Origins of the Modern World: from Prehistory to 1600

History A111-01 Origins of the Modern World: From Prehistory to 1600 Fall Semester 2009 MW, 11:00-11:50 Tegeler Auditorium Discussion Section: W, Th, F

Dr. Mark Edward Ruff Department of History St. Louis University Office: Humanities Building #323 Office Hours: W, 2:00 - 4:00 (and by appointment) Telephone: 977-7140 E-mail: [email protected]

Teaching Assistants: Phillip Constantine: [email protected] Frank Krajewski: [email protected] Kendra Willey: [email protected]

Discussion Sections:

101 – Friday, 11:00-11:50 am, BBH 112 – Frank Krajewski 102 – Friday, 11:00-11:50 am, BRH 040 – Kendra Willey 103 - Friday, 11:00-11:50 am, BRH 050 – Phillip Constantine 104 - Friday, 9:00-9:50 am, XVH G08 – Kendra Willey 105 – Thursday, 8:00-8:50 am, BRH 040 – Frank Krajewski 106 – Wednesday, 2:30 – 3:20 pm, SHA 203 – Kendra Willey 107 – Friday, 8:00 – 8:50 am, BRH 040 – Phillip Constantine 108 – Thursday, 2:10 – 3:00 pm, RTH 222 – Frank Krajewski 109 – Thursday, 8:00 – 8:50 am, RTH 128 – Phillip Constantine 110 – Thursday, 8:00 – 8:50 am, RTH 217 – Kendra Willey 111 – Wednesday, 2:15 – 3:05 pm, XVH 316 – Frank Krajewski 112 - Thursday, 2:15 – 3:05 pm, XVA 203 – Phillip Constantine

Course Description:

As religious conflict spreads throughout the world today, many scholars have begun to turn to the Western past to locate the sources of this religious antagonism. This course will examine how Western societies have understood God and the gods. How did these religious visions shape the way in which men and women in the West built their own societies? And most importantly, why did these religiously built societies so often came into conflict with one another? Are monotheistic civilizations more prone to violence than polytheistic cultures? Were Hebrew, Islamic and Christian civilizations more violent and intolerant than their counterparts in ancient Greece, Rome and Sumeria? This course will focus on the Western World from ancient Sumeria to the Hebrew world, the Greeks, the Romans, the rise of the Islamic world, medieval Europe, and finally, the European voyages of exploration and the Reformation.

Readings:

Herbert Mason, Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative Penguin Custom Editions: The Western World (TWW) Brian Levack, Edward Muir, Meredith Veldman and Michael Maas, The West: Encounters and Transformations (Levack)

Course Format:

This course will consist of lectures on Monday and Wednesday that will be provided by the instructor. In addition, it will contain one discussion section per week held on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday by one of the three teaching assistants. The lectures will provide the larger narratives for the course, while the discussion sections will focus on analyzing primary sources. During both lectures and discussion sections, all blackberries, laptops, cell phones and ipods are to be turned off. If you wish to use a laptop, you must receive written permission beforehand from the instructor and/or teaching assistant. Those granted permission to use a laptop will sign a statement under which they agree to use the laptop only to take notes: those who use their computer for other purposes (IMing, web surfing, etc.) will have their letter grade dropped by one-half of a letter grade.

Grading:

Two four-page papers: 40%, 20% each Midterm examination: 20% Final Examination: 20% 11 quizzes: 10% (1% each) Class participation: 10%

Papers:

You will be required to write two papers of four pages each. You will be assigned a topic approximately three weeks before the papers are due. Please note that you will be marked for style and grammar as well as content. For both papers, you are to use Times New Roman font, Size #12 with margins of one inch. If a paper is turned in late, one letter grade will be deducted for each day that the paper has not been received. The only exceptions are documented medical emergencies and deaths in the family.

You are to submit a paper copy of your essay to your teaching assistant at the close of lecture. Papers that are turned in after this time on the due date will be penalized by one- half of a letter grade. In addition, you are to submit an electronic copy to the website, www.turnitin.com, which will compare your paper with those submitted by all other students and those already in its vast database.

Midterm

The midterm examination will take place on October 14. It will consist of a mixture of short identifications and essays. There will be no makeup examinations permitted, except for documented medical emergencies, prescheduled athletic events and deaths in the family.

Final examination:

Like the midterm, it will also consist of a mixture of short identifications and essays. This will take place on Friday, December 11 at the regrettable hour of 8 am.

