TEACHER
John Howe
Office: 143 Holden Hall
Office Hours: MWF 11-11:45; M 9:30-10:00 pm, TuTh 8:15-8:45; and by appointment
Telephone: 742-1004 ext. 233; e-mail: john.howe@ttu.edu; web: http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/howe

PURPOSES OF THE COURSE
To survey the development of medieval Europe from about A.D. 300 to 1000. To indicate how knowledge about this era has been acquired. To see how economic, cultural, and intellectual changes in the past have helped shape our contemporary world. To develop the art of reading, analyzing, and reviewing historical scholarship.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Required Texts:
Peter Brown, Rise of Western Christendom, 2^nd ed. (2003)
Robert Cook (ed.), Njal's Saga (2002)
G. Roland Murphy (ed.), The Heliand: The Saxon Gospel (1992)
Edward Peters, Europe and the Middle Ages, 4^th ed. (2004).
Also required is a set of documents to be taken from the WEB. You can "click" to these directly if you access the syllabus via the internet. It is advisable to print these texts a few days in advance, since server or network problems can thwart last minute consultations.

Required Reading
Specific reading assignments for each class are listed in the Reading and Lecture Schedule, just ahead and to the right of the lecture date by which they should be completed. Each assignment is the subject of the following lecture or discussion. Read so that you arrive in class prepared to explain, praise, criticize, and question. The assignments are manageable if read when assigned, but quickly become overwhelming if neglected.

Class Attendance
Successful completion of this course requires regular attendance. In the classroom difficult reading assignments are interpreted, additional subject matter is introduced, and visual materials are displayed (which are difficult to comprehend from a friend's notes). Part of the course grade is based on class participation, and you cannot participate if you are not present.

Examinations
Midterm tests are scheduled for September 22 and November 5. Each will include multiple-choice questions, identifications, a single essay (to be selected from two or more choices), and perhaps map work. If, for good reason, a test is missed, a make-up test may be taken at 2:30 pm on Monday, December 6. Students receiving a grade below "C" on a midterm should meet with the teacher to discuss it (this will be part of the class participation grade). The final examination will feature multiple-choice and identification questions on the material covered since the second midterm, and several essay questions (to be chosen out of six or more possible questions) covering the material of the entire course. Bring blue books for the final.

Book Reviews
Students will write three two-page book reviews based on monographs listed on bibliographies that will be distributed to the class. The three bibliographies from which these three reviews will be written deal with the conversion of Europe to Christianity, Carolingian high culture, and Vikings.  Each student who wishes will have at least one opportunity to present his or her analysis to the class. One letter grade will be deducted from late assignments (those not received before 5:00 pm on the due date). Late assignments will not be accepted beyond the next class date after the due date.

Time Line
Over the course of the semester each student will make a time line, an outline chronological chart of major events and institutions. This should pull together the readings and report subjects, placing them into proper chronological perspective. The time line is due on Monday, December 6, and will be returned on Wednesday, December 8, so that it can be used in studying for the final examination.

Movies?
Much of what we think we know about the "Dark Ages" consists of ancient misconceptions and misrepresentations. Their power is not reduced by the fact that often they are mutually contradictory (compare, for example, the dining scenes from Camelot and from The Vikings). In order to advance our knowledge, it can be useful to confront directly some of the myths within ourselves. Therefore,  three films about the early Middle Ages will be shown on designated evenings during the course of the semester, after which students will discuss their strengths and weaknesses as historical documents. The first will be Gladiator, shown at 7:00 pm in HH104 on September 23.  Those who can attend two films and participate in the discussions that follow will receive extra credit as indicated below.

Necessary Accommodations
Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible so that the necessary accommodations can be made.

Observance of a Religious Holy Day
Texas House Bill 256 requires institutions of higher education to excuse a student from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day. The student shall also be excused for time necessary to travel. An institution may not penalize the student for the absence and allows for the student to take an exam or complete an assignment from which the student is excused. No prior notification of the instructor is required.

GRADING

The course grade will be computed as follows: 25% from the two midterm tests (that is, 12.5% from each); 30% from the three book reviews (10% from each); 10% from the time line; 5% from one optional class presentation of a book; 10% from class participation; and 25% from the final examination. Note that the optional class presentation is basically extra credit: the grade components total 105% if it is included, 100% if it is not. An extra 5% of A credit will also be added to the averages of students who attend two of the films and film discussions.

The class participation grade is based on attendance, class preparation, and class contributions. Students outstanding in these get class participation credited as an `A'; those average have the points dropped out (so they neither help nor hurt); those below acceptable standards have them credited as an `F.'

READING AND LECTURE SCHEDULE

M Aug 30 Introduction

W Sept 1 Geography

[Th Sept 2 Last day for student-initiated Drop/Add]

F Sept 3 The Roman Peace

[M Sept 6 Holiday]

W Sept 8 The Christian Roman Empire

F Sept 10 Christian Civilization

M Sept 13 The Roman Military Order Unravels

W Sept 15 The "Roman" Frontier in the West

[W Sept 15 Last day to drop a course and get a full refund.]

F Sept 17 The Byzantine Empire in the East

M Sept 20 Islam

W Sept 22 Midterm #1

Th Sept 23, 7:00 - 10:00+ pm   Optional Movie Presentation and Discussion in HH104:  Gladiator

F Sept 24 Early Monasticism / Celtic Christianity

M Sept 27 Arthur of Britain

[M Sept 27 Last day to withdraw from TTU with partial refund]

W Sept 29 "Ethnogenesis" and the Early Germanic "Nations"

F Oct 1 The Franks

M Oct 4 The Saxon Kingdoms and Others

W Oct 6 Monks and Missionaries

W Oct 6 7:30 - 10:00+ pm   Optional Movie Presentation and Discussion in HH104: Dragonslayer

F Oct 8 Reports on the Conversion of Europe

M Oct 11 Reports on the Conversion of Europe

[M Oct 11 Last day to declare Pass/Fail, to drop a course, to receive a grade of W for courses dropped.]

W Oct 13 Reports on the Conversion of Europe

F Oct 15 The Roman Revolution

M Oct 18 The Rise of the Carolingians

W Oct 20 Charlemagne

Th Oct 21 Optional Movie Presentation and Discussion, 7:00-10:00 pm in HH104: The Warlord

F Oct 22 Carolingian Government

M Oct 25 The Carolingian Renaissance

W Oct 27 Reports on the Carolingian Renaissance

F Oct 29 Reports on the Carolingian Renaissance

M Oct Nov 1 Reports on the Carolingian Renaissance

W Nov 3 The Heliand

F Nov 5 Midterm Examination 2

M Nov 8 Louis The Pious and Later Carolingians

Tu Nov 9 Optional Movie Presentation and Discussion, 7:00-10:00 pm in HH104: The Vikings

W Nov 10 The Vikings

F Nov 12 Reports on the Vikings

M Nov 15 Reports on the Vikings

W Nov 17 Njal's Saga

F Nov 19 Revival of Europe

M Nov 22 "Feudalism"

[WF Nov 24 and 26 Thanksgiving Holiday]

M Nov 29 Italy and Germany

W Dec 1 France

F Dec 3 England

M Dec 6 The Iberian Peninsula

[M Dec 6 Make-Up Test at 2:30 pm]

W Dec 8 The Byzantine Empire and Otto III: Rome Yields to a New World

M Dec 13 at 7:30 - 10:00 am FINAL EXAMINATION