16
Week 7 - February 23 & 25
Emperor Constantine: Political and Religious Change in the Roman Empire
-From Catacombs to Cathedrals: The Early Centuries of Christianity
-The Crisis of the Third Century and Its Aftermath
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.181-221
Week 8 - March 2 & 4
The Transformation of the Roman World
-The Barbarians are Coming . . .
-Reading: Review for midterm exam
-Midterm Exam Wednesday, March 4 (in class)
Week 9 - March 9 & 11
The Heirs to Rome I: The Byzantines and the Muslims
-Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire?
-A New Empire Emerges: The Rise of Islam
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.221-259
Week 10 - March 16 & 18
-NO CLASS (Spring Recess)
Week 11 - March 23 & 25
The Heirs to Rome II: Early Medieval Europe
-Hermits, Monks, and Bishops: The Christian Church in the Middle Ages
-Long-Haired Kingsand a Sea Serpent: The Merovingians
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.261-293
Week 12 - March 30 & April 1
The Carolingian Empire
-Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans
-The Renaissance before the “Renaissance”: Carolingian Culture and Reform
-Reading: The Two Lives of Charlemagne
-Paper #2 due Monday, March 30
Week 13 - April 6 & 8
Reorganization and New
-Vikings!!! (and the Changing Political Landscape)
-Changes and Innovations: Cities, Population Growth, and the Trebuchet
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.295-302, 319-325
Week 14 - April 13 & 15
Faith and Belief in the Later Middle Ages
-New Habits: Popular Piety and Monastic Reform
-To Jerusalem!: The Crusades and Their Aftermath
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.302-357
Week 15 - April 20 & 22
The Mind of the Middle Ages
-What Were They Thinking?: The Rise of the University
-The Dance of Death: The Plague and Its Consequences
-Reading: The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-135
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.387-401
-Paper #3 due Wednesday, April 22
Week 16 - April 27 & 29
Europe Transformed?
-The Rise and Fall of the Papal Monarchy
-From Medieval to Early Modern: Continuity and Change at the End of the Middle Ages
-Reading: The Making of the West, pp.359-384 and 401-416
Week 17 - May 4
Western Civilization to 1500: A Review
-Reading: Review for final exam
*Final Exam will be held during exam week (date, time, and location TBA)
Please note - Academic dishonesty, in any form, will not be tolerated in this class. Actions considered dishonest include (but are not limited to): turning in another’s work as your own, using crib sheets and/or electronic devices during an examination, copying from another student’s exam, giving another student answers during an exam. Those found engaging in dishonest activities will receive a ‘0’ on the assignment. A second infraction will result in a grade of “F” for the course and the university may be notified. If you are unsure what constitutes academic dishonesty, please contact the instructor.
1