T h e A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y o f R o m e
HST 201 - Survey of Western Civilization
I
Session 13
The Early Middle Ages
1st topic of analysis:
Cordoba and the culture of the Middle
Ages
Intro to WS and Core-Periphery

At midcourse…
Structure of the course, discussion to improve our understanding

At midcourse…
Structure of the course, discussion to improve our understanding
S U R V E Y f a c t s / i d e a s / a p p r o a c h e s
( t h e o r y )

Facts
Textbook…our facts…our narration

Class…our ideas…concepts ….approaches
Concepts
Facts

Concepts
Facts

Concepts
Facts

a situation of relying squarely on the textbook is not quite profitable for anyone
Concepts
Facts b o r i n g

a situation of relying squarely on the textbook is not quite profitable for anyone
Concepts > You learn little on how to analyze or understand all those facts read in the book
> My work is limited to coaching you on the facts you were supposed to read
Facts b o r i n g

Are we doing our homework?
Am I presenting important concepts, not discussed in the book, that improve your grasp of tools useful to your future analysis of international relations?
Evolution of the state & empires / periodization
World systems / Core-periphery theories /
Geography of power

Are we doing our homework?
Are you reading on a periodical basis the chapters of the homework? Are you thinking about the questions that the book presents to you?
The classes are using many resources of the book… maps… chronological timelines

Have you browsed the article for today?
Would you be able to tell me what is the main objective of the author? What is he proposing to review and analyze…
What is your input to this class?

Questions… alone, single, no context
1 - Why is it important to define the stages in such a historical timeline?
Periodization vs. timeline / “manageable chunks”
2 - Describe the evolution of political systems in Athens starting around 800 BC at the end of the Greek Dark
Ages.
3 - Describe an important example of a scenario of peace treaty, truce or pacific resolution of conflict.
4 - Define the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages and the events that warrant such a change.

The problem of questions…presented in a context
1 - In the TH2 there is a question on the periodization of imperial management for the evolution of the Roman polity.
Why is it important to define the stages in such a historical timeline? Why is it useful? Give an example, preferably with cases other than the Roman Empire, where your arguments might benefit from this periodization.
2 - Describe the diversity and swift evolution of political systems in Athens starting around 800 BC at the end of the
Greek Dark Ages. How many political systems can you describe for what is a relatively short period? What is the source for all that political evolution? Were they due to internal events? Or rather due to external events?

3 – We (at AUR) are very interested that your background in international relations has a strong historical foundation.
These relations, shaped in the form of treaties, peace negotiations or embassies, are not very common in antiquity.
The evolution of the Mediterranean world rather shows events of peace-bound resolutions, truces, post-conflict peaceful status… Describe what you believe is an important example (not necessarily “inscribed in stone”) of such a scenario.
4 - The 1000-year era of the Middle Ages has been divided in “manageable chunks”, split at times of crucial events that changed political systems or economic structures. Within each chunk a series of events show how “dark” or rather
“rich” the era was. The “tags” depend on the perspective of the historian and his/her context (i.e. that is, in an ethnocentric analysis, something that should be noted).
Define the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages and the events that warrant such a change in our broad-scale

Concepts
Facts

Evaluating the PPT modules
What is the information about?
Main ideas & concepts of the lesson?
Facts of the textbook? Maps, timelines? (as is the case of the last six screen of module 12)
Is the textbook confusing?

The concepts we’ve seen…
> Evolution of political systems chiefdoms and state + empire management
> Periodization
> Perspective, ethnocentrism
(Maalouf: The Crusades seen by the Arabs)
> Early “globalization” - cosmopolitanism