Schedule of Classes and Readings
Schedule of Classes and Readings
SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2001
The readings are grouped by the week, such that by August 24 (the end
of week 1) I will expect you to have read all of the material assigned
for the week August 20-August 24. Sometimes I note which readings
pertain to a specific date; in these cases I expect you to have read that
text before coming to the appropriate class meeting.
IMPT NOTE: For all readings up to and including October 12, see instead this Revised Syllabus (click here)
August 20: Course Introduction: Historians and Their Method
August 22: How to Read a Primary Source
August 24: the Roman Heritage
Textbook Readings:
Hollister 1-5, 9-15
Primary Source Readings:
Handout: “A Medieval
Document” (for August 22)
Handout: Some Texts
on Roman Law and Government (for August 24)
August 27: The Christian Heritage: Ideas and Beliefs
August 29: the Christian Heritage: Institutions (Bishops, Priests and
Saints)
August 31: the Germanic Migrations and the Successor States
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 15-27
Primary Source Readings:
For August 27: Nicene
Creed, St Vincent of Lerins’ Definition of Orthodoxy
Both available as On-line texts: the World
of the Church Fathers
For August 29: Ambrose
of Milan (also on-line
at the same site)
Geary: the Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity (Geary, 58-64)
For August 31: Beowulf,
pp. 3-25
September 3: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
September 5: the World of the Early Middle Ages
September 7: Discussion: Beowulf
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 28-41, 56-64
Primary Source Readings:
Beowulf, entire (pp. 25-81)
Secondary Source Reading:
Reserve Room: J.M. Wallace-Hadrill, “The Bloodfeud of the Franks,” in The
Long-Haired Kings (London, 1962; reprinted U. Toronto Press, 1982),
121-147. [Note: this reading has been cancelled!]
PART II: THE CENTRAL MIDDLE AGES
September 10: Charlemagne and the Great Man Theory
September 12: Scholars and Historical Interpretation
September 14: DISCUSSION
Textbook Reading:
Required: 87-108
Primary Source Readings:
Geary: Einhard, Life
of Charles the Great (ie., Charlemagne), 267-280
Secondary Source Readings:
Reserve Room: Timothy Reuter,
"Plunder and Tribute in the Carolingian Empire," Transactionsof the
Royal Historical Society, 5th ser. 35 (1985): 75-94.
[Note: this reading has been cancelled!]
September 17: the Vikings and the End of Early Medieval Europe
September 19: Recovery in the Tenth Century: England
September 21: Lordship: relations between aristocrats
Textbook Reading:
Required: Hollister, 109-123
Primary Source Readings:
Geary: King Alfred, pp.
223-247
The Song of Roland,
first 1/3 (to p. 66)
Secondary Source Reading:
Reserve Room: Elizabeth
Brown, "The Tyranny of a Construct: Feudalism and Historians of Medieval
Europe" in American Historical Review 79 (1974):
1063-88.
Note: This Reading has been cancelled!
