UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
Department of History/Honors College
Fall Semester 2012
History 101, Honors
History of Europe to 1648
Dr. Watt
hswatt@olemiss.edu
Bishop 332 (915-5805)
Office hours: 11:00-12:00 and 2:30-3:30 TTH (and by appointment)
This course is an introduction to the history of Western Civilization, covering from
ancient history down to 1648 A.D. We will be treating—necessarily in a very general manner—
the political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual developments that together defined
Western Civilization.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The most fundamental goals of this course are for students to
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develop an appreciation of the major developments in the history of Western Civilization
from its origins to 1648;
hone their skills in critical reading and thinking through the analysis of primary sources
from the periods under study;
demonstrate competency in writing papers that are analytically sound and elegantly
composed.
REQUIRED READINGS:
Aristophanes, The Complete Plays of Aristophanes
Thomas More, Utopia
Steven Ozment, Ancestors: The Loving Family in Old Europe
Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars
Larissa Juliet Taylor, The Virgin Warrior: The Life and Death of Joan of Arc.
Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances
Recommended textbook: Thomas F. X. Noble et alii, Western Civilization: Beyond
Boundaries, Volume I: to 1715, 6th edition.
EXAMS AND PAPER ASSIGNMENTS:
All students taking this class will write a mid-term and a final examination. Students will
take the examinations at the scheduled times. Only under circumstances beyond the student’s
control that are well documented will a student be allowed to take a make-up exam. Students are
also required to write three papers, chosen from the following list of six paper topics. Papers are
to be typed, double-spaced and roughly four to six pages in length. They must be turned in on the
respective due dates listed below. Late papers will not be accepted. Students must write at least
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one paper before the mid-term exam. Quizzes will be given on some or all of the assigned books.
1)How do Aristophanes’s plays reflect the events and culture of Classical Greece? Was he
writing for purposes of social criticism, entertainment, or both? In answering this question, be
sure to refer to themes and characters from the plays. Due date: September 6.
2)The Roman historian Suetonius is a valuable source for insight to the personalities and
intrigues of the first Roman emperors. Discuss some of these personalities and Suetonius’s
emphases in these biographies. Due date: September 18.
3)Identify and discuss the most prominent themes in the romances of Chrétien de Troyes. How
did these romances differ from the earlier epics? Due date: October 4.
4)Larissa Juliet Taylor, The Virgin Warrior. Write a critical analysis of this work. This is not
simply a summary of the content of the book! In analyzing this work you should identify the
author’s thesis, i.e., what she is trying to prove. How successful is she in defending her thesis?
What sources has she consulted in undertaking his research? What are the strengths of this work?
Are there any weaknesses? Comments on the author’s style and ability to engage the reader
would be appropriate. Due date: October 23.
5)Based on your knowledge of late medieval/early modern Europe, how perceptive was Thomas
More in criticizing contemporary society in Book I of Utopia? For example, do you agree or
disagree with his attacks on the authority of kings, the behavior of soldiers, and the harsh penal
system? In Book II, how did More anticipate future reforms that would actually take place? In
what ways was this a Renaissance work? Due date: November 8.
6)Steven Ozment, Ancestors. Write a critical analysis of this work (see number 4 above). Due
date: November 27.
PLAGIARISM:
The Honors College has the following policy on plagiarism. Academic integrity is
essential to all values upon which the university is founded. Honors students must therefore
embody academic honesty in all aspects of their work. A student with a documented case of
plagiarism or academic cheating in an honors course will face the possibility of receiving the
grade of F for the course and will be dismissed from the Honors College. Specific consequences
of such behavior will be determined by the administration and individual faculty member.
Students must turn in hard copies of their papers in class on the dates listed above, but
they must also submit their papers electronically through Blackboard in order to be checked by
SafeAssign, the software that compares all papers with each other and with databases to detect
plagiarism and duplication. The bottom line is that if students who plagiarize will be caught.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Honors courses are small classes that are reading, writing, and discussion intensive.
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Student participation is therefore essential to developing a community of intellectual discussion.
In addition, the university commits extensive resources, especially in terms of faculty time, to
these small classes. For these reasons the Honors College has an attendance policy for all honors
courses, both required and departmental. More than two absences in a TTh class will adversely
affect a student’s grade.
ELECTRONICS POLICY:
Cell phones, iPods, and similar devices are strictly prohibited in the classroom at all
times. The use of laptop computers in class is also prohibited in almost all cases. Only in
extraordinary circumstances will the instructor allow students to use laptops to take notes in
class. Absolutely no one may use a computer in class without the express permission of the
instructor.
GRADES:
No grade of C- or lower may be counted toward the history major or minor. Students are
expected to do the required readings before they are covered in class. Final grades will be
determined roughly as follows:
class participation/quizzes
papers
mid-term exam
final exam
15%
13.3% each
22.5%
22.5%
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES
I. The Ancient World
Week 1 (August 21-23)
Introduction
Mesopotamians
(Recommended reading: text, chapter 1)
Week 2 (August 28-30)
Ancient Near East
Minoan Civilization and Early Greek Culture
(Recommended reading: text, chapters 2 and 3)
Week 3 (September 4-6)
Classical Greece
Aristophanes
(Required reading: Aristophanes: Introduction, Clouds, Birds, Lysistrata, and Frogs)
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Week 4 (September 11-13)
The Hellenistic Period
The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
(Recommended reading: text, chapters 4, 5, and 6)
Week 5 (September 18-20)
Suetonius
The Origins of Christianity
(Required reading: Suetonius)
II. Medieval Europe
Week 6 (September 25-27)
The Fall of Rome and the Survival of the Empire in the East
New Religious Currents: The Appearance of Islam and the Growth of Christian
Monasticism
(Recommended reading: text, chapters 7 and 8)
Week 7 (October 2-4)
The Carolingian Empire, Viking Invasions; Feudalism and Manorialism
Literary and Artistic Currents of the Central Middle Ages
(Required reading: Chrétien de Troyes: Lancelot (The Knight with the Cart) and
Perceval: The Story of the Grail; recommended reading: text, chapter 10)
Week 8 (October 9-11)
The Growth of the Papacy, the Investiture Controversy and the Crusades
MID-TERM EXAM: October 11
Week 9 (October 16-18)
Economic, Social, and Political Changes of the Central Middle Ages
Educational Currents of the Central Middle Ages
(Recommended reading: text, chapter 9)
Week 10 (October 23-25)
Hundred Years War/Joan of Arc
Social and Demographic Crises of the Late Middle Ages
(Required reading: Taylor; recommended reading: text, chapter 11)
III. Early Modern Europe
Week 11 (October 30-November 1)
Renaissance Humanism and Art
The Protestant Reformation
(Recommended reading: text, chapters 12 and 14)
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Week 12 (November 6-8)
The English and Catholic Reformations
The Northern Renaissance; Utopia
(Required reading: Utopia)
Week 13 (November 13-15)
The Growth of the State
Overseas Expansion; Witchcraft
(Recommended reading: text, chapter 13 and 15)
Week 14 (November 27-29)
The Early Modern Family
The Scientific Revolution
(Required reading: Ozment)
FINAL EXAM—Thursday, December 6, noon
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