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HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Reading Guidelines
Using the Reading Guidelines from the Website
The reading guidelines are intended to help you focus your reading in an effective way
while giving you a structure for note-taking. Simply reading the textbooks and underlining key
passages will not be sufficient to help you assimilate and understand the material. You must take
notes, but of course you cannot take notes on every single detail in the course textbooks because
of time constraints.
In addition to taking detailed notes on introductory sections, use the questions in the
guidelines as your guide for what to focus on in the reading assignment. You will not be
required to hand in your answers to these questions per se, but I tend to build my lesson plans for
the discussion classes around them; also, I base my exams, mid-terms, and quizzes on those
reading guideline questions. If you can answer these questions in an intelligent and detailed
manner, then you will pass this course with flying colours.
The reading guidelines file on the course website is a running file that I add to for every
class. I tend to add the reading guidelines for the readings for the next class about two days in
advance.
If you are new to the discipline of history, you may wish to consult:
Clark, Vincent Alan. A Guide to Your History Course: What Every Student Needs to Know.
Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009.
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013: Lecture: The Concept of the Middle Ages
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, from both volumes, pp.
16-17 [handout]
Clifford R. Backman, The Worlds of Medieval Europe (second edition) (Oxford
and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. xv-xviii [handout]
Some General Thoughts:
So we begin! My intent with these readings is to give you a few thoughts about what
“medieval” means? People who lived in the medieval period did not necessarily refer to their
time as such (“middle of what?” they would have asked), although many of them knew that they
were living after the demise of Roman civilization. Yet Backman in particular believes that it is
possible to speak of a “medieval worldview” in a very general sense, with room for exceptions
and nuance of course.
What is surprising about these two readings is that Rosenwein seeks to go beyond what
traditionally has been defined as the geographic “center” of the medieval period, i.e. Western
Europe. In her book, there is much detail about developments in the Islamic and Byzantine
worlds, which existed on the peripheries of Western Europe. That is because one cannot
understand what happened in places such as France, Germany, and Italy without delving into the
intereconnections between those three polities and the civilizations around them. You also will
receive some insight into why studying such a remote period is important for us, which is
intriguing because there is much in the Middle Ages that we would find bizarre; and yet there are
connections between that period and our own modern world.
Some Questions to Consider:
i) Why did Rosenwein choose the approach to her textbook that she did? What is the value of a
chronological approach as opposed to a thematic approach?
ii) In addressing developments in the Byzantine and Islamic worlds (in addition to Western
Europe), do you think that she is thus saying something about the medieval period?
iii) If medieval attitudes and institutions seem so foreign to us, what is the value of studying the
Middle Ages?
iv) Is there a connection between the medieval world and our modern, contemporary world? If
so, what is it?
v) What was the essence of the medieval worldview? Can one speak of something like a
medieval worldview or is that too general a concept?
v) Do you think that there is anything unique in the statement, “…the many worlds of the Middle
Ages tried to fashion connections and conflicts of everyday life into a unified vision of human
existence”? Does not every civilization and every society try to do that?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013: Lecture: An Overview of the First Half of the Medieval
Period, Part I
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization: A Brief History (seventh
edition) (Boston: Wadworth, 2011), pp. ch. 7, pp. 130-150 [handout]
Some General Thoughts
Now we are delving further into the first part of this course, Foundations. This
photocopied chapter is intended to give you a brief overview of the period that is
characteristically defined as the Early Middle Ages, the period from the demise of the Western
Roman Empire to the expansion of Islam in the eighth century.
You do not need to read the material in the document excerpts, as the purpose of this
reading is to give you a broad overview (although reading the document excerpts will help you
understand the broader historical forces at work).
Here are some themes to consider:
● The Roman Empire experienced significant military and political decline, especially in
the West, and yet it lived on in different ways through its “heirs”
● The consolidation of Christianity in administration, institutions, belief, and doctrine
● The intermingling of Roman and “barbarian” peoples
● The co-agulation of new kingdoms in the West
● The rise of Islam and the similarities/differences with Christianity
● The preservation of Greek and Roman classical culture and the integration of such
culture into medieval Christianity
Some Questions to Consider
A. THE LATE ROMAN EMPIRE
i) Explain some of the reforms of the emperors Diocletian and Constantine; were they
successful?
ii) Why did the eastern Empire become Christian?
iii) What trajectories did the two halves of the Roman Empire take?
iv) What role did the eastern Emperor begin to play in religious disputes in Christianity?
B. THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS
i) How did the Germanic and Roman peoples integrate with each other? How did invasion from
outside forces facilitate that integration?
ii) Explain the similarities and differences between the Germanic kingdoms.
C. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
i) If the Western Empire had deterioriated politically to such a degree, how was the pope able to
accumulate so much authority and power?
ii) What role did monasteries play in the spread of Christianity and the preservation of classical
culture?
iii) Why did monks and nuns become the new heroes of Christianity? What was so attractive
about the ascetic ideal, about celibacy?
iv) Outline some of the differences between male and female monasteries;
v) How did Christian doctrine congeal and take shape through the work of Augustine of Hippo,
Jerome and Cassiodorus? Did classical culture play a role here?
D. THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
i) How did the Emperor Justinian change the Byzantine Empire?
ii) What role did the emperor play in the Byzantine state? How was that role different from
western rulers?
iii) How did the legacy of the classical world live on in Byzantine civilization?
iv) Why did the Empire shrink?
E. THE RISE OF ISLAM
i) Why did many Arabs gravitate towards Islam and not Christianity?
ii) Explain the similarities between Islam and Christianity;
iii) Outline the teachings of Islam; what is the difference beween Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims?
iv) If there was internal dissension in Islam, how can one explain the spread of the new religion?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013: Lecture: An Overview of the First Half of the Medieval
Period, Part II
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization: A Brief History (seventh
edition) (Boston: Wadworth, 2011), pp. ch. 8, pp. 154-172 [handout]
Some General Thoughts:
Here, even though we are moving further away from the demise of the Roman Empire,
we still seeing the ways in which that legacy continued in the three “heirs”: Western Europe,
Byzantine Civilization, and the Muslim world. Each civilization takes on a unique shape, but
each one still exhibits characteristics of the “parent” civilization. Much of this historical reality
is generated by the movements of peoples and the integration of peoples. No one ethnic group is
a cultural monolith; each is a composite, an alloy of different ethnic groups.
