344 Fall 1997

The High Middle Ages
Fall Semester 1997
Frank Luttmer
108 Classic Hall
M W F: 10-11, 12-1
866-7205
historians@hanover.edu

Course Description and Objectives
This course is a discussion-oriented seminar on the history of Western Europe from roughly the eleventh- through the thirteenth-centuries, with particular emphasis given to political, religious, and cultural history. Readings include a standard introductory text for background, a historical synthesis of the Crusades, an interpetive study of architecture and learning, and a wide variety of primary texts. The course is designed not only to promote a historical understanding of the High Middle Ages but also to encourage the development of the skills of historical research and writing. Seminar members will be expected to analyze primary documents carefully and thoughtfully, develop and defend their own interpretations, and write a substantive research paper.

Required Readings
Edward Peters, Europe and the Middle Ages
Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades
Charles Radding and William Clark, Medieval Architecture, Medieval Learning
The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
Electronic Texts and Resources from the Internet

Grades
Final grades will be based on an evaluation of the following.

1. Two mid-term exams (15% each) and a final exam (20%)

Exams will consist of short-answer questions and large essay questions. Each of the three exams will cover roughly one-third of the course; the third exam will also include a comprehensive section.
2. A Research paper submitted in two drafts (15% for the first draft and 20% for the second)

The research paper can be on any topic in the High Middle Ages. Papers are to be analytical and interpretive; they should present a thesis and develop an argument. You are encouraged to use primary sources, and you are expected to examine the historiographical context of your topic. The grade of each draft will be based on the quality of the thesis and argument, the quality of the evidence and logic, and the quality of the writing. The grade of the second draft will also reflect the improvement (or lack of improvement) shown between the first and second draft. You should consult with me about your paper at least a week before each draft is due.
3. Class participation and daily writing assignments (15%)

As a small seminar, the success of this class depends upon the quality of the dialogue in class. It is expected that you will attend every class and that you will be fully prepared to discuss the material assigned for that day. Class participation grades will reflect your attendance record, the frequency of your contributions to class discussions, and the quality of your questions, observations, and conclusions.
Each of you will submit a short writing assignment by 10 AM on class days. You are to write one or two paragraphs (but not more than one page) summarizing the most significant or revealing points in the day's readings. You are also to articulate questions you have of the material, including at least one substantive, open-ended question that lends itself to different interpretations and could serve as the basis of a discussion. The assignments are to be type-written and may be submitted through email or placed in my mailbox.

Schedule

Sept. 3
The Early Middle Ages
Peters, 105-134; Benedictine Rule
Sept. 5
The Early Middle Ages
Peters, 135-171; Charlemagne; Carolingian Capitularies
Sept. 8
The Material Foundations of Medieval Society
Peters, 180=195; Guibert de Nogent; Charter of Lorris; Wharram Percy
Sept. 10
Lordship and Kingship
Peters, 196-212; Charter of Homage and Fealty; Chronicle of
the Counts of Anjou; Laws of William the Conqueror; The Bayeux Tapestry
Sept. 12
Church Reform and Conflict with the Empire
Peters, 212-225; Dictatus Papae; Henry IV; Gregory VII; Bernard
Sept. 15
The Byzantine Empire
Peters, 75-92, 171-174; John of Damascus; Iconoclastic Council
Sept. 17
Islam
Peters, 93-118, 125-129; Quran
Sept. 19
The First Crusade
Peters, 225-229; Riley-Smith, xxvii-xxx, 1-17; Fulcher of Chartres;
Ekkehard of Aurach; Anna Comnena
Sept. 22
The Latin East
Riley-Smith, 18-87
Sept. 24
The Crusades in the 12th Century
Riley-Smith, 88-108; Eugene III; Aymeric
Sept. 26
FIRST EXAM
Sept. 29
New Learning and New Architecture
Peters, 231-249; Anselm and Gaunilo
Oct. 1
New Learning and New Architecture
Radding and Clark, 1-33
Oct. 3
New Learning and New Architecture
Radding and Clark, 34-54; Images of Romanesque Art and Architecture
Oct. 6
New Learning and New Architecture
Radding and Clark, 57-76; Suger
Oct. 8
Abelard and Heloise
Letters, 57-106
Oct. 10
Abelard and Heloise
Letters, 109-182
Oct. 15
Abelard and Heloise
Letters, 183-269
Oct. 20
The Papacy and the Fourth Lateran Council
Peters, 250-255; Fourth Lateran Council
Oct. 22
Heresy, the Mendicant Orders, and Popular Religion
Peters, 256-261; Thomas of Celano; Sermon Stories
Oct. 23
FIRST DRAFT OF PAPER DUE

Oct. 24
Heresy and the Inquisition
Peters, 261-263; Reinarius Saccho; Peter Waldo; Inquisition Records
Oct. 29
Jews in the Middle Ages
Peters, 263-270; Canons on Jews; Maimonides
Oct. 31
Central Europe
Peters, 271-282; The Besançon Episode 1157; The Struggle Between
Frederick Barbarossa and Alexander III, 1160-1177; Frederick II
Nov. 3
England
Peters, 282-288; Constitution of Clarendon; Grim;
Assizes of Clarendon;Magna Carta and at the British Library;
Summonses to Parliament, 1295
Nov. 5
SECOND EXAM
Nov. 7
Iberia and France
Peters, 288-301; Joinville; Louis IX
Nov. 12
Crusading at its Height
Riley-Smith, 109-151; Villehardouin
Nov. 14
The Crusades and the East
Riley-Smith, 152-221, 255-257
Nov. 17
Aristotle and the Schools
Peters, 302-308; Radding and Clark, 81-95;
Statutes; Curriculum; Students; Errors
Nov. 19
Thomas Aquinas
Aquinas
Nov. 21
Urban Culture and Literature
Peters, 321-324; Dante
Nov. 24
Court Culture, Women, and Literature
Peters, 314-320, 324-327; The Marriage of Sir Gawain; Letter to Eleanor
Dec. 1
Gothic Architecture
Peters, 308-314; Radding adn Clark; 143-150; Images of Gothic Architecture
Dec. 3
Music

Dec. 5
Music
FINAL DRAFT OF PAPER DUE

Dec. 10
FINAL EXAM

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