James Blair 223 Professor Sarah Panzer

Section 1: MWF 9-9:50 Office: Blair 342

Section 2: MWF 10-10:50 Office Hours: MW 11:00-12:30

History of Europe to 1715

History 111
Spring 2017

This course aims to give its participants an introduction to some of the social, political,
cultural and intellectual movements that have come to define European civilization.
Because this tradition has been marked by diversity, conflict and reciprocal influences
outside of the confines of Europe, we will be asking ourselves throughout the semester
what it means to speak of a specifically European civilization. Major themes discussed
will include the roots of Western thought in Classical antiquity, the Christianization of
Europe, the rise of feudalism, the spread of merchant capitalism and urbanization, the
influence of humanism, the Reformation and the resulting religious wars, exploration and
early globalization, and the consolidation and governance of early modern states.

The goals of this course are threefold: to provide you with knowledge of important
events in European history, to build your understanding of multiple perspectives on the
past, and to help you learn the basics skills of the discipline of history, including
historical thinking skills, clear and persuasive writing and argumentation. At the end of
the course you will have a strong knowledge of pre-Enlightenment European history,
as well as the skills to analyze and evaluate historical sources, including primary
source documents, and the ability to express that analysis in both spoken and written
form.

Although we will cover a variety of topics during the course of the semester, the course
will hone in on three major themes: 1) Changing definitions of legal right and political
authority; 2) Patterns of political and social hierarchy; and 3) Mythic/historic narratives
and their uses. These themes will be developed both implicitly and explicitly through
readings, lectures and discussions, and you will be responsible for connecting class
material to these themes in the written exams and assignments.

Course Requirements and Expectations

Attendance and Participation (15%)

This course will consist of both lecture and discussion. In order for you to benefit from
our class discussions and for your colleagues to benefit from your contributions, you
must be in class. If you miss more than three (3) class sessions your
attendance/participation grade will be negatively affected, even if you participate actively
when present. If there are extenuating circumstances affecting your ability to attend
class, please let me know. Regular or habitual tardiness will also result in a reduction of
your attendance/participation grade.

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Informed participation is a central requirement of this course. Students are expected to
do all of the assigned readings and to give evidence of this in class. Satisfactory
participation also entails an attention to reasoned arguments about the texts under
discussion and collegiality toward fellow students.
Because some weeks have more readings than
others, it is your responsibility to plan ahead so that
you do not fall behind. You should
always have a copy of the readings
****QUIZZES****
available to you during class, either
in paper or in electronic form, so that I reserve the right to
we can actively discuss them give quizzes on the
together. If you prefer to use an assigned reading if I
electronic copy, please be respectful
suspect that it is not
of the instructor and your fellow
students and only use it to reference being done. The
the text we are discussing and for frequency of these
taking notes. I reserve the right to quizzes will depend on
adjust this policy if laptop/ electronic students performance
reader usage becomes a barrier to
class discussion. in class discussion
and/or the reading
Active participation in class is important not only in order to prove that you are prepared
for class, but also because discussing and debating texts and sources is an essential
part of thinking historically. For class discussion to be productive, everyone must be
ready to both talk and to actively listen. This entails listening respectfully to the
comments and questions raised by your colleagues and responding thoughtfully. You
dont need to always have something profound to say in order to participate, but you
should come prepared to share questions, insights, or comments during class.

Midterm Exam (20%)

A midterm exam will be held during the regular class period on March 13th. The exam will
have a short-answer and essay format. Exams will only be rescheduled in the case of
documented emergencies.

Final Exam (25%)

A cumulative final exam will be held on May 10th (Section 1) or on May 1st (Section 2).
The exam will have a short-answer and essay format.

Analytical Essays (40%)

You will write four short essays on any four units that you like with the qualification
that at least one of them must be written and submitted on one of the first four units.
These papers, which should be 2-3 pages each, should be critical analyses in which you
construct an argument about some element or topic from the texts that you found
particularly interesting or significant. The purpose of these responses is to get you
thinking more deeply about the issues raised in the readings and in the course as a
whole. They should not be summaries of the text (So-and-so said this about
this), nor should they be subjective responses to the authors claims (So-and-
so is wrong when he said) Instead, you must articulate an analytical argument,
supported by evidence from the text itself. Each paper should address at least one of the
primary sources for the unit in other words, not the textbook! and should include
specific evidence (i.e quotes and citations) from the texts to support your argument.

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The papers are due at 5:00 PM on the Fridays listed below. All papers should be
submitted on Blackboard, under Assignments. Papers should be submitted as Word
file attachments, not as PDFs or as pasted text. If you have any questions or concerns,
please let me know as soon as possible. The units, readings, and due dates are as
follows:

Unit One: the Ancient World February 3

Unit Two: Greece and Rome February 17
Unit Three: Successor States March 3
Unit Four: the Middle Ages March 17
Unit Five: Crisis and Rebirth March 31
Unit Six: Religious Reform April 14
Unit Seven: Age of Exploration April 21
Unit Eight: Early Modern Europe April 28

Grading Guidelines

A An A-range paper [9-10 points] will be a strongly argued, insightful, and original
essay written in concise, elegant prose. An A-range exam will demonstrate a detailed
and thoughtful knowledge of the readings, lectures, and class discussions, and it will
demonstrate your ability to synthesize and interpret the course material in an original
way.