Quizzes:

You will be given eleven quizzes randomly throughout the semester on the day of your discussion sections. These will consist of a mixture of short identifications and brief essays. They will based both on the readings for the week and the content of the lectures. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. No makeup quizzes will be permitted, except for pre-scheduled athletic events and signed doctors’ notes. If you are not in class by three minutes after the start of your discussion section, you will not be permitted to take the quiz.

Class Participation:

This will comprise 10% of your grade and will be based on a mixture of classroom participation, attendance and faithfulness in reading the required assignments. Attendance will be taken daily.

Academic Honesty: This course will strictly uphold the college’s policy on academic honesty, which states that “students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The University reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct is, in its judgment, detrimental to the University. Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information on examinations, or the use of previously prepared material in examinations and quizzes.” This policy, which defines cheating, falsification, plagiarism, sabotage, and collusion, is to be found at the following web site: http://www.slu.edu/x12657.xml. All cases of academic dishonesty will be punished with a grade of a zero for the assignment.

ADA Statement: “Saint Louis University opens its programs and educational services to all qualified candidates without regard to their disability. All programs and services provided for students are done in a manner that does not discriminate based on disability. Inaccessible programs will be made accessible either directly or through relocation. Individuals requiring accommodations for student programs should contact the Director of Student Life.” (College of Arts and Sciences Handbook, St. Louis University).

Schedule of Classes and Readings:

Week I: August 24, 26 Course Introduction, Ancient Mesopotamia Readings: The Epic of Gilgamesh Readings: Levack, 11-55

Week II: August 31, September 2 The Ancient Hebrews Readings: TWW, 1-17 Readings, Levack, 57-66 Readings: Selections from the Old Testament (to be emailed)

Week III: September 9 The Greek World Readings: TWW, 19-39 Readings: Levack, 66-90

Week IV: September 14, 16 The Greek World: Hellenism Readings: Levack, 93-110 Readings: TWW, 40-41 Readings: Plutarch, Life of Alexander the Great (excerpts): available at: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexa nder*/6-7.html

Week V: September 21, 23 From the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire Readings: Levack, 110-158 Readings: The Roman Republic, Checks and Balances: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/rome-balance.html Readings: Mithridates and the Roman Conquests in the East, available at: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/mithradates1.html Readings: Suetonius, The Life of Caligula http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-caligula.html

September 21: Paper #1 Due

Week VI: September 28, 30 The Rise of Christianity Readings: TWW, 42-69 Readings: Levack, 158-166 Readings: The Sermon on the Mount (to be emailed)

Week VII: October 5, 7 The Late Roman Empire: Transformation or Collapse? Readings: TWW, 71-83 Readings: Levack, 169-203 Readings: Jordanes, the Battle of Chalons: www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/451jordanes38.html

Week VIII: October 12, 14 The Byzantine Empire October 14: Midterm Examination Readings: Levack, 205-218 October 15, 16, 17: No discussion sections

Week IX: October 21 The Rise of Islam October 21, 22, 23: No Discussion Sections

Week X: October 26, 28 The Rise of Islam Readings: Levack, 219-235 Readings: TWW, 90-109

Week XI: November 2, 4 The Middle Ages and the Crusades Readings: TWW, 110-126 Readings: Levack, 237-305 Readings: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html Readings: Ibn Al-Athir, The Franks seize Antioch (to be emailed)

Week XII: November 9, 11 The Crisis of the 14th Century Readings: TWW, 127-140 Readings: Levack, 307-340 Readings: Excerpts from the Diaries of Goro Dati (to be emailed)

Week XIII: November 16, 18 Tolerance and Intolerance in Europe: Heretics and Inquisitions Readings: A Manual for Inquisitors at Carcasonne, 1248-9 (to be emailed) Readings: The Council of Constance: The Condemnation of Hus’s Errors and the Execution of Hus (to be emailed) November 16: Paper #2 Due

Week XIV: November 23 The Renaissance Readings: TWW, 257-283 Readings: Levack, 343-373 No discussion sections – Thanksgiving break

Week: XV: November 30, December 2 European Expansion and the Columbus Debates Readings: Levack, 377-406 Readings: Columbus Journal Entries: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/Columbus1.html

Week XVI: December 7 Course Review

Week XVII: Final Examination: Friday, December 11, 8:00 am