Saint Louis University
Hist 304-01
THE MIDDLE AGES TO 1100
Fall 2009
MWF 2:10-3:00
Beracha Hall 218
Father Steven A. Schoenig, S.J.
Department of History
sschoeni@slu.edu
Office: Humanities 115
Office Phone: 314-977-2909
Office Hours: MWF 10-11, or appt.
Mission Statement: The mission of Saint Louis University is the pursuit of truth for the greater
glory of God and for the service of humanity. The university seeks excellence in the fulfillment
of its corporate purposes of teaching, research, health care, and service to the community. It is
dedicated to leadership in the continuing quest for the understanding of God’s creation, and for
the discovery, dissemination, and integration of the values, knowledge, and skills required to
transform society in the spirit of the Gospels. As a Catholic, Jesuit university, this pursuit is
motivated by the inspiration and values of the Judeo-Christian tradition and is guided by the
spiritual and intellectual ideals of the Society of Jesus.
Course Description and Goals: This course surveys the history of the West from late antiquity
to the great changes occurring after the turn of the millennium. While it is not hard to find praise
of the Roman Empire or of the High Middle Ages, the period between them is often dismissed as
the “dark ages,” a time of societal collapse, cultural stagnation, and backwards barbarity. In fact,
these centuries witnessed dramatic transformations and creative impulses as cultures mixed and
the three great civilizations of Europe, Byzantium, and Islam arose. The foundations were being
laid for the Western world we know today. If the sources preserved from this period are fewer
than before or after, it only makes the historical detective work more challenging and exciting.
This course aims to introduce not only the peoples and cultures, ideas and institutions of
the Early Middle Ages, but also the discipline of history and the techniques of the medieval
historian. As a result, learning the framework of what happened and the great themes of this part
of human history is only the beginning. We will also devote substantial time to hearing early
medieval voices and interpreting the original sources, which is the bread and butter of historical
work. In a number of special sessions, finally, we will delve into particular skills used by
historians, specific subjects of historical study, and significant debates among scholars.
Course Texts:
 Barbara H. Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, 3rd ed., vol. I: from c.
300 to c. 1150 (Univ. of Toronto Press, 2009). [SH]
 Barbara H. Rosenwein, ed., Reading the Middle Ages: Sources from Europe,
Byzantium, and the Islamic World, vol. I: from c. 300 to c. 1150
(Broadview/Univ. of Toronto Press, 2007). [RMA]
 David Ganz, trans., Einhard and Notker the Stammerer: Two Lives of
Charlemagne (Penguin Classics, 2008). [TLC]


Maureen C. Miller, Power and the Holy in the Age of the Investiture Conflict: a
Brief History with Documents (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005). [PH]
Occasional photocopies handed out in class or emailed. [HO]
Recommended Books and Websites:
 Rosamond McKitterick, ed., The Early Middle Ages: Europe 400-1000, Short
Oxford History of Europe (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2001).
 Roger Collins, Early Medieval Europe, 300-1000, 2nd ed. (New York: St.
Martin’s, 1999).
 Brian Tierney and Sidney Painter, Western Europe in the Middle Ages, 300-1475,
6th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999).
 http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/
 http://www.the-orb.net/
 http://www.euratlas.com/time1.htm
Course Requirements:
 Regular attendance and active participation (10%)
 Short responses (10%)
 Midterm exam (20%)
 Final exam (25%)
 Term paper (35%)
You must turn in the term paper and take both exams in order to pass the course. There will be
no opportunities for extra credit.
Attendance and Participation. This course relies heavily on material presented and
discussed during class. As a result, arriving on time, attending class, and participating to the best
of your ability are essential to getting the most out of it. An attendance sheet circulates during
class, and it is your responsibility to sign the roster. Absences (unless excused due to a
documented medical, family, or personal emergency) hurt your grade, and more than six
absences will result in failure of the course (AF). Participation is measured by your questions
and comments during class, primarily during discussions. Failing to contribute suggests that you
are not engaging the material, or are taking from the rest of the class without giving in return;
this too will hurt your grade.
Short Responses. The key to successful participation is preparing the assigned readings
(listed below and due on the dates they are mentioned). Giving them a close reading is
necessary, but without further action you will probably remember only the most general (and
least interesting) strokes of the picture when it comes time for discussion. I recommend that you
annotate them as you read—i.e. jot down marginal notes about the topic of each paragraph,
questions that occur to you, and points that seem significant. In addition, writing a brief
response to the original sources can help you to focus and digest the material. Thus, for each (B)
session, and for select (C) sessions, you should turn in a thoughtful reaction—just a paragraph
long, hand-written or typed—that reflects on an aspect of one or more of the assigned readings
that you find to be significant. These responses are due at the beginning of the discussion
classes, and cannot be handed in late.