B A B-range paper [8-8.9 points] will be an intelligent, thoughtful essay that has some
minor flaws in argumentation, interpretation, and/or prose style. A B-range exam will
demonstrate a thorough command of the readings, lectures, and class discussions, with
only a few minor errors or omissions.

C A C-range paper [7-7.9 points] is a promising essay; however the argument is

weakly developed, insufficiently supported, or only repeats class discussion without
adding new ideas or insights. There are also both stylistic and grammatical problems
with the prose. A C-range exam will demonstrate a general understanding of the
readings, lectures, and class discussions, but will include substantial errors or omission
of detail.

D A D-range paper [6-6.9 points] is an inadequately argued essay that possesses

substantial stylistic and grammatical problems, or an essay that in some substantial way
fails to follow the assignment. A D-range exam will demonstrate only a partial
knowledge of the readings, lectures, and class discussions, and will include substantial
errors and omissions.

F If you submit a paper that is your own work, you will not receive an F for the
assignment. An F-range exam is one that suggests that you did not complete the
readings or attend classroom sessions regularly, and that there are substantial gaps in
your knowledge and understanding of the course materials.

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LATE WORK POLICY: Deadlines in this course are to be taken very seriously; no
extensions will be granted (except in cases of documented emergencies), so please
plan accordingly. Late work will be marked down a full letter grade the first day and
one-third of a letter grade for every subsequent day that it is late.

Writing Resources: While the course is dedicated to improving your writing skills,
students should be aware that there are additional writing resource centers on campus.
The History Writing Resources Center is staffed by graduate students and offers
assistance to students with historical writing and research. It is located at 347 James
Blair Hall. Aside from offering individual appointments, the center also has a number of
useful handouts (http://web.wm.edu/history/hwrc). In addition the History Writing
Resources Center, there is also a campus-wide Writing Resources Center located in
Swem. (http://www.wm.edu/as/wrc).

Honor Code: The pledge of the W&M Honor Code states As a member of the William
and Mary community, I pledge on my honor not to lie, cheat, or steal, either in my
academic or personal life. I understand that such acts violate the Honor Code and
undermine the community of trust, of which we are all stewards. I expect you to uphold
this pledge in your classwork; if you have any questions about proper documentation
and citation practices, please consult with me. Violations of the honor code will not be
tolerated, and will be reported. For more information on the Honor Code:
http://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/studentconduct/honorcodeandstude
ntconduct/honorcode/

Student Accessibility Services (SAS): William & Mary accommodates students with
disabilities in accordance with federal laws and university policy. Any student who feels
s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning, psychiatric,
physical, or chronic health diagnosis should contact Student Accessibility Services staff
at 757-221-2509 or at sas@wm.edu to determine if accommodations are warranted and
to obtain an official letter of accommodation. For more information, please see
www.wm.edu/sas

Required Texts:

Lynn Hunt, et al. The Making of the West: Peoples and

Cultures. Vol 1: To 1750 (Fifth Edition)
Beowulf: a Verse Translation (Penguin, 2003)
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (University of Chicago
Press, 1998)
Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty (Augsburg, 2003)
John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration (Hackett
Publishing, 1983)

All other readings will be available as PDFs or links on

Blackboard.

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Schedule and Assigned Readings

W Jan. 18 Course Introduction

F Jan. 20 Reading Historically Thinking Historically

Read syllabus carefully and come prepared with
questions.
Review guides on reading and analyzing sources
(Bb).

UNIT ONE: THE ANCIENT WORLD

M Jan. 23 Mesopotamia
Hunt, 4-15.
The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Code of Hammurabi.

W Jan. 25 People of the Book

Hunt, 46-50.
The Torah
The Book of Isaiah

F Jan. 27 CLASS CANCELLED

M Jan. 30 Archaic Greece

Hunt, 50-74.
Homer, Odyssey and Iliad (Excerpts)

UNIT TWO: GREECE AND ROME

W Feb. 1 Classical Greece

Hunt, 89-103.
Plato, Republic.
Aristotle, Politics.

F Feb. 3 Rome: from Republic to Empire

Hunt, 143-170, 176-188.

M Feb. 6 Core and Periphery in the Empire

Hunt, 188-193.
Tacitus, Agricola and Germania (Excerpts)

W Feb. 8 Early Christianity

Hunt, 193-201.
Gospel of Matthew.
The Martyrdom of Perpetua.

