Week 1 (January 9-13): Introduction (terminology, purpose, and methods). The Late Roman Empire.

• The third-century Roman Empire. The Tetrarchy. [Collin,1-15; Andrea 4-13; Geanakoplos, 39 (no. 19), 229-230 (no. 164), and 252 (no. 177A)]; see also the on-line map and Ralph Mathisen’s essay on Diocletian; see example of red-slip wares and a map of their distribution in the first century A.D.; see reconstructions of three types of Roman amphorae; take a tour of the villa rustica in Hechingen-Stein and visit Carthage and Luni
• Constantine the Great [Collins 16-30; Geanakoplos 87 (no. 57) and 127-128 (no. 92)]; see also the Edict of Milan, Eusebius on the conversion of Constantine,  the Nicene Creed, and Hans Pohlsander’s article on Constantine; see also a map of Constantinople

 Week 2 (January 16-20): Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages

• The fourth century [Collins 31-46; Geanakoplos 128-130 (nos. 93-94)]; see also Walter Roberts’ article on Valentinian I and David Woods’ article on Theodosius I
• The Late Roman Empire and the Church [Collins 61-78; Andrea 17-24; Geanakoplos 131-132 (no. 95 – Eusebius on the universal empire and the universal church) and 179-180 (no. 129 – St. Gregory of Nyssa on mysticism)]; see the mosaic of Christ Victor in the archbishops’ chapel in Ravenna; see also the passio of SS. Perpetua and Felicity and the on-line map

Week 3 (January 23-27): “Barbarians at the gates?”

• Migration(s) and Völkerwanderungszeit; the Adrianople syndrome [Collins 47-60; Andrea 27-34; Geanakoplos 329-330 (no. 243 – Synesius on the Gothic threat)]; see also Ammianus Marcellinus on the battle of Adrianople; see aslo the on-line map
• AD 476 [Collins 79-98; Geanakoplos 330 (no. 244 – Jordanes on Odovacar) ]; see also a brief essay on Romulus Augustulus

Week 4 (January 30-February 3): Some barbarians

• Who were the Goths? [Geanakoplos 327-328 (no. 241 – Wulfila converts the Goths)]; see also Jordanes, Getica 25-48 and a brief presentation of the Wielbark archaeological assemblages; see also the first page of the Gospel according to St. Luke in Wulfila’s Gothic translation (Codex Argenteus)
• The Huns (Geanakoplos 332-333 (no. 247 – Priscus on Attila the Hun); for the archaeology of the Hunnic empire, see a few examples of gem-encrusted jewelry (fibulae); see also a modern reconstruction of Hunnic bows, based on the archaeological evidence; see also Jordanes’ account of the battle at Campus Mauriacus

Week 5 (February 6-10): Successor states…

• … in Italy: the kingdom of the Ostrogoths [Collins 99-109; Andrea 45-49; Geanakoplos 331 (no. 245 – Anonymus Valesianus on Theodoric)]; see also Theodoric’s letters and the on-line map
• … in Gaul: the Frankish kingdom [Collins 109-113; Andrea 34-44 (Salian Law, Gregory of Tours on Clovis); Geanakoplos 331-332 (no. 246 – Gregory of Tours on Clovis as Roman consul)]; see also the on-line map

Week 6 (February 13-17): The sixth century

• Justinian’s Reconquista [Collins 114-132; Andrea 53-56; Geanakoplos 30-31 (no. 12 – Procopius on Justinian’s Reconquista), 73-75 (no. 48 – the plan of the Digest), 76-77 (no. 49B – Corpus Iuris Civilis on natural law, law of nations, and civil law), 258-260 (no. 183 – Procopius on the Nika riot), 319-321 (nos. 235-236 – Procopius on Theodora)]; see also the on-line map and other selections from the Corpus Iuris Civilis
•  Sassanian Persia and Byzantium [Collins 133-150; Geanakoplos 134 (no. 98A – Theophanes on Heraclius melting down church treasures) and 334-335 (no. 248 – Antiochus Strategus’ view of the sack of Jerusalem by the Persians)]; see the on-line map and Judith Herrin’s analysis of the Byzantine-Sassanian conflict

Week 7 (February 20-24): Islam

• From Muhammad to the Umayyad caliphate [Collins 133-150; Andrea 64-73 (surahs from the Qu’ran; the Pact of Umar); Geanakoplos 338-339 (no. 250 – Al-Baladhuri on the conquest of Alexandria)]; see also Fred Donner, The Early Islamic Conquests
• Islamic culture; see Oleg Grabar, Ceremonial and Art at the Umayyad Court; see a picture of a dirham and another of the Dome of the Rock (exterior, interior decoration, and cross section); see also the Great Mosques of Kairouan (prayer hall with two domes and courtyard with minaret) and Cordoba (aerial view, arches, and entrance to the mihrab)

