Brian Tierney, WESTERN EUROPE IN THE MIDDLE AGES: 300-1475, Basic text, but not as thorough as I would like it to be. It is also used in Hist 440.
Chrichton, TIMELINE.  A novel about archaeology, time travel, and the Hundred Years War.
Stephenson, MEDIEVAL FEUDALISM. A short, clear explanation of feudalism.
Gies & Gies, LIFE IN A MEDIEVAL CITY. The people and institutions of the 13th century.
Handout Packet. Important information for the course plus various handouts.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

Gies, WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE AGES.
Joinville, CHRONICLES OF THE CRUSADES. Two accounts of crusades by crusaders.

If you could find a copy of Chodorow, EUROPE IN THE MIDDLE AGES, you could and should substitute it for Tierney.  It is a much better book.  Detailed and accurate and unfortunately out of print.

If you want to read more about medieval history, literature, art, or religion, I can give you some suggestions. Come see me during office hours!

EVALUATION and OTHER ACADEMIC MATTERS

EVALUATION

There will two (2) mid-term exams each worth 100 points, 3 map quizzes worth a total of 50 points, a book and web assignment worth 50 points, and a take home final exam worth 150 points, for a grand total of 450 points. You will be graded on total points scored, and YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL EXAMS AND THE WEB ASSIGNMENT TO RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE. For Dates of examinations, see the printed syllabus.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate students will read an additional 5 books and write book reviews. There may also be some additional class meetings for graduate students. See me for details.

MAP QUIZZES

will be given on 4 Wednesdays throughout the semester during the first 5 minutes of class. There are no make-ups. The fourth map quiz will serve as a make-up (may be used to replace the lowest map score). See below for the places you need to know.

GRADING

The goal is a standard "curve" of 90-80-70-60. I usually am able to adjust the grading without curving. "Plus" and "minus" grades will be given to the top and bottom two percentage points in each category. Thus, if B's range from 89- 80, B+ will be 89-88 and B- will be 81-80. There are no quotas, however, and I am willing to give all A's or F's. Although grades tend to run "high" in this class (because of student interest and hard work, not easy grading) I have yet to do either. Surprise me. Go ahead and make my day!

MAKE UP EXAMINATIONS

will be given where appropriate, but they will be harder and will be given at my convenience (on Fridays at 7:00 a.m.) and must be arranged (not taken) by the class period following the examination. I prefer that this be done in class. If you miss the make-up, drop the course. Of course, there will be no make-up for the take-home final.

EXAM CONTENT

will consist of essay questions and identifications. There is a handout that I will give out on essay examinations that you should read carefully. Note that you must be able to write standard English well enough to express your thoughts in a coherent manner using sentences and paragraphs that are clear and organized. You need not be a Pulitzer Prize winner, but if you have trouble writing, you should see me immediately. I do not give multiple-choice examinations. Names, places, dates are all important. These are the data that help you build an historical analysis or argument.

BOOK AND WEB COMPARISON 

Due about April 1, see printed syllabus for exact dates.  A paper handed in 4 weeks early will be graded and handed back in time for revisions to be made.

This is a specialized assignment based on the novel Timeline and material that you find on the Web. After reading Timeline, pick some aspect of the book that you wish to investigate further. Check with me to make sure that what you pick is acceptable. There will be a written confirmation of this. Now for part 2: go to the library to find information about your topic. Xerox the title pages of the books that you will use in your review, plus pertinent pages (maximum 5 pp. for any one book). You should have at least two books represented. Part 3: go to the web to try to find some confirmation of what you just found. Print out relevant material from at least one web site.

Write a review of the novel with an emphasis on the aspect you have chosen and the material in the books and website. Consider these and/or similar questions: to what extent was Crichton accurate; how well did he capture the the period; were there any glaring inconsistencies or anachronisms; what elements of the portrayal of the 14^th century were unlikely or impossible? Total paper length should be 5-7 pp. plus the copies. Late penalties (5 points per half day) apply.

CLASSROOM PROCEDURE

Classes will consist of PowerPoint based illustrated lectures with other audio-visuals from time to time. Note that the pictures and notes are to help you, not simply to give you something pretty to look at.  Also note that you really  need to take good notes of the lecture (that is, the words being said), not just the cryptic text on the screen.  Questions are WELCOMED, provided that they are not excessive or off the topic. If you wish to debate an esoteric point, I will be glad to talk to you outside of class. PLEASE do not hesitate to ask a question that will clarify some part of the lecture.

ATTENDANCE

is your concern, but cutting class may cause you to miss important announcements, changes in procedure, handouts, as well as the material. You may want to borrow someone's notes. I do not lend mine, and I don't repeat lectures.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

should not need to be mentioned. Your classmates are here to learn, I am here to teach; any disruption or disturbance of this process will be considered sufficient cause to remove an offender from class temporarily or permanently.  Note that cell phones can be really irritating.  Turn them off, please.

FRESHMEN: should see me immediately concerning this class. This is important for you and your grade.

READING AND STUDY HABITS

It is important to keep up on the reading.  Just how you do this is your business.  I don't give daily reading quizzes, even in freshman level classes.  But do know that you cannot hope to keep everything straight if you insist on reading all of Plutarch or Arrian at a sitting.  The text and supplements ought to help you understand Roman history better, to fill in where lecture was sketchy, to draw other conclusions and insights than you will get in class.

