Medieval France – Weekly Topics

Monday, August 23: Introduction.

Wednesday, August 25 : Late Roman Gaul and the barbarians (Murray 3-14, 20-47, 48-54, 59-60, 100-108, 207-218)

Friday, August 27: The Franks before 537 (Murray 153, 157-159, 166-169, 259-263, 267-286)

Monday, August 30: Many kingdoms, one Church (Murray 109-137, 169-171, 179-181, 289-301)

Wednesday, September 1: Civil wars and legislation (Murray 302-313, 315-428, 533-556)

Friday, September 3: Merovingians and their neighbors in the 7th century (Murray 453-490, 492-498, 565-568)

Monday, September 6: Labor Day (no classes)

Wednesday, September 8 and Friday, September 10: Land, wealth, and the economy (Murray 576-587)

Monday, September 13: Royal women, cultured churchmen (Murray 313-315, 499-504, 569-575)

Wednesday, September 15 and Friday, September 17: From Pippin II to Pippin III (Costambeys 31-65; Murray 633-637, 652-655)

Monday, September 20: Mission and Church during the first half of the 8th century (Murray 637-651)

Wednesday, September 22 and Friday, September 24: The dawn of the Carolingian age (Costambeys 1-30; Dutton 12-22)

Monday, September 27: Charlemagne (Costambeys 65-79; Dutton 26-51, 65-69)

Wednesday, September 29 and Friday, October 1: The Empire (Costambeys 154-194; Dutton 69-85)

Monday, October 4 and Wednesday, October 6: Church and culture (Costambeys 80-152; Dutton 95-120, 139-146)

Friday, October 8: Homecoming (no classes)

Monday, October 11 and Wednesday, October 13: After Charlemagne (Costambeys 194-222, 379-427; Dutton 146-154, 159-176, 199-203, 256-265, 334-336)

Friday, October 15: Midterm

Monday, October 18 and Wednesday, October 20: Carolingian economy and society (Costambeys 223-323, 324-378; Dutton 85-89, 207-220)

Friday, October 22: The society in western Francia (Hallam 1-32); read Fulbert of Chartres, On feudal obligations

Monday October 25, Wednesday, October 27, and Friday, October 29: Principalities around AD 1000 (Hallam 33-79); read the Chronicle of the Counts of Anjou

Monday, November 1 and Wednesday, November 3: Early Capetians (Hallam 80-138); read Richer of Reims, on the coronation of Hugh Capet; read a letter of Ivo of Chartres to Adele, countess of Blois; read Duke of William of Aquitaine’s foundation charter for the abbey of Cluny

Friday, November 5: France in the making, from Louis VI to Louis VIII (Hallam 139-172, 192-232); read a fragment from Suger, Life of Louis VI; read fragments of Rigord’s Deeds of Philip Augustus

Monday, November 8: French society in the 11th and 12th centuries (Hallam 172-180, 188-192);  read Guibert of Nogent on the revolt in Laon; read a charter of Philip II suppressing the commune of Etampes; read Suger’s On the Administration

Wednesday, November 10 and Friday, November 12: The Church in 11th– and 12th-century France (Hallam 232-246); read Guibert of Nogent on relics and Carthusians; read an account of the conversion of Peter Waldo and a description of Waldensian beliefs; read an excerpt from the Cathar Gospel, a description of Cathar society, and a description of Cathar rituals

Monday, November 15: Louis IX (Hallam 247-281, 302-353); listen to a reading from Jean de Joinville’s Life of St. Louis

Wednesday, November 17 and Friday, November 19: French society in the 13th century (Hallam 281-292)

Monday, November 22: The Church in 13th-century France (Hallam 302-353); read Pope Innocent III’s letters to the French clergy and to King Philip II; read an account of the 1210 riot in Chartres; read the Testament of St. Francis of Assisi

November 24-27: Thanksgiving (no classes)

Monday, November 29: The last Capetians, from Philip III to Charles IV (Hallam 354-372, 384-409); read an account of the events at Agnani

Wednesday, December 1 and Friday, December 3: Economy and society in late 13th– and 14th-century France (Hallam 372-384); read the Inquisition records of Jacques Fournier, Bishop of Pamiers

Monday, December 6: The Church in 14th-century France (Hallam 409-432); read Pope Boniface VIII’s bulls of 1296 and 1302; read a troubadour poem criticizing the Avignon papacy

Wednesday, December 8: Into the Hundred Years War (Hallam 433-440); read Jean Froissart’s account of the battles of Crecy and Poitiers

Friday, December 17, 7:30-9:30 am: Final exam.