Here are some other themes to think about:
●the relationship between church and state (which one sees in a number of different ways; e.g.
●the links between the Carolingian rulers and the papacy)
●the integration of peoples and cultures
●the differences and similarities among the three “heirs”
Some Questions to Consider:
A. THE WORLD OF THE CAROLINGIANS
i) Explain the factors in the rise of the Carolingian Empire; why could it not retain its
cohesiveness?
ii) Describe the elements of the Carolingian Renaissance? What role did Charlemagne play in
this cultural renewal?
iii) How did the Church in the West try to tighten strictures on sexuality?
iv) In what ways was Charlemagne’s imperial title a combination of Germanic, Christian, and
Roman elements? Compare it with Byzantine concepts of imperial power.
B. THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
i) Explain how the succession problems after Charlemagne’s death and the invasions from
external forces led to the empire’s disintegration;
ii) Did the Vikings remain entirely separate from the societies and peoples that they raided?
iii) How did conversion to Christianity facilitate the integration and intermingling of peoples?
C. THE EMERGING WORLD OF LORDS AND VASSALS
i) Explain the differences between vassalage, fief-holding, and manorialism;
ii) How did these elements contribute to a new social reality in the former territories of the
Carolingian Empire?
iii) What was it like to be a serf? Was it similar to being a slave?
D. THE ZENITH OF BYZANTINE CIVILIZATION
i) Explain how the Macedonian dynasty restored much of Byzantine glory, raising it to a status
that rivaled that of Justinian’s accomplishments;
ii) How and why did Roman and Orthodox Christianity continue to move further apart?
E. THE SLAVIC PEOPLES AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
i) How did the migration of the Slavic peoples produce the integration of different peoples,
particularly in the case of Kievan Rus?
F. THE WORLD OF ISLAM
i) Explain the factors that moved the world of Islam from the Umayyad caliphate to the Abbasid
caliphate;
ii) What changes did the Abbasids bring about? How could there be political fragmentation in
the Islamic world but still unity?
iii) Describe the great cultural legacy of Abbasid rule; how does that help us understand the
characteristization of the Muslim world as an “heir” of classical civilization?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013: Lecture: Political Reconfiguration in the Byzantine and
Islamic Worlds
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, preface to the original
edition, p. xv; ch. 4, pp. 139-15
Some General Thoughts:
So we dive into the Rosenwein textbook! This chapter carries on where we left off with
the reading in the Spielvogel book, although there is some overlap. Today, we are turning our
focus to the worlds outside of Western Europe: the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world.
There are two elements of these readings that I find intriguing. The first is that both contexts
experienced political fragmentation, but they did not break apart into civil disorder or chaos,
which is what one might expect. New historical realities emerged.
The second theme involves the connection between politics and culture. Political
developments exercised an influence on the type of culture (mentalities, intellectual endeavours,
etc.) that evolved in these two contexts. The Byzantine Empire extolled military virtues. The
Islamic world did this to a degree; also, the separate Muslim territories were still unified by their
use of Arabic, by trade routes, and by the Qur’an (in spite of the divisions between Sunni and
Shi’ite). Moreover, the cultural competition among the Muslim courts generated great advances
in learning and culture.
Some Questions to Consider:
A. BYZANTIUM: THE STRENGTHS AND LIMITS OF CENTRALISATION
i) Describe the unique characteristics of the Byzantine court and the conception of imperial
monarchy;
ii) How did the Byzantine Empire become more like an “open hand” rather than a “closed fist”?
Explain the role of Basil II in this development;
iii) How did ethnic diversity change the character of the Empire? What forces threatened the
Empire?
iv) Could it be said that these threats made Byzantine culture oriented more towards a military
ideal?
iv) How did conversion to Christianity facilitate the closer alignment between the Byzantine
Empire and Kievan Rus?
B. DIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD
i) How and why did more regional groups become powerful in the Islamic world? What
happened to the caliphs?
ii) Outline the characteristics of these regional groups (the Buyids, the Fatimids; the Umayyads
in Al-Andalus, etc.)
iii) If the Islamic world has become so politically fragmented, how could it be also culturally
integrated?
iv) How did the Abbasids change Islamic intellectual life?
v) In what ways was the Islamic world more regionalized than the Byzantine world?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013: Lecture: Western Europe Stabilizes Itself
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 4, pp. 152-173
*****introduction and annotated bibliography for the first essay due today
Some General Thoughts
Now we are shifting our gaze mostly to Western Europe, to see how the political
fragmentation produced an entirely social and political reality than what is found in the
contemporary Byzantine and Islamic worlds. The three “heirs” are becoming more and more
distinct from each other. In Western Europe, the political fragmentation facilitated the rise of
local and regional powers, best exemplified in the relationship between lord and vassal,
something quite new and entirely different. This is all part of the system of feudalism (a
historian’s term) that began to congeal in this period. The word “feudal” has a negative
connotation today, meaning outdated and stupid, although a feudal lord living in this time did not
necessarily see the system in that way (“hey, who are you calling outdated and stupid??
Geeze!”). Feudal relations were based on concepts of trust and reciprocity. Yet the feudal
relationship still had to be aligned more neatly with the Christian religion, and this is where the
Peace of God and the Truce of God come into play.
Still, even though one would use the words the feudalism and political fragmentation to
characterize Western Europe in this period, monarchs were trying to consolidate their power and
reverse that process of political fragmentation. Even the Capetian monarchs, in their relatively
small enclave of the Île-de-France, sought to extend and strengthen royal power.
