The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Catalog description

This course will focus on the Roman Empire and its neighbors in the Mediterranean world from the first through eight centuries A.D. Topics will include the conflict between paganism and Christianity, Constantine's conversion of classical culture, Rome and the barbarians, the military collapse of the western empire, asceticism and monasticism, women in late antiquity, and the origins of Islam. All of these topics will be considered within the framework of the end of the Roman empire, though students will have great latitude to develop research projects covering any topic within the period and scope of the course.