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F Feb. 10 CLASS CANCELLED

M Feb. 13 Christian Civilization

Hunt, 218-228.
St. Augustine, The City of God (Book I: Preface, 1, 2,
8, 11; Book V 15-17, 24; Book XIV 4, 6, 13, 28; Book
XIX 15-17)
The Rule of St. Benedict.

UNIT THREE: SUCCESSOR STATES

W Feb. 15 Transformation of the Western Empire

Hunt, 229-236.
Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks.

F Feb. 17 Byzantium
Hunt, 236-241, 257-262.
Procopius, Secret History.

M Feb. 20 Anglo-Saxon England

Beowulf**

W Feb. 22 Franks and Carolingians

Hunt, 262-269.
Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne.

UNIT FOUR: THE MIDDLE AGES

F Feb. 24 Medieval Society

Hunt, 313-321.
The Manor of Alwalton.
Customs of Saint-Omer.
Customs of Lorris.
John of Viterbo, On the Government of Cities.

M Feb. 27 Secular and Sacred Authority

Hunt, 321-327.
Letter of Gregory VII to Henry IV.
Henry IVs Position.
Renunciation of Gregory VII by the German
Bishops.
Letter of Gregory to Bishop Herman of Metz.

W Mar. 1 Monasticism
Jocelin of Brakelond, Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury
St. Edmunds.

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F Mar. 3 Flowering of the Middle Ages
Hunt, 347-354, 364-367.
Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/capellanus.asp
Gottfried of Strassburg, Tristan.

M Mar. 6-10 NO CLASS HAPPY SPRING BREAK

M Mar. 13 The Crusades

Hunt, 331-337, 370-374.
Jean de Joinville, Life of St. Louis.

W Mar. 15 MIDTERM EXAM

UNIT FIVE: CRISIS AND REBIRTH

F Mar. 17 Economic Crisis and the Plague

Hunt, 410-416.
Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron.

M Mar. 20 Renaissance
Hunt, 421-428.
Leonardo da Vinci, The Notebooks.

W Mar. 22 Secular Politics

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince**

F Mar. 24 Humanism
Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity
of Man.
Baldesar Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier.

M Mar. 27 The Status of Women

Christine de Pisan, The Book of the City of Ladies.
Selected Letters of Alessandra Strozzi.

UNIT SIX: RELIGIOUS REFORM

W Mar. 29 Luther
Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty**

F Mar. 31 Reformation and Counter-Reformation

Hunt, 452-461.
Calvin, Draft of Ecclesiastical Ordinances.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises.

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 The Council of Trent.

M Apr. 3 Wars of Religion

Hunt, 482-490.
H.J.C. Grimmelshausen, The Adventurous
Simplicissimus http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-
dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=4390
Hugo Grotius, On the Law of War and Peace.

W Apr. 5 Witchhunt
Hunt, 499-500.
The Bavarian Witchcraft Law
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-
dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=4515
Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, Cautio Criminalis, or a
Book on Witch Trials.

F Apr. 7 Jewish Exclusion

The Libel of Ritual Murder.
Philip II Augustus, Expulsion of the Jews from France.
Martin Luther, On the Jews and their Lies.
Josel von Rosheim, The Commander of Imperial Jewry
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-
dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=4415
The Jews of Spain and Portugal.

UNIT SEVEN: AGE OF EXPLORATION

M Apr. 10 Trade and African Empire

Hunt, 442-443.
The Foundation of the Castle and City of Sao Jorge
da Mina.
King Afonso of the Kongo, Letters to the King of
Portugal
The Log of the Arthur.

W Apr. 12 The New World

Hunt, 444-446.
Christopher Columbus, Letter on His First Voyage.
Bartolom de las Casas, A Short Account of the
Destruction of the Indies.

F Apr. 14 The Ottoman Empire

Anonymous, The Tribute of Children
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/islam/1493janissaries
.asp
Doukas, Decline and Fall of Byzantium to the Ottoman

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 Turks.
Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Observing the Ottomans
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-
dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=4404

M Apr. 17 Conversion and Resistance

St. Francis Xavier, Letter from Japan, to the Society of
Jesus at Goa
http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/1551xavier3.asp
Deus Destroyed (Excerpt)

UNIT EIGHT: EARLY MODERN EUROPE

W Apr. 19 Absolutism
Hunt, 506-514.
Loyseau, A Treatise on Orders.
Bossuet, Politics Derived from the Words of Holy
Scripture.

F Apr. 21 Civil War and Constitutionalism

Hunt, 514-521.
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan.

M Apr. 24 Scientific Revolution

Hunt, 493-496.
Agostino Scilla, Vain Speculations Undeceived by the
Senses.
Blaise Pascal, Pense XV, Transition from Knowledge
of Man to Knowledge of God.
Isaac Newton, Excerpt from Principia Mathematica.

W Apr. 26 Liberalism
John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration**

F Apr. 28 Moving into Modernity

TBA