Prof. Martha Carlin
WEEK 1:
Why Study History Through Primary Sources?
Advice of an Akkadian Father to His Son, c. 2200 BC
Does the father advise his son to be upstanding in his personal behavior
for moral reasons, or for practical reasons? Would his advice still be
useful today? (Would you give this advice to your own children?)
WEEK 2:
Instructions by an Egyptian royal scribe
The master describes the benefits of the scribe's life by comparing it with that of the artisan, merchant, sailor, soldier and peasant. How realistic a portrait of Egyptian society does this seem to be?
What does this hymn reveal about the importance of the Nile in ancient Egypt? What does it reveal about Egyptian religion?
Battle of Megiddo (1469 BC), Egyptian Account
What does this account say about the practice of war in the New Kingdom? What can one learn about the Egyptian economy from the various kinds of booty that are listed? What indications of bias or propaganda does this text reveal?
Gilgamesh: The Flood and The Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament): The Flood (Genesis 6:5 - 8:22)
Compare the Sumerian account of the great flood with that in the Biblical
bookof Genesis.
WEEK 3:
Assyrian and Biblical Accounts of Sennacherib's Campaign, 701 BC
In what ways do these accounts agree and conflict? Explain.
Isaiah on the Assyrian Conquest
How does the prophet Isaiah explain the conquest of Judah by Assyria?
Ashurnasirpal Puts Down a Revolt
What valuables does the Assyrian king list in this account? What do they tell us about the economy of Mesopotamia? What do the execution of the rebels and the commemoration of the victory with public monuments reveal about Assyrian uses of power?
Cyrus (Kurash) the Great, and the End of the Babylonian Captivity (539 BC)
Compare Cyrus's own account of his policies following his conquest
of Babylon (Babilani), and the account in the Biblical book of Ezra.
WEEK 4:
Xenophon, The Polity of the Spartans, c. 375 BC
How does Xenophon account for small Sparta's rise to power?
Aristotle, On a Good Wife, c. 330 BC
What does Aristotle consider to be a wife's chief duties? What does he see as the ideal relationship between spouses?
Sophocles, Tereus (mid 5th century BC): The lot of women
Compare with Aristotle's description of the good wife.
Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, Book I, Chaps. 1-22 (excerpts)
Read the first section ("Archaeology"), which contains excerpts from Book I, Chaps. 1-22. Describe the methodology that Thucydides presents for the study of history.
Thucydides, Peloponnesian War: Pericles' Funeral Oration
In this speech, the Athenian leader Pericles commemorated the Athenian soldiers who died during the first year of the war. To what does Pericles attribute Athens' strength? Do you see any weaknesses in his description of Athens and Athenian culture? Compare Pericles' speech with that given by Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Civil War cemetery at Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address.
Aristophanes, The Clouds (excerpt, concerning Socrates)
How does Aristophanes' work exemplify both the cultural splendor and
weakness of Athens?
WEEK 5:
Greek and Roman Art (a sampler)
What themes do you see in these samples of Greek art? What Greek influences do you see in Roman art?
Sallust, Rome in the Late Republic, c. 63 BC
What vices did Sallust identify with this anarchical period in Rome's history? How did Catiline rise to power?
What similarities and differences can you see between Greek and Roman
art and architecture? What Classical influences can you see in modern
art and architecture? Why does the Classical influence remain so
strong?
WEEK 6:
[Midterm exam]
WEEK 7:
Josephus, The Roman Army in the First Century AD
Josephus was a Jewish commander who surrendered to the Romans and became a Roman citizen. Does this description seem factual, or written to please a Roman audience?
Strabo, The Grandeur of Rome, c. AD 20
Compare with Juvenal's satire, below.
Juvenal, 3rd Satire, "On the City of Rome"
A witty, snide description of the capital in the late first-early second century AD
These advertisements, election notices, and miscellaneous inscriptions were buried with Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. What do they reveal about the city and its inhabitants in the early Empire?
Pliny the Younger, Two Letters Describing the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, AD 79
Pliny, who was seventeen at the time of the eruption, recalls the death of his uncle, an admiral, in the eruption. What do his letters tell us about the manner of life and standards of conduct in the admiral's household?
Pliny the Younger and Trajan, Correspondence, c. AD 112
Pliny served for a time as governor of the province of Bithynia.
What does his correspondence with the Emperor Trajan reveal about the way
in which the empire was actually governed?
WEEK 8:
New Testament, Acts, Chapter 17 (Paul in Athens)
What does this text tell us about Paul's missionary strategies?
The response of the Council of Nicaea to the Arian controversy. Why was this controversy such a fundamental one?
Hypatia of Alexandria (d. AD 415): Three accounts of her life and murder
Hypatia, a celebrated pagan female scholar and teacher, was murdered by angry Christians. Compare and contrast these three accounts of her life and death. To what do the authors attribute her murder? Do they justify it or condemn it? How can one evaluate the historicity of their conflicting accounts?