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Exams. Examinations are meant not only to test your comprehension, but also to help
you tie together a large amount of material and reflect on its wider significance. They cover both
the assigned readings and the material presented and discussed in class (not all of which can be
found in the readings!). Each exam will consist of terms (people, places, events, ideas) to be
identified, excerpts from primary sources to be commented on, and essays to elucidate larger
patterns and analyze broader themes. One essay on the final exam will be comprehensive.
Except in the case of a documented medical, family, or personal emergency, no makeup exams
will be given.
Term Paper. The term paper will be an original analysis of one or more primary sources,
of almost any genre and concerning almost any topic within the scope of this course. In the
process of writing the paper, you will become familiar with an aspect of medieval life, but you
will also learn firsthand how a historian works. For these reasons, it is perhaps the most
important part of the course. Your approach to this task should be as follows:
 Choose a text or texts to work on, and read. SH may offer some ideas, and references
such as the Dictionary of the Middle Ages are good places to browse. I will also provide
a bibliography of early medieval sources in English translation. You may even choose to
work on a text or texts from RMA that we do not cover in class. Come to see me
sometime before Fall Break, so that we may discuss your interests and identify some
appropriate texts. The most important thing is to find a topic that interests you.
 After you have read well into your chosen text(s), define a historical question or problem.
This is a slightly different task than coming up with a thesis to prove, but it more
accurately reproduces the process of writing history. “Miracles were said to occur when
relics were translated (moved)” is an observation, not a historical problem. “Why were
particular kinds of miracles said to occur when relics were translated?” is better. Make it
source-specific: “What is the significance of the kinds of miracles described in
Theoderic’s Translation of St. Conrad?” Comparative questions will result in equally
interesting papers: “How does the role of miracles differ among various accounts of relic
translations in eleventh-century Lotharingia?” You are encouraged to consult with me
when formulating your question or problem.
 Write a two-paragraph paper proposal. The first paragraph should state the text(s) with
which you are working and explain the question or problem that you have chosen to
examine. The second paragraph should analyze a single passage from the text as an
example. You should also provide a footnote for the passage and a bibliographical entry
for the source(s): use The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. (2003). This assignment is
due by Thursday, November 5, at 4:00 pm. Failure to hand in a proposal on time, unless
because of a documented medical, family, or personal emergency, will result in a loss of
one grade fraction (+/-) on the term paper grade.
 Write the paper. Describe the problem, analyze the text(s), and draw conclusions. There
should be ideas supported by evidence drawn from your text(s). You should also make
use of at least three secondary sources. I want to help you learn to write well (one of the
most important skills you can develop in life). I am willing to read drafts given to me by
November 26; thereafter, drafts will be read on a time-available basis. Take advantage
too of the SLU Writing Center (www.slu.edu/x13305.xml). A hard copy of the paper is
to be turned in to me by Thursday, December 3, at 4:00 pm; in addition, an electronic
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copy is to be submitted to www.turnitin.com by the same time. Unless because of a
documented medical, family, or personal emergency, a late paper will be penalized one
grade fraction (+/-) per 24-hour period after the due date and time. Extensions will be
granted for reasonable grounds (e.g. several papers due on the same day), but you will
know these things ahead of time; no extensions will be granted after November 23.
Since we are social creatures who must communicate, content matters little apart from
form, and so all written work will be assessed on style (including spelling, grammar, and
syntax) as well as substance. Proofread (on paper)! Don’t trust spellcheckers and
grammar-checkers. The paper should be double-spaced, with 1” margins, in a standard
font (such as Times New Roman 12 pt). It should have footnotes and a bibliography
formatted according to Chicago style. In length it should be c. 15-20 pp.
Classroom Decorum: In order to ensure the best learning experience for everyone, please
conform to the following expectations: silence and put away cell phones and other electronic
devices; do not use laptops, except to take notes only; do not carry on conversations on the side;
and, most importantly, treat everyone in the room with respect. If you cannot abide by these
expectations, you may be asked to leave.
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The university
reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct at any time is, in its judgment,
detrimental to the university. Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion,
cheating, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information in examinations, or the use of
previously prepared material in examinations or quizzes. Violations should be reported to your
course instructor, who will investigate and adjudicate them according to the Policy on Academic
Honesty of the College of Arts and Sciences. If the charges are found to be true, the student may
be liable for academic or disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion by the university.
