Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario
HI 101
Medieval Europe, 500-1100 AD
Fall 2010
Instructor: Alicia McKenzie
Email: amckenzie@wlu.ca
Description of Course
An analysis of the fall of Rome and the rise of a new civilization. Special attention will be given to the
development of feudalism and the medieval Christian Church as the twin pillars of the new cultural and
social order.
Course Goals
The main objective of this course is to provide an introduction to the development of European
civilization in the early Middle Ages (500-1100 AD). By the end of the course, students should have a
solid grasp of how the Germanic peoples adopted and adapted Roman culture, how Christian and
Islamic power blocs developed and interacted, how feudal kingdoms emerged from the upheavals of the
ninth and tenth centuries, and how the Christian Church influenced the development of early European
society.
Required Texts
HI 101 course reader (contains the readings for the weekly seminars)
Barbara H. Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, 3rd edition.
Please note: There are two versions of this text available in the bookstore. Students taking only
HI 101 should buy Vol I, which covers 300-1150. Students taking both HI 101 and HI 102 should
buy the full 3rd edition, as there is a considerable cost savings in comparison to purchasing both
Vol I and Vol II.
Dhuoda, Handbook for William: A Carolingian Woman's Counsel for Her Son, translated and with an
introduction by Carol Neel (the text upon which your document study will be based).
Marking scheme
Midterm
Document Study
Seminar Participation
Final Exam
20%
35%
15%
30%
Oct 18th (in-class)
Due Nov 10th
TBA
Structure of the course
HI 101 is designed to give first-year students both a large and a small class experience; you should have
signed up on LORIS for a seminar section as well as for the course itself. There will be nine seminars
(scheduled on Wednesdays and Fridays), eight of which will examine and discuss medieval documents
from your course reader. On weeks that seminars are held, they will replace the Friday lecture. Students
are expected to attend both lectures and seminars; 15% of your grade is devoted to seminar attendance
and participation, and the midterm and final exam will cover material from both the seminars and the
lectures.
Late penalties and extensions
Document studies submitted after the due date will be penalized 2% per day including weekends. The
submission of the paper to TurnItIn.Com alone does not count as a submission.
To submit late papers outside class or office hours, the following procedure must be followed:
- You must email me a copy of the paper. I must be able to open the attachment, and the
email copy must be identical to the hard copy/the TurnItIn.Com submission.
- On the same day, you must place a hard copy in my mailbox at the History Department. If
you do this without emailing me a copy, the day I find the hard copy will count as the day of
submission.
- You must submit to TurnItIn.Com by midnight of the same day that you do the two steps
above, or additional late penalties will accrue.
Extensions may be granted for serious medical or personal issues only. Proper documentation must be
supplied, and except in case of catastrophic circumstances, extensions must be negotiated in advance of
the due date. Extensions will normally be granted for the space of one week unless circumstances
warrant additional consideration.
Accessible Learning
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier's Accessible Learning Office for
information regarding its services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Calendar for
information regarding all services available on campus.
Academic Misconduct
Plagiarism is a serious offense. Please see the Undergraduate Calendar for a complete definition of
plagiarism. Wilfrid Laurier uses software that can check for plagiarism, TurnItIn.Com. Students in this
course are required to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism. If
you have any concerns with the use of TurnItIn.Com, you are required to speak to me to arrange
alternative measures. All potential cases of academic misconduct will be investigated and, if
appropriate, referred to the Dean. Be aware that plagarism can be both intentional and unintentional; it
is your responsibility to be familiar with the requirements of academic documentation.
Electronic Devices
Electronic devices such as mp3 players, cell phones and pagers must be turned off during class. Laptop
computers can be used in class, provided that they are used legitimately to take notes and for no other
purposes; failure to comply will result in the suspension of laptop privileges.
Etiquette in the lecture hall
If you must come in late or leave early, please do so as quietly as possible. Please refrain from talking
during lecture; it can be very disruptive to people seated around you, as well as to the lecturer.
Email policy
Email will be responded to within 48 hours unless I make an announcement that I will be out of town or
otherwise unavailable. Please do not email repeatedly within that 48 hours. If applicable, please ensure
that you check the syllabus and assignment instructions for answers to your questions before sending an
email. Emails sent after 8pm will generally not be answered until the next day, except in case of
emergency. (Please note that last-minute questions the night before the paper is due do not generally
class as an emergency!) Please use only your WLU address to email me, to avoid my replies being lost in
your spam folders.
Lecture and Seminar Schedule
Sept 13 - Introduction / The Dark Ages?
I
The Late Roman Empire
Sept 15 - The Late Roman Empire: a flawed colossus
Sept 17 - From persecution to triumph: Christianity and the Roman Empire
Sept 20 - The "Barbarian Invasions"
Sept 22 - The End of the Western Empire
Seminar 1: Christianity and the Secular World - Sept 22, 24
II
The Successor States
Sept 27 - "Born-again Romans" and opportunists: the Ostrogoths and Visigoths
Sept 29 - Bishops and kings: Merovingian Gaul and Germany
Seminar 2: The Roman Empire and the Barbarians - Sept 30, Oct 1
Oct 4 - Kings without states?: Ireland, Britain, and the Anglo-Saxons
Oct 6 - The Rome that didn't fall: Byzantium in its early centuries
Seminar 3: The Ideal and Expectations of Germanic Kingship - Oct 6, 8
III
The Age of Faith?
Oct 11 - Thanksgiving - no lecture
Oct 13 - Monasticism: origins and variations
Oct 15 - Conversion strategies: early medieval missionaries
Oct 18 - In-class midterm
Oct 20 - Medieval Day - no class
Oct 22 - The third power bloc: the rise of the Islamic world
IV
The New Western Empire
Oct 25 - Form follows function: 'Do-nothing kings' and the rise of the Pippinids
Oct 27 - The imperial west reborn: Charlemagne
Seminar 4: The Roman and Irish Monastic Missions to Anglo-Saxon England - Oct 27, 29
Nov 1 - The Carolingian Renaissance
V
A Second Dark Age?
Nov 3 - Traders and raiders: the Vikings on the Continent
Seminar 5: Examination Answer and Essay Writing Techniques - Nov 3, 5
Nov 8 - Fragmentation and local power: the decline of the Carolingian empire
Nov 10 - Alternative outcomes: the emergence of 'England' - Document study due
Seminar 6: The New Christian Empire in the West - Nov 10, 12
VI
Kingdoms and Empire
Nov 15 - Renewing the Empire: the Ottonian dynasty
Nov 17 - Consolidating the state: Capetian France
Seminar 7: The Feudal Relationship - Nov 17, 19
Nov 22 - "Under new management": The Norman Conquest
Nov 24 - Eastern superpower: Byzantium under the Macedonians
Seminar 8: Manorialism - Nov 24, 26
VII
Church and State
Nov 29 - Medieval Reformations: Cluny and Gregory VII
Dec 1 - Empire vs. Papacy: the Investiture Contest
Seminar 9: The Investiture Contest - Dec 1, 3
Dec 6 - Conclusion and Review