C. THE WEST: FRAGMENTATION AND RESILIENCE
i) Was there such a thing as “France” or “Germany” at this time?
ii) How did the Vikings integrate themselves into places such as Anglo-Saxon England?
iii) Why do you think that the Magyars converted to Christianity but the Muslims did not?
iv) Describe the new political and social dynamic that congealed in the aftermath of the
Carolingian Empire;
v) Explain how one could be both a vassal and a lord at the same time;
vi) What were the dominant characteristics of vassalage?
vii) Were most peasants in Western Europe serfs? Was there a clear distinction between “free”
and “unfree” peasants”?
viii) How did the changing condition and status of knights lead some bishops to implement the
Peace of God and the Truce of God? How could the ethos of the fighting knight be reconciled
with being Christian?
ix) How did the social situation in the Italian territories differ from that of the rest of Western
Europe?
x) How did Alfred the Great stabilize his kingdom? How was his approach to kingship different
from that of the Byzantine Emperor?
xi) How did the Ottonian Renaissance represent a continuation of the Carolingian Renaissance?
In what ways did political and artistic developments work together?
xii) Even though Hugh Capet’s power was not much greater than that of a castellan, how did he
try to build a base in the Île-de-France for further expansion? Could the symbols of royal
authority also help in this process?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013: Discussion Class: “Political Communities Reordered,” Part I
Reading Guidelines
Readings: review materials from September 17th
and 19th
read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, Preface, p. xiv; ch. 4, pp. 198-
222
Here are first some tips on preparing for a discussion class:
i) Read the documents and take good notes, using the questions below as your guide (you will
probably need to read the documents more than once to truly understand them);
ii) You will probably need a dictionary close by, or at times access to a medieval encyclopedia
(although the footnotes in the book are quite helpful in that regard);
iii) Be cognisant of the use of language and try to find a passage in the document that
encapsulates the document’s message;
iv) If you can, look over your notes before class;
v) Bring your book and your notes to class; and
vi) Be prepared to contribute to the class discussions.
Some Questions to Consider:
4.1 FRAGMENTATION IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD: AL-TABARI, THE DEFEAT OF THE
ZANJ REVOLT (C. 915). Original in Arabic
i) The Zanj revolt was defeated, but could one say that it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Muslim
rulers?
ii) What does the document reveal about the fragmentation of the Islamic world?
iii) Would you say that the author was sympathetic to the rebel slaves?
iv) Does the document convey something about the high level of civilization in this part of the
Islamic world?
4.2 THE POWERFUL IN THE BYZANTINE COUNTRYSIDE: ROMANUS LECAPENUS,
NOVEL (934)
i) Why do you think that the Byzantine emperor is passing this law to protect peasant families?
ii) Does the document in some ways reflect the Emperor’s faltering authority?
iii) How is the Emperor depicted in the document?
4.3 DONATING TO CLUNY: CLUNY’S FOUNDATION CHARTER (910) AND VARIOUS
CHARTERS OF DONATION (10TH
-11TH
C.) originals in Latin.
i) How do the charters depict the problematic relationship between owning wealth and following
Christian doctrine?
ii) What kinds of things are being bequeathed to the monastery?
iii) How do the bequests and charters demonstrate the importance of Cluny?
iv) Are attitudes about the Afterlife expressed in the document?
4.4 LOVE AND COMPLAINTS IN ANGOULEME: AGREEMENTS BETWEEN COUNT
WILL OF THE AQUITAINIANS AND HUGH OF LUSIGNAN. Original in Latin
i) How does the document reflect the complicated social situation that characterized feudalism?
ii) Do you think that instances like this one led the Church to promote the Peace of God and the
Truce of God?
iii) Where is royal authority in this conflict? Does the answer to that question say something
about the political fragmentation in Western Europe?
4.5 THE PEACE OF GOD AT BOURGES: ANDRE OF FLEURY, THE MIRACLES OF ST.
BENEDICT (1040-1043). Original in Latin
i) In the Christian mindset, did taking an oath carry considerable significance?
ii) How is the document infused with religious content?
iii) What does the document say about the complicated relationships and social conditions
created by feudalism?
4.6 A CASTELLAN’S REVENUES AND PROPERTIES IN CATALONIA: CHARTER OF
GUIFRED (1041-1075)
i) Does the document convey a degree of blurring of lines between secular and religious
authority?
ii) How does the document convey the authority of the castellan?
iii) Link this document to the characteristics of feudalism?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013: Discussion Class: “Political Communities Reordered,” Part
II
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 4, pp. 223-236
Some General Thoughts
There are three themes that I would like to emphasize in these readings. The first
concerns the political configuration of the Byzantine and Muslim worlds, in that there are hints
in the document that convey the degree of imperial expansion but also fragmentation evident in
each empire. With the Byzantine documents, one also can detect the distinct type of court
ceremonial surrounding the emperor as well as the militarization of Byzantine civilization.
Remember that the character of an imperial court influenced the society that surrounded it.
The second theme involves the interaction between the three “heirs” of classical
civilization. Byzantine court ceremonial built upon its Roman imperial antecedent, but we see
the impact of the parent civilization especially in the Muslim world, in the strong recourse to the
works of Aristotle by Muslim scholars.
Speaking of Aristotle takes us to the third theme: the use of Aristotelian logic to solve
philosophical questions and problems. The fourth document in this collection of reading is
probably the most challenging of the set. What Avicenna was trying to do is to use logic to
eventually supplement revelation (i.e. the Qur’an), in order to prove religious truths such as the
existence of God and the soul. Faith in the Qur’an was not deemed enough in order to truly
believe and understand the message. Christian scholars would apply Avicenna’s approach to
supplement Christian revelation as expressed in the Bible.
Some Questions to Consider:
4.7 MILITARY LIFE: CONSTANTINE VII PORPHYROGENITUS, MILITARY ADVICE TO
HIS SON (950-958). Original in Greek
i) Describe the how the documents conveys the elaborate ritual and ceremony surrounding the
emperor at the Byzantine court;
ii) What characteristics can be used to describe how the emperor perceived his role?
iii) Does the document indicate the degree to which Byzantine civilization had become more
militarized, as discussed in the Rosenwein textbook?
4.8 IMPERIAL RULE: MICHAEL PSELLUS, PORTRAIT OF BASIL II (C. 1063). Original in
Greek.
i) How does the document convey the extraordinary expansion of the Byzantine Empire in this
period?
ii) Compare this depiction of Basil II with the depiction of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in
the previous document;
iii) How does the document convey the militarization in Byzantine civilization? Do you think
that the character of the emperor determined this development to a considerable degree?