Sidonius Appollinaris, Two letters, c. AD 454-67
These letters describe (1) the country life of the Christian aristocracy in fifth-century Gaul, and (2) Theodoric, king of the southern Visigoths. What do they tell us about the life of the Gallo-Roman aristocracy just when Roman imperial power was collapsing in the West? What do they reveal about the accommodations made between the Gallo-Romans and their new Germanic overlords?
The Rule of St. Benedict, c. AD 530 (excerpts)
In what ways is the Rule very strict? In what ways is it flexible? What are its main priorities? Why do you think it was so successful as a model for subsequent Western religious orders?
Tacitus, Germania (late 1st century AD)
Tacitus, a Roman, described the German peoples and their way of life. What are the salient characteristics of the Germans, according to Tacitus? Is this a neutral account, or a distorted one? How can one tell?
Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks (late 6th century AD): On Clovis
Why does Gregory, bishop of Tours and a descendant of the old
Gallo-Roman senatorial aristocracy, write approvingly of Clovis, king of
the Franks, who conquered Gaul?
WEEK 9:
Sozomen (died c. AD 450), Constantine Founds Constantinople
Why did Constantine choose the old Greek city of Byzantium as the site of his new imperial capital? What did he do to replicate the old Rome, and why? Why does Sozomen claim that New Rome is even better than the old Rome?
St. John of Damascus: In Defense of Icons (c. 730)
On what grounds does St John Damascene defend the use of icons? Could he have written the same treatise if he was living in Byzantine-controlled Constantinople, instead of Muslim-controlled Damascus?
What similarities do you see here between Islam and Judiasm and Christianity? What differences do you see?
What does this section from the Koran reveal about the position of women in early Islamic society?
The Hadith are sayings ascribed to Muhammed. What does this section on trade say about economic conditions and trading customs in early Islamic society?
Yakut, Baghdad Under the Abbasids, c. AD 1000
A description of Baghdad, from Yakut's "Geographical Encyclopedia."
What does this text say about urban life in the Muslim capital? Which aspects
of this description seem realistic, and which seem idealized? How would
Baghdad have compared with European towns of the same period?
WEEK 10:
Einhard,Life of Charlemagne (excerpts)
A posthumous portrait of Charlemagne by one of his friends and courtiers. In what ways does this seem to be an authentic portrait of a great Germanic king? In what ways does Einhard seem to idealize and Romanize his subject?
Charlemagne, Capitulary De villis (excerpts)
A directive by Charlemagne concerning the management of his own estates.
What do Charlemagne's instructions reveal about standards of living
in his own household? What do they reveal about the Frankish economy in
general?
Inventory of One of Charlemagne's Own Estates, c. AD 800
How does this inventory compare with the list of workers, tools, and goods specified in the capitulary "De villis"? What does this inventory reveal about the actual conditions on Charlemagne's rural estates?
Annals of the Abbey of Xanten, 845-853
What calamities does this monastic annal report? What picture does it provide of conditions in mid ninth-century Europe?
The Saga of Grettir the Strong, sections I-XVIII
This saga is rich in depictions of Viking society. What does it
reveal about such things as family relationships, inheritance, the position
of women, seafaring, power, and honor?
WEEK 11:
Peasant Life and Work, c. AD 1000
From Aelfric's "Colloquy," a Latin grammar text in the form of dialogues, written by an Anglo-Saxon monk. What information does this text provide about the lives and work of peasants? Does this appear to be an idealized account, or a fairly realistic one? How can one judge?
Charter of Homage and Fealty, 1110
What does the vassal owe to his lord? what does the lord owe to his vassal? What is the penalty for breach of this compact? What provisions have been made for authenticating this compact?
Fief Ceremonies, early twelfth century
What is a fief? What are homage and fealty? What happened if a vassal had more than one lord?
Pope Gregory VII, Dictatus papae, 1075
A list of major claims of the papacy during the Investiture Controversy. What claims does this text make for the office of the papacy? Why would the German Emperor Henry IV find these claims unacceptable? Would many church leaders also have been hostile to these claims?
Fulcher (Fulk) of Chartres, The Capture of Jerusalem, 1099
An eyewitness account, written by a Crusader, of the culminating victory of the First Crusade. Does this account seem straightforward, factual, and politically neutral, or does it seem biased or propagandistic? How can you tell? For whom might it have been written?
Usamah Ibn Munqidh (1095-1188), The Franks
Usamah was a Muslim warrior and courtier who fought against the Crusaders ("Franks"), but later befriended some of them. How dies Usamah's description of the Franks tally with their depictions of themselves? How does it differ? How can one explain these discrepancies?
