HIST 309
Medieval Civilization (EU) (WI)
Catalog Entry
HIST 309
Medieval Civilization (EU) (WI)
Three hours lecture: (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of History at the 100 level.
A study of the political, socio-economic, and cultural development of Europe from
300 to 1500 with an emphasis on the achievements of the eleventh through thirteenth
centuries.
Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
I. Introduction: The Significance of the Middle Ages
II. The Ancient Context
A. Greco-Roman Civilization
B. Christian Religion
C. Germanic Culture
III. Rome's Successors in the East and West
A. Byzantium
B. Barbarian Kingdoms
B. Dar al-Islam
IV. The Early Medieval Synthesis: Latin Christendom
A. The Roman Church
B. The Carolingian World
C. Anglo-Saxon Britain
V. Latin Christendom Transformed
A. Europe Besieged: Vikings, Magyars, Muslims
B. Regional Political Developments
VI. The High Middle Ages: Socio-Economic Developments
A. Rural Society
B. Economic Take-Off
C. Urban Society
VII. Church and State in the High Middle Ages
A. Empire and Ecclesiastical Reform
B. Norman Conquest and Angevin England
C. Royal Government on the Continent
VIII. Expansion of Latin Christendom
A. Internal Expansion
B. Normans
C. Reconquista
D. Crusades
E. Eastward Expansion
IX. High Medieval Culture
A. Renaissance of the Twelfth Century
B. Schools and Universities
C. Academic Disciplines
D. Art and Architecture
E. Language and Literature
X. Socio-Economic Structures in the High Middle Ages
XI. Latin Christendom in the Twelfth and Thirteenth-Centuries
A. Papal Monarchy and the Decline of the Imperial Ideal
B. Monarchy in France, England, and Spain
C. Religious Trends in Western Christendom
D. The Eastern Frontier and the Mongols
XII. The Later Middle Ages
A. Socio-Economic Decline
B. Demographic Disaster
C. National Monarchies
D. Crisis in the Church
E. Cultural Developments
XIII. The Fifteenth Century: Setting the Stage for a New Era
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The class meets three hours per week. The course is taught primarily using a lecture
format and includes time dedicated to the discussion of sources and concepts from
lectures and readings. Students are required to read extensively from textbooks and
material distributed in class. Class discussion of assigned material is an important
element of the course.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
a. Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical issues,
acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of pertinent historical events
and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with the concepts of historical argument
and interpretation.
b. Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies to locate
and analyze primary and secondary source evidence, processing and organizing the resultant
data, and composing proper citation and bibliographical entries.
c. Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills
to the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss, for example,
historical social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments and that address
issues such as the causes and consequences of historical change and continuity.
d. Students will describe the physical and cultural geography of the medieval world.
Students will study medieval cultures and develop an awareness of the complexity of
cultural interaction and change over historical time. In particular, students will
demonstrate an understanding of the multicultural nature of western Eurasia during
the medieval period and the role of Latin Christendom in defining Europe and the “West”
between the decline of ancient civilization and the advent of the modern period.
Assessment Measures
Knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this course will be measured
using an array of assessment tools that may include, among other things, class attendance
and participation, written examinations, formal writing assignments of various types,
and informal writing assignments. All exercises are designed to expand the student's
ability to evaluate historical events and to develop his or her ability to compose
persuasive arguments.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
Date Action Reviewed by
October 2010 Reviewed and Approved by Sharon Roger Hepburn
04/2011
March 01, 2021