4.9 POLITICAL THEORY: AL-FARABI, THE PERFECT STATE (C. 940-942): original in
Arabic.
i) What are the characteristics and the role of the city? What does rulership require to be
effective?
ii) The Muslim world has often been credited with preserving the works of Aristotle; how does
this document reflect that historical reality (in the authors cited and the whole approach to the
concept of the perfect state)?
iii) Is there something in the document that conveys the political character of the Muslim world
in general?
4.10 LOGIC: IBN SINA (AVICENNA). TREATISE ON LOGIC (1020s and 1030s). original in
Persian
i) Why would one want to apply Aristotelian logic to philosophical problems and questions?
ii) What is the difference between essential and accidental universals? What are the implications
of such categorization?
iii) How does the document demonstrate connections between the Muslim world and the
classical heritage and between the Muslim world and the Christian world?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013: Discussion Class: “Political Communities Reordered,” Part
III
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 4, pp. 237-271
Here are some themes that I would like you to think about for this collection of
documents:
●The depiction of the ruler
●References to historical events such as the Viking invasions
●The Christianization of pagan territories
●The intermingling of Christian and pagan ideals
●The depiction of women and the status of women
●The ways in which these documents reflect connections to the parent civilization (i.e. the
use of the sources)
●Aspects of literature and culture
●European medieval mentalities (an elusive topic)
4.11 KIEVAN RUS: THE RUSSIAN PRIMARY CHRONICLE (C. 1113)
i) Do you believe that Yaroslav the Wise is depicted as an archtypical Christian ruler in this
document? If so, in what ways?
ii) What can the document tell us about the Christianization of Kievan Rus?
iii) Compare and contrast the depiction of the ruler in this document with the depiction of the
Byzantine Emperor (evident in other documents that we have read).
4.12 HUNGARY, KING STEPHEN LAWS (1000-38)
i) What can the document tell us about the penetration of Christianity into Hungarian society?
ii) Do you see any pagan vestiges in this law code? [hint: the weregild]
iii) Can you detect any gender hierarchies in this document? What about divisions according to
social status?
iv) Do you think that the adoption of Christianity and the application of this law code would
have led to the reduction of slavery in this kingdom?
4.13 AN OTTONIAN QUEEN: THE “OLDER LIFE” OF QUEEN MATHILDA (973-4)
i) Compare and contrast this document with the Cluniac charters that we read last week;
ii) How is this document following a number of hagiographic prototypes?
iii) Can you find anything in this document that would link it to the Ottonian Renaissance? What
kinds of sources are being quoted?
4.14 AN OTTONIAN KING: THIETMAR OF MERSEBERG, THE ACCESSION OF HENRY II
(1013-1018)
i) How can this document be connected to the Ottonian Renaissance?
ii) What does the document tell us about the authority of the Ottonian rulers?
4.15 LITERACY: KING ALFRED, PREFACES TO GREGORY THE GREAT’S PASTORAL
CARE (C. 890)
i) Can you detect any implicit references to the Viking invasions?
ii) Why did King Alfred write a translation of the Pastoral Care by Pope Gregory I?
4.16 LITRATURE: BATTLE OF MALDON (not long after 991)
i) What kind of document is this and can the answer to that question tell us something about
Anglo-Saxon culture?
ii) Do you detect in this document an intermingling of warrior culture and Christian ideals?
4.17 LAW: KING AETHELRED, LAW CODE (1008)
i) Can this document be connected to the Viking invasions of the British Isles?
ii) Why is there is so much discussion of sexuality and celibacy?
iii) Can you detect in this document the intermingling of Christian and pre-Christian ideals?
PLATE 4.1: CHRISTIANITY COMES TO DENMARK, THE JELLING MONUMENT (960s)
i) Why is it accurate to state that the Jelling Monument tells us as much about its patron as about
the Christianization of Denmark?
4.18 THE MAKING OF ICELAND: ARI THORGILSSON, THE BOOK OF ICELANDERS (c.
1125)
i) Compare and contrast this document with documents 4.11, 4.12, and plate 4.1; what do these
excerpts and images have in common?
ii) How does the document convey the history of Norwegian settlement patterns?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013: Lecture: Territorial Expansion, Crusade, and Conflict
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 5, 177-202
Some General Thoughts
So now are entering the third part of this course: Expansion, Reform, and Intolerance.
Most of the material concentrates on Western Europe, but to understand what is going in
Western Europe (especially when referring to the Crusades), a knowledge of the rise of the
Seljuks as well as the faltering Byzantine Empire is essential.
Much of this material explains the background to the First Crusade, which can be linked
to the revival of Europe economically and politically. Europe grows in confidence. The second
factor is church reform and religious fervour, which seemed to have been quickening in the
eleventh century. One could claim that the First Crusade was the attempt to export that
confidence and religious revival to places outside of Europe.
Another theme in this material is the often conflictual relationship between church and
state. The papacy zealously sought a political program, that is, to free the papacy from secular
interference and to claim jurisdiction over secular rulers. The struggle with the Emperor and the
papal pretensions to supreme temporal power may strike a modern reader as excessively
ambitious and contrary to the pope’s spiritual mission. A person might well ask: why could not
the pope simply mind his own spiritual business and leave the imperatives of government to
secular rulers? Temporal and ecclesiastical realms could not be so easily separated, however.
Much of the papacy’s struggle with the Emperor reflected the pope’s own grandiose ambitions,
but it was also a reaction to what was perceived to be excessive interference from these same
secular rulers in papal affairs.
Some Questions to Consider:
A. THE SELJUKS
i) How did the Seljuks manage to dominate the Muslim world?
ii) How did the Seljuks threaten the Byzantine Empire?
iii) What were the forces and factors that were making the Byzantine Empire brittle during this
period?
B. THE QUICKENING OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY
i) How did economic development and population growth work hand in hand in Western
Europe?
ii) How were the urban and rural worlds becoming increasingly distinct? What role did
merchants play in this regard?
iii) How were merchants fueling the Commercial Revolution?
iv) What is the difference between a commune and a guild?
