HIS 295ST: God/Empire/Medieval World

Catalog

Special Topic: God, Emppire, and the Birth of the Medieval World. Did the fall of Rome truly signal the beginning of a "Dark Age," out of which the modern world would eventually emerge?  Defining what is "medieval" has long played a crucial role in defining what is "modern." In this class students will learn to test the surviving evidence of the medieval world in order to determine the strength of these definitions. Which empire, if any, was the true heir of the ancient world: Justinian and the Byzantines, Charlemagne and the Franks, or Harun al-Rashid and the Abbasids? When did that ancient world end and the medieval world begin? Beginning in the years leading up to Constantine and his conversion to Christianity, this course will examine these questions, as well as crucial topics like the barbarian invasions, the birth of Christendom, the appearance and rapid spread of Islam, and the rise and fall of the Carolingian Empire. Along the way students will learn the challenges of interpreting a world that survives only in extremely varied and fragmentary sources. Prerequisite: HIS-100 or second-year standing.