The Crusaders Besiege and Capture Acre, 1191
From an acount of Richard I ("the Lionheart") of England's participation
in the Third Crusade. Was the Crusader leadership united, or were there
internal rivalries and dissensions? What effect did this have on the overall
Crusading endeavor? Wht can this text tell us about medieval siege warfare?
WEEK 12:
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and the Bayeux Tapestry
A modern account of William of Normandy's invasion of England and his victory at Hastings, illustrated by selected scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry. In what ways does the Bayeux Tapestry appear to be merely a factual representation of events? In what ways does it appear to be biased or propagandistic in its representation of events?
William of Malmesbury, The Battle of Hastings, 1066
An account written in the early 1100s by an Anglo-Norman historian. Is this a factual or a biased account?
Formula for Conducting an Ordeal by Boiling Water, twelfth or thirteenth century
What does this text reveal about the nature of jurisprudence at this time? What does it reveal about the role of the Church and religion in medieval society?
A Duenna's Advice to Young Ladies on Table Manners
An excerpt from Jean de Meun's continuation (late 1200s) of the "Romance of the Rose," a popular allegorical poem. What does this text tell us about expectations of aristocratic women in the middle ages? The male clerical author put this advice into the mouth of an older woman -- do you think that it represents specifically male and clerical attitudes towards women, or female attitudes, or both?
Selections from several English treatises on manorial administration, describing the duties of some of the estate officers. What kind of work was done on these rural estates? What strategies are proposed for producing the best results by the cheapest means? What kinds of records would these officers have needed to keep?
Statutes of the University of Paris, 1215
What courses were offered at the University of Paris? Who were the teachers and students? What concerns do these statutes address?
Jacques de Vitry, Student Life at the University of Paris (13th century)
A description by a famously witty but sharp-tongued preacher and scholar. What aspects of student behavior is de Vitry criticizing here? What political agenda might he be pursuing in making these criticisms?
The Inquisition Register of Jacques Fournier, bishop of Pamiers, 1318-25
Transcripts of nine interrogations and confessions, from southern France.
What do these depositions tell us about the practice of religion and the
circulation of religious ideas among ordinary laypeople? What do they tell
us about the daily lives of these people and their personal networks of
family, friends and neighbors? What do they reveal about Inquisitorial
procedures?
WEEK 13:
John de Trokelowe, Annals: The Famine of 1315
According to the chronicler, what caused this famine? What meaning or moral did he perceive in it?
Boccaccio, Decameron: The Black Death (1348) and Marchione di Coppo Stefani, The Florentine Chronicle: The Black Death (1348)
What clinical symptoms did Boccaccio and Stefani report in their descriptions of the plague? What observations did they make about individual and communal responses to the plague? What conclusions did they draw about the sociological effects of the plague in Florence?
The Black Death and the Jews, 1348-49
Three documents:
(1) a confession made under torture by a Jew accused of poisoning wells;
(2) a chronicle account of massacres of Jews during the plague;
(3) a funerary epitaph of a 15-year-old Jewish student who dies of the
pestilence.
Why did many Christians believe, at least initially, that the Jews
had caused the plague? What conditions made the massacres possible? Were
the accusations that the Jews had caused the plague eventually discarded?
Jean Froissart, Chronicle: The Jacquerie in France (1358) and The Peasants' Revolt in England (1381)
Two colorful accounts written by Jean Froissart (c. 1337-c.
1410), a gentleman of Hainault. He travelled extensively in Europe, and
spent some time at the English court in the 1360s. His Chronicle
is one of the greatest medieval historical works, although its factual
details are often flawed. What overall themes does Froissart emphasize?
What passions and prejudices does he exhibit? In what ways do his accounts
broadly reflect the spirit of his own times, and in what ways do they more
narrowly reflect the agendas and ideas of his own class?
WEEK 14:
Christine de Pizan, How Ladies Ought to Manage Their Households and Estates
An excerpt from Christine de Pizan's The Treasure of the City of Ladies: or The Book of the Three Virtues. What does this text tell us about the responsibilities and education of wealthy medieval laywomen? How do these expectations compare with those in The Romance of the Rose and the estate management treatises of c. 1275 (see above, under Week 12)?
Christine de Pizan, How the Wives of Artisans Should Conduct Themselves
Another excerpt from Christine de Pizan's The Treasure of the City of Ladies: or The Book of the Three Virtues. What does this text say about the responsibilities and education of working-class and middle-class women? How do these expectations compare with those of wealthy women?
The Trial of Joan of Arc, 1431
From the transcripts of Joan's trial. She was tried in Rouen, Normandy (at that time under English control), by an ecclesiastical court headed by Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who supported English interests. What can we learn from this text about Joan herself? What can we learn about the nature of her trial? What roles did Joan's sex, age, and peasant background play in her trial?