C. CHURCH REFORM AND ITS AFTERMATH
i) Why do you think that there was so much impetus for religious reform at this time? What
forms did reform take?
ii) Describe the role of Cluny in this regard;
iii) How did the papacy begin to assert its primacy in Western Europe and how did this sour
relations with the Byzantine Orthodox Church and with the German Emperor?
iv) Outline the Investiture Controversy and its overall significance;
v) How can the First Crusade be linked to the troubles in the Byzantine Empire, the advance of
the Seljuks, and the reform of the Church?
vi) Why did the Crusaders go all the way to the Holy Land? Which groups suffered as a result?
D. RULERS WITH CLOUT
i) If there had been a Commercial Revolution in Western Europe, why was it almost impossible
for the Western powers to hold onto the Crusader States?
ii) How did the Battle of Hastings draw England more closely to the European continent?
iii) In what ways was Spain becoming increasingly “Europeanized”?
iv) How did the approach to monarchy by Abbot Suger and Louis VI differ from that of the
German emperor Henry IV?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013: Lecture: Territorial Expansion, Crusade, and Conflict
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 5, pp. 203-217
*****first quiz today, based on:
Readings: read Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 5, 177-202
Some General Thoughts
There are two themes that I would like you to consider here, both of which can be related
to the Commercial Revolution. The first involves the new learning and approaches to learning
that we see in this period. It was not just a matter of curriculum; new questions were also being
considered, at a much higher or more sophisticated level. Here, we see the influence of the
Greek classical world (i.e. Aristotle) as well as the influence of Arabic scholars (who translated
Aristotle’s works into Arabic and commented on them). That takes us to the much broader
historical theme of the “three heirs” of classical civilization.
The second theme concerns the “embarrassment of riches” that the Commercial
Revolution brought in its train. How could a Christian reconcile wealth and ostentation with
being Christian? That unease seems to have been expressed in the new monastic orders,
especially the Cistercians. Sensing that the Cluniac monasteries had become too worldly and
ornate (with very elaborate meals, apparently), the Cistercians sought to knock Christians back
into their proper spiritual orbit by accentuating simplicity, austerity, and poverty.
Some Questions to Consider:
E. NEW FORMS OF LEARNING AND RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION
i) Why in the opinion of many scholars at the time was it important to apply logic and reason to
doctrine and belief? How did they do it?
ii) Compare and contrast the realist and nominalist positions concerning universals;
iii) Describe some of the developments in education at this time;
iv) Relate the idea of living a monastic life to the general medieval concepts of order and unity;
v) Describe the characteristics of the Romanesque style and how such a style was particularly
suitable for the religious sentiments of the period;
vi) Compare and contrast the Carthusians and the Cistercians;
vii) Can the new monastic orders be connected to the ambivalence of wealth and riches that
seems to have resulted from the Commercial Revolution? Why were the Cistercians against
ostentation in the churches?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013: Discussion Class: “The Expansion of Europe,” Part I
Reading Guidelines
Readings: review materials from September 27th
and October 1st
read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 5, pp. 273-303
Some General Thoughts
These documents relate to four main themes:
i) Geography (maps were not necessarily intended to give directions, which might seem odd!
But they certainly reflected an understanding of the world, from the perspective of a particular
culture);
ii) The Commercial Revolution (this relates especially to the expansion of agriculture and the
growth of towns);
iii) The high point in the Conflict between Church and State (i.e. the Investiture Controversy,
which certainly reflects very differing understandings of the spiritual and temporal “swords”);
and
iii) The Crusades (the documents here are very intriguing because they present the Crusades
from a variety of perspectives).
Some Questions to Consider (note that I grouped some of the documents together):
PLATE 5.1 THE WEST: T-O MAP (12TH
Century)
PLATE 5.2 THE IMAGE OF THE WORLD late 12th
PLATE 5.3 THE ISLAMIC WORLD: DIRECTIONS TO MECCA (12th
c).
PLATE 5.4 BYZANTIUM: THE INHABITED WORLD, FROM A COPY OF PTOLEMY’S
GEOGRAPHY 13TH
C.
i) If these maps were not necessarily drafted to help people get from point A to point B, what
were such maps supposed to do?
ii) How are religious and political motifs embedded in such maps?
iii) How was the Byzantine map somewhat different?
5.1 CULTIVATING NEW LANDS: FREDERICK OF HAMBURG’S AGREEMENT WITH
COLONISTS FROM HOLLAND (1106)
i) If you were a peasant, would you find this agreement attractive? Why is this agreement being
made?
ii) What does the document tell us about ecclesiastical and secular authority?
5.2 LOCAL MARKETS: IBN JUBAYR, A MARKET NEAR ALEPPO (1184)
i) What does this document convey about the Commercial Revolution?
ii) Can it be said that commercial connections between Europe and the Middle East were helping
the European economy expand?
5.3 THE ROLE OF ROYAL PATRONAGE: HENRY I, PRIVILEGES FOR THE CITIZENS
OF LONDON (1130-1133)
i) What can the document convey about the Commercial Revolution and the rise of the towns?
ii) Does the document give us information about the successive waves of invasion that overran
the British Isles?
iii) How can the document be connected to the strengthening of the English monarchy?
5.4 THE ROYAL VIEW: HENRY IV, LETTER TO GREGORY VII (1075)
i) What argument does Henry IV use to bolster his power against papal pretensions and
interference?
ii) Why do you think that Henry IV went so far as to call the Pope a “false monk”?
5.5 THE PAPAL VIEW: GREGORY VII, LETTER TO HERMANN OF METZ (1076)
i) What arguments does Pope Gregory VII use to justify the excommunicaiton of kings
ii) What is the significance of the excommunication for Henry?
iii) How does Gregory envision the difference between spiritual and temporal power?