Special Needs: Any student who feels that he or she may need academic accommodations in
order to meet the requirements of this course – as outlined in the syllabus – due to the presence
of a disability should contact the SLU Disabilities Services Office. Confidentiality will be
observed in all inquiries.
Keeping in Touch: Feel free to stop by my office, call me, or email me if you have questions or
problems relating to the course. Please understand that I cannot answer all emails immediately.
Ordinarily you can expect a reply within 24 hours, excluding weekends.
Schedule of Activities and Assignments:
Almost all the classes fall into groups of three.
1. The (A) session is a lecture (though with conversational give and take) covering an
important topic or theme in the period under consideration. Because this lecture will not attempt
to cover the period exhaustively, a reading from SH (and sometimes PH) is assigned to provide
background and fill in the gaps.
2. The (B) session is a discussion of several primary sources relating to the topic of the
week. You should prepare these texts carefully and write a brief response (see above), to be
handed in at the beginning of class. In general, these texts will require more time and thought
than the readings for the (A) session. Remember to bring to class the sources to be discussed!
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3. The (C) session, also related to the topic of the week, is a “wild card.” Sometimes I
will present a mini-“crash course” in a particular subject or area (“Focus”) or in a particular
historical sub-discipline (“Skill”). At other times we will discuss important or controversial
scholarly literature (“Scholarship”) or try our hand at analyzing cryptic sources (“Interpreting
Sources”). We will also take a trip to the library to look at medieval manuscripts. For some of
these (C) sessions, assignments are given; for others, not. For a few of these sessions (marked
with *), a brief response will be due as for a (B) session.
Anything covered in any session, whether (A), (B), or (C), is fair game for the exams!
Mon 24 Aug: Introduction
Wed 26 Aug: (A) Churches and Saints (SH pp. 21-40)
Fri 28 Aug: (B) Hagiography
Athanasius, Life of St. Antony (RMA pp. 36-42)
Sulpicius Severus, Life of St. Martin (RMA pp. 43-47)
Venantius Fortunatus, Life of St. Radegund (RMA pp. 47-53)
Baudonivia, Life of St. Radegund (RMA pp. 53-57)
Mon 31 Aug: (C) Scholarship: Understanding Relics
Peter Brown, The Cult of the Saints (HO)
Patrick Geary, Furta Sacra (HO)
Wed 2 Sep: (A) Monks and Nuns (SH pp. 44-56)
Fri 4 Sep: (B) Monastic Life
Benedict, Rule (RMA pp. 28-35)
Customary of St. Emmeram (HO)
Penitential of Finnian (RMA pp. 109-112)
Foundation and Donation Charters of Cluny (RMA pp. 207-213)
Mon 7 Sep: NO CLASS (Labor Day)
Wed 9 Sep: (C) Focus: Medieval Liturgy
Fri 11 Sep: (A) Barbarians and Missionaries (SH pp. 40-44, 75-97)
Mon 14 Sep: (B) Converting the Tribes
Avitus of Vienne, Letter to Clovis (RMA pp. 58-59)
Bede the Venerable, Ecclesiastical History (RMA pp. 97-109)
Letters to Boniface (RMA pp. 121-124)
Cyril, Prologue to the Gospel (RMA pp. 146-147)
Wed 16 Sep: (C) Skill: Historical Linguistics
Fri 18 Sep: (A) Popes (SH pp. 97-99)
Mon 21 Sep: (B) Papal Works and Deeds
Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job (RMA pp. 26-28)
Life of Gregory II (RMA pp. 124-128)
Donation of Constantine (RMA pp. 172-177)
Nicholas I, Responses to the Bulgars (HO)
Wed 23 Sep: (C) Skill: Diplomatics and Chronology
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Fri 25 Sep: (A) Byzantines (SH pp. 61-70, 101-108, 139-147, 181-182)
Mon 28 Sep: (B) Iconoclasm
John of Damascus, On Holy Images (RMA pp. 77-80)
Synod of 754 (RMA pp. 81-84)
Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor (RMA p. 85)
Photius of Constantinople, Letter to the Bulgar Khan (RMA pp. 143-145)
Wed 30 Sep: (C) Focus: Medieval Art
Fri 2 Oct: (A) Muslims (SH pp. 70-75, 108-117, 147-151, 177-180)
Mon 5 Oct: (B) Islamic Renaissance
Qur’an (RMA pp. 89-91)
Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad (RMA pp. 148-151)
Abu Nuwas, Youth and I (RMA p. 152)
Al-Bukhari, On Fasting (RMA pp. 152-157)
Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, Compilation (RMA pp. 157-159)
Sindbad the Sailor (RMA pp. 159-166)
Wed 7 Oct: (C) Interpreting Sources: Islam Enters Iberia (HO)*
Fri 9 Oct: (A) Charlemagne and the Empire (SH pp. 118-126)
Mon 12 Oct: (B) Who Was Charles the Great?
