History 508.01

Medieval Europe I: 300-1100

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Credit hours: 5
GEC categories:
Prerequisites: none; HIS 181 helpful

Text Books:

Example Syllabus:
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Course Objectives:

Course Content: This course is concerned with the creation of western Europe, from the transformation of the late antique Roman Empire (c. 480 AD) to the beginnings of the high middle ages (c. 1050). The early middle ages (c. 500 - c. 1050) witnessed radical changes and creative responses to those changes. It was characterized by the dissolution of the western roman Empire, the initial Christianization of the Germanic kings, the rise of Islam, an economic decline, the foundation of Carolingian empire, and the renewed invasions of the Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims. Well be following a geographic organization to illustrate the diversity of responses to the challenges faced by contemporaries. Some questions well be examining in this period will be: Was this really the Dark Ages? What remained of Roman culture and practices? How did Christianity change? In the west, how did the Visigoths, Franks, Angles and Saxons, Lombards and others govern? What roles did women have in public and private life?

Method of Presentation: Equally divided between lecture and discussion (primary sources and 2-3 scholarly monographs).

Method of Evaluation: midterm, 2 papers (5-9 pages), final, participation

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