History 103 INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
"Medieval history is always slowly turning into romance"
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2:00 to 3:15 and by appointment. If you are coming to my office during my office hours, it would help if you would email me ahead of time. I am often called away from my office, and I want to be sure that I do not miss you.
Course Description:
This course is a survey of medieval European history from the fall of the Roman Empire to the birth of the Renaissance. We explore political, religious, and social changes, as well as economic, technological, and cultural developments, seeking to understand the complexity of the medieval past, including awareness of the experiences of peasants, townsfolk, students, clergy, knights, and nobles. Topics include the Birth of Christianity and the decline of the Roman Empire; Barbarian nations; the Feudal World and Crusades; Chivalry, Medieval Warfare, and the Arthurian legend; Cities, Education and Daily Life; the Church, Heresy & Witchcraft; and The Black Death.
By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of the key events, persons, and cultural movements during the Middle Ages in Europe.
- Describe how encounters among Byzantium, Europe, and Islam affected the economies, intellectual, cultural, and political ideas of each.
- Engage critically with medieval sources (readings, poetry, images, documents, etc.,) and demonstrate a clear understanding of their historical context, purpose, and audience.
Required Text (available at University Bookstore)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Penguin, 2007)
Requirements:
Exams: Students will also take three exams in class based on the lectures and readings.
Quizzes & short writing exercises will be completed in class by hand approximately every third lecture. If you miss a quiz or a short writing exercise, you can make up those points through extra credit assignments.
A variety of extra-credit assignments will be posted after the first exam. Extra-credit assignment points can only be used to improve your quiz/short paper grade.
Grading:
Final grades will be based on the papers, exams, quizzes, and any extra credit, calculated as follows: Quizzes & Short Papers (Extra Credit, Attendance) 40%
Midterm Exam 1 20%
Midterm Exam 2 20%
Final Exam 20%
Rules of the Game:
Attendance is mandatory. All unexcused absences will count against your final grade. Walking in late counts as an absence.
When entering our classroom, please remove your earbuds and silence your phone.
Take Notes: Please take notes using pen and paper. Studies show that this is a more effective way to learn than using a laptop.
Plagiarism: Understand that plagiarism or cheating of any kind will result in a failing grade for the entire course and that the Dean of Students Office will be informed.
Submitting AI-generated writing or research as your own is academic dishonesty and carries the same penalties as plagiarism. If a chatbot generated any portion of your assignment, you will violate the academic integrity expectations of this course and the university. Your case will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for further review of your status at this University.
Email Etiquette: Students must use proper email etiquette when emailing me or the TA (an email should begin with a salutation such as “Dear Professor Zook” and end with a proper closing, such as “Sincerely,” or “Yours,”).
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS
January 12 Introduction to the Course
January 14-16 The Late Roman Empire
January 21-23 The Birth & Spread of Christianity
January 26 Sailing to Byzantium
January 28-30 Monks and Missionaries
February 2-4 Barbarian Nations
February 6-9 Islam
February 11 Review for the First Exam
February 13 The First Exam
February 16-18 The Last Invasions & Feudal World
February 20 Feudalism in Action
February 23 The Crusades
February 25 Knighthood & Chivalry
February 27-March 2 The Agrarian and Commercial Revolutions
March 4 The Medieval City: dynamic and dangerous
March 6 No Class: Library Day
March 9 Education and the Rise of the Universities
March 11-13 World of the Peasantry: Family Formation
March 23 Peasant Folkways
March 25 Review for Second Exam
March 27 The Second Exam
March 30 Arthurian Legend and Sir Gawain & the Green Knight
April 1 Conflict Between Church & State: In 3 Dramatic Acts
April 3 The Church at Its Height
April 6 Women in Medieval Europe: A Golden Age for Women?
April 8-10 Dealing with Difference: Minority Groups, Heresy, & Witchcraft
April 13-15 Late Medieval Kingship: Success and Failure
April 17 The Battle of Agincourt (October 26, 1415)
April 20-22 The Late Middle Ages, The Black Death
April 24-27 The Church & Late Medieval Piety
April 29 Review for Final Exam
May 1 Final Exam