HIST 212-01, Medieval Europe, Fall 2005

Abstract

This course examines the history of Europe from roughly 500 to 1500 CE, or (very roughly) from the end of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance.* Despite its distance in time from the modern era, the history of medieval Europe raises questions that remain important today: what forms may government take, and what factors most directly shape those forms? How do military and political crises shape society and culture and vice versa? What are the appropriate roles in society for church and state? As historians, how do we find out about the lives of people who did not leave behind direct record of their voices? Is human nature a constant throughout time, or did medieval people respond differently to their circumstances than we would have in their places?