Einhard, Life of Charlemagne (TLC pp. 3-44)
Notker the Stammerer, Deeds of Charlemagne, bk. I (TLC pp. 47-85)
Wed 14 Oct: (C) Focus: Codes, Councils, and Capitularies*
Theodosian Code (RMA pp. 10-15)
Council of Orléans, 511 (RMA pp. 60-62)
Visigothic Code (RMA pp. 63-65)
Admonitio Generalis (RMA pp. 180-182)
Double Capitulary of Thionville (RMA pp. 182-185)
Fri 16 Oct: Midterm Exam; Deadline for seeing me about term paper topic
Mon 19 Oct: NO CLASS (Fall Break)
Wed 21 Oct: (A) Carolingian Renaissance (SH pp. 126-135)
Fri 23 Oct: (B) Carolingian Scholars
Theodulf of Orléans, Iconodule Controversy in Francia (HO)
Alcuin of York, Letters (HO)
Lupus of Ferrières, Letters (HO)
John Scotus Eriugena, Periphyseon (HO)
Mon 26 Oct: (C) Skill: Codicology and Paleography
Wed 28 Oct: (A) Society at the Turn of the Millennium (SH pp. 152-161)
Fri 30 Oct: (B) Peace and Truce of God
Acts of the Council of Charroux, 989 (HO)
Canons of the Council of Le Puy, 994 (PH pp. 36-38)
Acts of the Council of Poitiers, 999/1000 (HO)
Agreements between William and Hugh (RMA pp. 213-219)
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Ralph Glaber, Description of the Peace and Truce (PH pp. 34-36)
Andrew of Fleury, Miracles of St. Benedict (RMA pp. 219-221)
Mon 2 Nov: (C) Scholarship: Was There a “Feudal Revolution”?
Thomas Bisson, et al., Debate on the “Feudal Revolution” (HO)
Wed 4 Nov: (A) The Case of Germany (SH pp. 161-172)
Thu 5 Nov: Term paper proposal due at 4:00 pm
Fri 6 Nov: (B) Ottonian Politics
Liutprand of Cremona, Concerning King Otto (HO)
Liutprand of Cremona, Embassy (HO)
Older Life of Queen Mathilda (RMA pp. 243-252)
Thietmar of Merseburg, Accession of Henry II (RMA pp. 252-255)
Mon 9 Nov: (C) Focus: Medieval Manuscripts (MEET IN THE LIBRARY)
Wed 11 Nov: (A) Ecclesiastical Reform (SH pp. 182-190; PH pp. 1-16)
Fri 13 Nov: (B) Reform Ideals
Documents 5-10 on Clerical Celibacy and Simony (PH pp. 45-59)
Documents 11-15 on Canonical or “Free” Election (PH pp. 59-73)
Mon 16 Nov: (C) Focus: Medieval Canon Law*
Collection in Seventy-Four Titles (HO)
Wed 18 Nov: (A) Investiture Controversy (SH pp. 190-193; PH pp. 16-27)
Fri 20 Nov: (B) Regnum vs. Sacerdotium
Documents 17-21 on the Combatants and Confrontations (PH pp. 77-90)
Gregory VII, Letter to Herman of Metz, 1076 (RMA pp. 282-285)
Documents 22-28 on Canossa and Civil War (PH pp. 90-115)
Mon 23 Nov: (C) Focus: Eucharistic Theology (HO)
Wed 25 Nov: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
Fri 27 Nov: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
Mon 30 Nov: (A) Origins of Crusading (SH pp. 193-196)
Wed 2 Dec: (B) Perspectives on the First Crusade
Raban, O God, Insolent Men (RMA pp. 286-289)
Anna Comnena, Alexiad (RMA pp. 290-293)
Stephen of Blois, Letter to his Wife (RMA pp. 293-295)
Ibn al-Athir, First Crusade (RMA pp. 296-300)
Thu 3 Dec: Term paper due at 4:00 pm
Fri 4 Dec: (C) Interpreting Sources: What Did Urban Mean to Do? (HO)*
Mon 7 Dec: Discussion of Papers
Final Exam: Monday, December 14, 2:00-3:50
This syllabus is subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and by email.
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