5.6 MARTYRS IN THE RHINELAND: RABBI ELIEZER B. NATHAN (“RABAN”), O GOD,
INSOLENT MEN (early to mid-12th
century)
5.7 THE GREEK EXPERIENCE. ANNA COMNENA, THE ALEXIAD (C. 1148)
5.8 A WESTERNER IN THE HOLY LAND: STEPHEN OF BLOIS, LETTER TO HIS WIFE
(March 1098)
5.9 THE MUSLIM REACTION: IBN AL-ATHIR, THE FIRST CRUSADE (13TH
century).
i) Compare these various accounts; how are the Europeans perceived?
ii) Do the differences arise from the fact that the documents address different phases of the First
Crusade? Do the documents reflect differing perceptions of the same historical events?
iii) Could one read into these documents the various motives that drove the crusaders to the Holy
Land?
iv) Do the documents convey the extent to which the three “heirs of classical civilization” had
become so different?
5.10 THE CRUSADE IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL: THE CONQUEST OF LISBON, (1147-
1148)
i) How was the Reconquista in Spain connected to the Crusades to the Holy Land?
ii) Describe the language and imagery used by Peter of Oporto to motivate the crusaders.
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013: Discussion Class: “The Expansion of Europe,” Part II
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 5, pp. 304-312
Some General Thoughts
This small collection of documents deals with the Norman Conquest and its aftermath.
The Conquest of course was viewed in different ways, by the conquerors and by the conquered
and those differences manifest themselves in the documentation, even though they are often
discussing the same things. Part of this also involves making the Norman presence more solid
and palatable, because Duke William’s rule is establishing a new dynasty, a new monarchy, and
that would have momentous consequences for the subsequent history of the British Isles.
5.11 THE PRO-NORMAN POSITION: WILLIAM OF JUMIEGES, THE DEEDS OF THE
DUKES OF THE NORMANS (C. 1070)
i) How is the document a celebration of Duke William’s victory over Duke Harold? How are
religious and supernatural motifs used in this regard?
ii) Why do you think that William of Jumièges presented the Battle of Hastings and Norman
Conquest in this way?
5.12 THE NATIVE POSITION” FLORENCE OF WORCESTER”: CHRONICLE OF
CHRONICLES (early 12th
century)
i) Compare and contrast this text with that of William of Jumièges;
ii) Compare and contrast the backgrounds of the two authors.
PLATE 5.5: THE CONQUEST OF DEPICTED: THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY (end of the 11th
century)
i) If this tapestry is a piece of propaganda, would you situate it closer to the viewpoint of
William of Jumièges or to that of “Florence of Worcester”?
i) Why is the reliquary so important?
5.13: EXPLOITING THE CONQUEST: DOMESDAY BOOK (1087)
i) What was the purpose of the Domesday Book? How was it connected to the Norman
Conquest?
ii) Why was the document called the Domesday Book?
iii) How is taxable wealth measured in the document?
iv) How does the document exhibit aspects of the feudal system?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013: Discussion Class: “The Expansion of Europe,” Part III
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 5, pp. 313-332
Some General Thoughts
There are a number of themes to consider in this set of readings. First, we see in the
document by Abelard and in the glosses on Psalm 101 considerable evidence of new learning in
Europe and new approaches to learning. Much of that learning dealt with religious subject
matter, but essentially such scholarship sought to apply the medieval ideal of unity to
scholarship.
The second theme involves medicine and here the Trotula text is particularly important.
Of course, I am not certain if some of the recommendations for conception or contraception
worked ;)….One should not give them a try, I would not think. Yet the text certainly reflects
popular medical knowledge as well as Greek classical influence.
Another theme involves the condition and status of women and here Héloïse converses
with Abelard, at one time her teacher and lover (ugh). After a disastrous love affair, they both
entered monasteries and kept up a correspondence over the years. In commenting on the need
for a female monastic rule, one cannot but wonder if in her letter she is critiquing the female
stereotypes of her time, or merely repeating them. Food for thought…
Particularly intriguing in the last two documents are the comments on wealth and church
decoration. That is a debate that one often finds in the history of the Church: how can so much
money be spent on decorating churches when there are still so many poor people in the world
who need help? The debate between St. Bernard and Peter the Venerable also reflects some of
the tensions created by the Commercial Revolution and the new wealth in the European
economy.
5.14: LOGIC: ABELARD, GLOSSES ON PORPHYRY (C. 1100)
i) Compare this document with Avicenna’s Treatise on Logic (document 4.10); do you have the
sense that Abelard is arriving at similar conclusions, based on the premise that he and Avicenna
are both going back essentially to Aristotle?
ii) How is logic applied in this document?
PLATE 5.6 GILBERT OF POITIERS, GLOSS ON PSALM 101 (c. 1117)
PLATE 5.7 THE “STANDARD GLOSS”: GLOSSA ORDINARIA ON PSALM 101 (1130s)
5.15 BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP: GILBERT OF POITIERS, GLOSS ON PSALM 101 (C. 1117)
i) Examine the marginalia and glosses; do they imply that these medieval biblical commentators
were attune to the varieties of possible interpretations of specific biblical passages?
ii) In Gilbert of Poitiers’ gloss on Psalm 101, how is Christ integrated into the Psalm? Why
would medieval scholars want to do this?
5.16 RETHINKING THE RELIGIOUS LIFE: HELOISE, LETTER (1130s)
i) Why is Héloïse calling for a separate monastic rule for women?
ii) How does the document itself convey her learning, in spite of the restrictions on female
education?
iii) In commenting on the female gender, do you think that Héloïse is being ironic? Perhaps she
is implicitly critiquing the stereotypes that were imposed on women?
5.17 MEDICINE: THE TROTULA (C. 1250, BASED ON 12TH
CENTURY SOURCES)
i) What kinds of sources are used in this document? Refer in particular to Galen and the theory
of the four humours [hint: see footnote 4];
ii) Why do you think that the document advocates such bizarre approaches and methods for
conception and contraception? Where do you think such knowledge came from?
5.18: THE CISTERCIAN VIEW: ST. BERNARD, APOLOGIA (1125)
i) Link this document to the growth of the Cistercian movement and reaction against the
burgeoning European economy and the “embarrassment of riches”;
ii) In what ways was St. Bernard trying to draw all monks back into their spiritual orbit?
iii) Connect St. Bernard’s comments on church decoration to the images of Romanesque
churches in the Rosenwein textbook.