It is wise to periodically review your class notes to see if you can make sense of the material.  If you cannot, it is time to revise, to come see me, or go back and fill in from your books.  

Don't  wait till you get the study guide to prepare for the exams.  Work on the material for at least a week.  Think about what kind of questions I could give you (hint:  what were the main topics of this section of the course?).

In Studying: Note that you will be writing examinations composed of essay questions. You will need to compile a basis of specific information to back up your contentions, generalizations, and opinions. Names and dates are often necessary to do this. Beware amassing (and writing) large amounts of unrelated facts OR unsupported generalities. Neither shotgunning nor BSing will result in a satisfactory grade.

Work on the maps for the map quizzes, a few new places at a time.  If you do this over a week, you will have memorized the names, locations, and spelling of all the items on the map!

 

LECTURE AND READING SCHEDULE

Lecture 01: Survey of the Early Middle Ages
Lecture 02: The Byzantine Empire and Western Europe
Lecture 03: Orthodox and Catholic

READINGS: Tierney, ch. 5-7 (read for background); Stephenson, ch. 1-2. [Chodorow, ch. 5, 8]

Lecture 04: Structure of Feudalism
Lecture 05: Manorialism
Lecture 06: Feudalism and Government
Lecture 07: Feudal Society
Lecture 08: Agricultural Revival
Lecture 09: Towns and Trade
Lecture 10: France and England
Lecture 11: Holy Roman Empire
Lecture 12: Cluny and Reform
Lecture 13: Investiture Controversy
Lecture 14: Eleventh Century Art

READINGS: Tierney, ch. 8-9, 11, 19 (Sect 67); Stephenson, ch. 3-4; Gies, Prologue. [Chodorow, ch. 9-12, 17 (413-421)] 

EXAMINATION I: (trial by ordeal)

Lecture 15: Anglo-Norman Government
Lecture 16: Capetian France
Lecture 17: Rise of the Angevin Empire
Lecture 18: Hohenstaufen Germany
Lecture 19: Manzikert and Crusade
Lecture 20: The Early Crusades
Lecture 21: Crusaders and Crusader States

READINGS: Tierney, ch. 10, 12-13, 16; Stephenson, ch. 5. [Chodorow, ch. 13-14] Have you started Chrichton yet?

Lecture 22: Twelfth Century Christianity
Lecture 23: Monastic Reform
Lecture 24: Bernard and Abelard
Lecture 25: Town and Gown
Lecture 26: Popular Culture
Lecture 27: Gothic Europe

READINGS: Tierney, ch. 14-15, 18, 19; Gies, all. [Chodorow, ch. 15-18]

EXAMINATION II: (trial by inquisition)

Lecture 28: John and Philip
Lecture 29: Lion in Winter
Lecture 30: Carta and All That
Lecture 31: Triumph of Capetian Monarchy
Lecture 32: Innocent III and the Papal Monarchy
Lecture 33: Collapse of the Holy Roman Empire
Lecture 34: Heretics and Friars
Lecture 35: Thomas Aquinas

READINGS: Tierney, ch. 17-20. [Chodorow, ch. 19-22]

Lecture 36: France and the Papacy
Lecture 37: The Hundred Years War
Lecture 38: The Black Death
Lecture 39: Depression of the Fourteenth Century
Lecture 40: Crisis in the Church
Lecture 41: May 2: Empires East and West

READINGS: Tierney, ch. 21-26. [Chodorow, ch. 23-28]

FINAL EXAMINATION (pray for a miracle)
due Monday, Finals Week, 12 NOON in Wilson 337

MAP QUIZ LIST

MAP 1 Adriatic Sea Anatolia Aquitaine Augsburg Bavaria Bohemia Brittany Bulgaria Burgundy Byzantine Empire Caliphate of Cordoba Canossa Cluny Constantinople Córdoba Denmark England France Franconia Hastings Italy London Lorraine Macedonia Mainz Normandy Papal States Paris Ravenna Rome Sardinia Saxony Sicily Swabia York

MAP 2 Adriatic Sea Aegean Sea Alps Anjou Antioch Apulia Aquitaine Bologna Brittany Calabria Canterbury Cilicia Cîteaux Cyprus Constantinople England Gascony Hungary Île de France Jerusalem Kingdom of Sicily Legnano Lombardy Manzikert Marseilles Milan Normandy Orléans Oxford Paris Pisa Poland Siena Toulouse Venice

MAP 3 Adriatic Sea Aegean Sea Agincourt Albi Aragon Assisi Austria Avignon Baltic Sea Black Sea Brittany Calais Castile Constance Constantinople Crecy Empire of Nicaea Flanders Gascony Granada Ireland London Lyons Milan Normandy North Sea Pisa Poitiers Poitou Runnymede Scotland Sicily Thessalonika York

Map Quiz 4 will be a composite: all three lists are fair game.

Note that regions (states, provinces, territories) are hatched, specific places (cities, towns, battles) are marked with an X, Rivers are denoted by an arrow pointing to them, bodies of water and small islands by number in middle.