September 24: Castles: aristocratic life
FIRST PAPER DUE: Monday, September 24, in class [Revised due-date:
October 1; see topics here]
September 26: Medieval Cases of Lordship in Action: Roland, Hugh of
Lusignan, and Gervais of Le Mans
September 28: Discussion
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 123-129, 172-182
Primary Source Readings:
Geary: Fulbert of Chartres,
Letter to William of Aquitaine, p. 366
Geary: Hugh of Lusignan,
“Agreement Between Lord and Vassal”, 367-372
The Song of Roland,
last 2/3 (p. 66 to end)
October 1: Lordship: relations between peasants and lords
October 3: Manors and the life of the peasantry
October 5: Lecture: the Organization of the Church in 1100
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 138-143, 182-188
Primary Source Readings:
On-Line Texts: Peasant
Servitude (at my website)
On-Line Texts: Peasant
Life (at my website)
October 8: FALL BREAK
October 10: Monasticism: the Benedictine Ideal
October 12 (LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT PENALTY): Benedictine Monasticism
at its Peak: Cluny
[Note: Revised due-date for Take-Home Midterms: October 12; see questions
here]
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 65-70 (on
Benedictine monks), 206-224
Primary Source Readings:
Geary: Rule of St Benedict,
158-187 (focus on the prologue and chapters 1-7, 12-16, 22-25, 28-30, 33-34,
36-42, 48, 58-62)
Geary: Miracles of St Foy,
311-318
Secondary Source Reading:
Reserve Room: Barbara
Rosenwein, Thomas Head, and Sharon Farmer, "Monks and their Enemies: A
Comparative Approach," Speculum 66 (1991):
764-786
October 15: the Papacy Emerges: the Investiture Controversy
October 17: the Papacy in Action: Law and Doctrine in the 12th Century
October 19: Innocent III
Textbook reading:
Hollister, 225-247
Primary Source Readings:
Geary: Pope Gregory VII and King
Henry IV, pp. 580-583 (all but last paragraph on 583), 587-591 (to
first sentence on 591), 596-605
Geary: the Fourth Lateran Council,
421-446 [read especially chapters 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 14-18, 21, 26, 31-32,
47, 50-52, 62, 67-69]
October 22: Discussion: Fourth Lateran Council
October 24: Medieval Education: teachers and methods
October 26: Medieval Philosophy: the Return of Aristotle
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 293-314
Primary Source Readings:
The Letters of
Abelard and Heloise, pp. 57-106, 109-118
October 29: Film: Siena
October 31: Discussion of Abelard and Heloise
November 2: the Growth of Towns and Commerce
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 161-172
Primary Source Readings:
On-Line Documents:
both may be accessed here:
http://www.uncg.edu/~rebarton/texts-list.htm
The Beauvais
Dossier, 1182-1233 (only read the Introduction and Document A)
The Chartres
Riot, 1210
Secondary Source Reading:
Reserve Room: Lester
K. Little, "Pride Comes Before Avarice: Social Change and the Vices in
Latin Christendom," American Historical Review,
v. 76 (1971), 16-49.
November 5: Chivalry and the Courtly Life
November 7: Film
November 9: No Class: Instructor away
Textbook Reading:
Review: Hollister, 172-181
Primary Source Readings:
Chretien de Troyes: Yvain,
or The Knight of the Lion, ix-xiii and lines 1-3898
November 12: A Real Knight and a Real Queen: William Marshal and Eleanor
of Aquitaine
November 14: Real Medieval Warfare: A Battle and a Campaign: Hastings
and the First Crusade
November 16: Discussion of Yvain
Primary Source Readings:
Chretien de Troyes, Yvain,
lines 3899-6818 and pp. 205-226
November 19: Monarchy: general principles
SECOND PAPER DUE: Monday November 19, in class
November 21: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
November 23: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Primary Source Reading:
Handout: Prospice: a Royal
Blessing-Prayer
November 26: Kings vs. Emperors: the problem of the Empire
November 28: Charismatic kings vs. Administrative Monarchs: William
the Conqueror and Henry II
November 30: Monarchy and Divine Right (Richard II)
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 248-255, 261-265
Primary Source Readings:
For Nov. 26: Handout: Some
Medieval Notions of Empire
For Nov 28: Handout: Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle: Assessment of William the Conqueror
For Nov. 30: On-Line Text:
the Assize
of Clarendon [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/aclarendon.html]
On-Line Text: Peter of Blois, Description
of Henry II [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1177peterblois-hen2.html]
Secondary Source Reading:
Reserve Room: C.W. Hollister
and John W. Baldwin, "The Rise of Administrative Kingship: Henry I and
Philip Augustus," American Historical Review
83 (1978): 867-905.
December 3: the Ideal King: St Louis (Louis IX) of France
December 5: A Disastrous King: King John of England
December 7: Discussion of Magna Carta and St Louis
Textbook Reading:
Hollister, 255-261, 265-271
Primary Source Reading:
Geary: Magna Carta, 1215,
pp. 744-750
Geary: Joinville, Life
of St Louis, 654-671
Geary: Enquêts of
King Louis, 672-682
December 10: the ‘Middle’ Ages