5.19 THE CLUNIAC VIEW: PETER THE VENERABLE, MIRACLES (MID 1130s-MID
1150s)
i) How does Peter the Venerable respond to the Cistercian critique?
ii) How does the document convey the range and impact of the Cluniac monastic reform
movement?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013: Lecture: the Political Evolution of the “Three Heirs”
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 6, pp. 219-237
Some General Thoughts
You will see some parallels between the material in this chapter and the previous chapter
in terms of the reconfiguration of the Muslim and Byzantine worlds, but also the consolidation of
states in Western Europe. Political consolidation could operate through a variety of forms:
territorial consolidation, the extension of royal law, theories of royal prerogatives, and so on.
Yet conflict also could result, on the one hand between church and state (the assassination of
Thomas Beckett was particularly grisly!), and, on the other, between kings and nobles, and also
between larger kingdoms and city-states.
Some Questions to Consider:
A. TWO NON-EUROPEAN HEIRS OF THE RE: THE SEQUEL
i) Outline the ways in which the Muslim territories were becoming stronger; what role did
Saladin play?
ii) Why was the Byzantine Empire in such a beleaguered state? Did the sack of Constantinople
represent a turning point in Byzantine history?
B. THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF GOVERNMENT IN THE WEST
i) In England, how could the systematization of law and the application of royal law serve to
extend the King’s power?
ii) How did the legal innovations pursued by King Henry II of England place him in a position of
conflict with the Church? Does this remind you of the Investiture Conflict or are the two
conflicts two far too different from each other?
iii) How was the Battle of Bouvines an outcome of the Norman Conquest and also the attempt by
the King to extend his authority over his subjects?
iv) Should the Magna Carta be considered a major document in the history of democracy?
v) Compare and contrast France and Spain in terms of their formation as cohesive kingdoms with
strong monarchical authority;
v) How did Spain and France consolidate their territories? Was religious fervour a powerful
factor in that consolidation?
vi) Why was the German Emperor (soon to be called “Holy Roman Emperor”) interested in
Italian territories? How did that interest lead to conflict with the papacy?
vii) How did Frederick I Barbarossa justify his claim to the Italian city-states?
viii) How did the continuing struggle under Frederick II change the Kingdom of Sicily?
ix) Can you think of parellels between what happened in these German and Italian territories and
what happened in England and France? Or perhaps the contexts are too different from each
other?
x) Why did city-states such as Venice benefit from the papal-imperial struggle?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013: Lecture: The Splendour of the Gothic
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 6, pp. 237-260
****first essay due today
Some General Thoughts
Here are some themes to consider for today’s reading:
●The further definition of countryside and town
●Developments in culture: expressed in literary, artistic, architectural forms
●The further consolidation of the Church and the marginalization and persecution of religious
minorities
●The conflict between Christian ideals and other belief systems
Some Questions to Consider:
C. CULTURE AND INSTITUTIONS IN TOWN AND COUNTRYSIDE
i) Outline the factors that were leading to the expansion of the European peasantry;
ii) Did aspects of the changing courtly culture clash with Christian ideals?
iii) Compare and contrast the chansons de geste, the fabliaux, and the romances;
iv) Did the new courtly culture offer a different image of women or create opportunities for
independent female agency?
v) Compare and contrast the guilds with the universities;
vi) How did the new universities contribute to the expansion of learning?
vii) How was the Gothic style different from the Romanesque? Was there such a thing as a
unified Gothic style in Western Europe?
D. THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
i) Outline the importance of the papacy of Innocent III;
ii) How did the Fourth Lateran Council attept to codify and strengthen Christian doctrines?
iii) Did the Franciscans, Beguines, and the Dominicans fit into this papal program? What was
their respective goals?
iv) How did the Albigensians/Cathars counteract the papal program?
E. EUROPEAN AGGRESSION WITHIN AND WITHOUT
i) How and why did the consolidation of the Church and of Church doctrine lead to the
persecution of the Jews?
ii) If it is true that this consolidation of the Church produced a new crusading zeal, why did the
crusading army sack Constantinople in 1204?
iii) Outline the significance of the English invasion of Ireland.
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013: Discussion Class: “Institutionalizing Aspirations,” Part I
Reading Guidelines
Readings: review materials from October 10th
and October 11th
read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 6, pp. 334-370
Some General Thoughts
Here are some themes to consider for today’s reading:
●The crusades and the role played by non-religious motives (the Crusades were not just
about or all about a crusading zeal)
●The extension of royal power in England, in terms of law
●The Reconquista and the territorial expansion of Christian Spain
●The treatment of religious minorities
●The Commercial Revolution and the growth of towns
●Conflicts between church and state
●The expansion of the papacy
●The “embarrassment of riches”
Some Questions to Consider:
6.1 SALADIN: IBN SHADDAD, THE RARE AND EXCELLENT HISTORY OF SALADIN
(1198-1216)
i) How does the document convey the faltering Crusader presence in the Holy Land and to what
extent was Saladin responsible for that development?
6.2 THE LONE BYZANTINE WARRIOR: DIGENIS AKRITIS (12TH
century)
i) Give examples of how the document reflects the Byzantine warrior ideal.
6.3 THE NORTHERN CRUSADE: HELMOLD, THE CHRONICLE OF THE SLAVS (1167-
1168)
i) Do you detect any connections between the crusade described in this document, the expansion
of Christianity, and the justification for the crusades in general?
6.4 THE FOURTH CRUSADE: NICETAS CHONIATES, O CITY OF BYZANTIUM (C. 1215)
i) Can you detect any similarities between this document and the Alexiad in terms of the way that
the Byzantines described the crusaders?
6.5 ENGLISH COMMON LAW: THE ASSIZE OF CLARENDON (1166)
i) Give specific examples of how the document conveys the growint territorial control that the
King of England sought to secure over his kingdom; how could law enforce royal authority?