Week 8 (February 27-March 3): A case study: Spain

•  Visigothic Spain [Collins 151-160]; see also selections from the Code of Euric
•  Muslim Spain; see Ibn abd-el Hakem on the conquest of Visigothic Spain and the on-line map

Week 9 (March 6-10): Far and not too far from the Empire

• Anglo-Saxon Britain [Collins 173-197]; see also the on-line map, a brief presentation of the Anglo-Saxon village excavated at West Stow, and selections from Gildas’ De excidio Britanniae; see an illumination from Codex Amiatinus and a coin of King Offa; see also a map and an image of Offa’s Dyke
•  The Lombards [Collins 198-219]; see the on-line map of the Lombard kingdom before its conquest by Charlemagne; see also an image of a Lombard king on the so-called helmet of Agilulf

Week 10 (March 20-24): The early medieval Church

•  Midterm
• Orthodoxy and theological controversies; mission and conversion (Geanakoplos 145-147 (no. 106 – Socrates on the Council of Nicea), 148-150 (no. 108 – the Council of Chalcedon), 152 (no. 110B – the sixth ecumenical council on Monotheletism); see also the chronology of Arianism; see also Bede on the conversion of England and the collection of texts on St. Boniface and the conversion of Germany

Week 11 (March 27-31): Western and Eastern Christianity

• Iconoclasm [Collins 220-235; Geanakoplos 152-154 (no. 111 –  John of Damascus’ defence of icons), 154-156 (no. 112 – the decisions of the iconoclastic Church council of 754), 156-157 (no. 113 – the condemnation of Iconoclasm at the council of 787), and 157 (no. 114 – Emperor Leo V’s iconoclastic views)
• Monasticism east and west [Collins 236-262; Andrea 83-89 (the Benedictine rule) and 89-96; Geanakoplos 165-167 (no. 120 – the Life of St. Anthony), 167-169 (no. 121 – St. Basil’s “Longer Rules”), 168-170, and 177-178 (Theodore of Sykeon and the charisma of the monk)]; see also the brief presentation of the Great Lavra at Mount Athos

Week 12 (April 3-7): Early medieval culture and art

• Early Byzantine art [Geanakoplos 192-195 (no. 139 – the Akathistos Hymn), 196-197 (no. 141 – Paul the Silentiary’s description of Hagia Sophia), 393-395 (no. 296 – St. Basil on the Classics), 421-422 (no. 317 – the Life of St. Theodore of Sykeon), and 432-434 (no. 324 – Philoponos against Aristotle)]; visit the basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (with the famous representation of Christ as the Good Shepherd) in Ravenna; see a presentation of the Rossano Gospel; visit the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; see a seventh-century icon of the enthroned Virgin with Child (St. Catherine Monastery, Mount Sinai)
  
• Insular art and the “animal style” on the Continent; for examples of Insular manuscript illumination, see the Lindisfarne Gospels

Week 13 (April 10-14): New powers

• Rise of Bulgaria [Geanakoplos 346-347 (no. 257 – Emperor Nicephorus I’s campaign against Krum); 47-348 (no. 258 – the Life of Methodius) and 348-349 (no. 259 – the Annals of St. Bertin on the pagan revolt against Prince Boris)]; see maps of  “Great” Bulgaria and a brief presentation of Kubrat’s burial in Malo Pereshchepyne; visit the ruins of Pliska and the Madara Horseman; see a map of Danube Bulgaria during the early Middle Ages and another of Great Moravia; see examples of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic scripts; see an icon of Sts. Cyril and Methodius
• Carolingian Francia [Collins 160-172, 280-317; Andrea 114-127 (Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne, Charlemagne’s letters and capitularies); Geanakoplos 356-357 (no. 266 – Michael II’s letter to Louis the Pious)]; see also the on-line map and an example of Carolingian script

Week 14 (April 17-21): The tenth century

• The decline of the Carolingian empire [Collins 318-343]; see also the on-line map and Agobard of Lyon
• Vikings and Magyars [Collins 344-370; Geanakoplos 118-120 (no. 89A – Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus on the Pechenegs; 349-350 (no. 260 – the Annals of St. Bertin on the Rus’), 350-351 (no. 261 – Photius on the Viking attack on Constantinople), 351-352 (no. 262 – the Russian Primary Chronicle on the conversion of Olga), and 352-353 (no. 263 – the Russian Primary Chronicle on Prince Vladimir’s conversion)]; see also the on-line map and three views on Viking raids in Francia; for Vikings in Russia, see the Russian Primary Chronicle; you may wish to visit the Viking-age sites at Llanbedrgoch (Wales) and Anse aux Meadows (Canada); see also an essay on the Magyar raids

Week 15 (April 24-27): Conclusion

• Towards A.D. 1000  [Collins 394-429]; see a map of Germany, ca. 962.
• Thursday, May 04, 5:30-7:30 PM: Final Exam