6.6 ENGLISH LITIGATION ON THE GROUND: THE COSTS OR RICHARD OF ANSTEY’S
LAW SUIT (1158-1163)
i) Does this document demonstrate the interaction between secular and ecclesiastical
jurisdictions? Do the extensive costs involved in litigation mean that the English legal system
had become too complex, in trying to be more elaborate?
6.7 THE LEGISLATION OF A SPANISH KING: THE LAWS OF CUENCA (1189-1193)
i) Situate this document within the greater history of the Spanish Reconquista;
ii) What does the document tell us about the history of the family in this context?
iii) Were you surprised by some of the articles regulating relations between Jews and Christians?
6.8 A MANORIAL COURT: PROCEEDINGS FOR THE ABBEY OF BEC (1246)
i) Does the document reflect the persistent impact of manorial law in the teeth of growing royal
interference?
6.9 DOING BUSINESS: A GENOESE SOCIETAS (1253)
i) Link this document to the Commercial Revolution; how does the document serve as an
example of the emerging business strategies and arrangements in this period?
6.10 WOMEN’S WORK: GUILD REGULATIONS OF THE PARISIAN SILK FABRIC
MAKERS (13TH
CENTURY)
6.11 MENS’ WORK: GUILD REGULATIONS OF THE SHEARERS OF ARRAS (1236)
i) Considering these two documents together, what was the purpose of the guild? Could the
guild (aka the Fraternity) also have religious significance and purposes (i.e, the Confraternity)?
ii) Can at least one of the documents tell us something about the role of women in the Europena
medieval economy? Are women cited in the regulations in both documents? If not, why not?
iii) How do the two documents convey the growth of the towns in terms of organization and
structure?
6.12 THE GROWTH OF PAPAL BUSINESS: INNOCENT III, LETTERS (1200-1202)
6.13: PETITIONING THE PAPACY: REGISTER OF THOMAS OF HEREFORD (1281)
6.14: MOCKING THE PAPAL BUREAUCRACY: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE
MARKS OF SILVER (C. 1200)
i) How do the three documents reflect the extending reach of the papacy? Why would the
papacy involve itself in local and regional disputes across Europe?
ii) Is there anything in these three documents (particularly the third, but also the second) that
would convey that the motives for such papal intervention perhaps were not always spiritual?
iii) Can you draw a connection between the third document and St. Bernard’s critique of the
Cluniac order, from the previous chapter?
iv) Consider some of the biblical references in the footnotes in the third document; how is the
author using the Bible in an ironic way in order to make his point?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013: Discussion Class: “Institutionalizing Aspirations,” Part II
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 6, pp. 371-394
Some General Thoughts
There are two lines of comparison that one can detect here. The first involves the nature
of authority in its various manifestations, and conflicts over the interpretation of such authority.
Such conflicts involved the King of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury over secular and
ecclesaistical criminal jurisdiction, between the King of England and his barons over their
respective rights and prerogatives, and between the papacy and the German Emperor (Holy
Roman Emperor) over the divine right of kings and its origins.
The other line of comparison involves literature and here we move from the chansons de
geste to the courtly literature of the troubadours and trouvères. Most of these stories deal with
the human dimension of knighthood and chivalry, but then love begins to take on a new
prominence. Then, well, there are the fabliaux (oh my goodness, the fabliaux!), which takes
pleasure in ridiculing pretensions, especially those of priests, and sometimes in a violent way,
too.
6.15 HENRY II AND BECKET: CONSTITUTIONS OF CLARENDON (1164)
i) Compare and contrast this document with the Assize of Clarendon discussed in document 6.5;
how do the two documents exhibit a similar purpose?
ii) How and why did the document serve as the source of the conflict between Henry II and the
Archbishop of Canterbury?
6.16 EMPEROR AND POPE: DIET OF BESANCON (1157)
i) If the Concordat of Worms of 1122 had supposedly ended the Investiture Conflict, why did the
conflict between the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and Pope Adrian IV take place?
ii) What were the issues involved in this particular conflict? What was so inflammatory about
the word beneficia, for example?
6.17: KINGS AND NOBLES: MAGNA CARTA (1215)
i) Would it be right to argue that this document was connected indirectly to the Norman
Conquest?
ii) Is this document a statement of democratic principles? How can it be situated in the history of
Western democracy and which clauses would be most relevant in this regard?
6.18 EPIC POETRY: RAOUL DE CAMBRAI (1180-1223)
6.19 A TROUBADOUR POEM OF LOVE: JAUFRÉ RUDEL, WHEN DAYS ARE LONG IN
MAY (C. 1125-1150)
6.20 A POEM OF WAR: BERTRAN DE BORN, I LOVE THE JOYFUL TIME (12TH
C.)
i) Compare and contrast these three literary works in terms of the depiction of women, the role of
the knight, the warrior ethic, and the chivalric code;
ii) How do the three pieces exhibit different phases of courtly literature?
iii) How does love take on a different character in the three works?
6.22 FABLIAUX: BROWNY, THE PRIEST’S COW and THE PRIEST WHO PEEKED (13th
century)
i) How could such stories have been written in an age of continued religious fervour and the
growing power of the papacy?
ii) Do you believe that the two stories are ridiculing renegade priests or priests in general?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013: Discussion Class: “Institutionalizing Aspirations,” Part III
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 6, pp. 395-412
****proposal for the research paper due today
Whoops! I forgot this from the last set of reading guidelines (my apologies):
6.21 SONG OF A TROBAIRITZ: COMTESSA DE DIA, I’VE BEEN IN GREAT ANGUISH (C.
1200?).
i) Would such a poem run afoul of Christian ideals surrounding marriage?
Some General Thoughts
This era is very much one of paradoxes. While Christian doctrine was becoming more
codified and systematized, the Church was also moving against those who not Christian or who
were Christian but espoused a different form of Christianity. Christianity had become clearer,
but more exclusivist.
Art often reflects religious principles. Here, we see that Gothic architecture was not just
about innovations in structure and design, but also that this form of church architecture was
meant to reflect Christian principles. On another note, the text by St. Francis is quite startling
and unique, in that this represents one of the few texts that attempted to draw a connection
between the Bible and the Book of Nature.
Some Questions to Consider:
6.23 DISCIPLINING AND PURIFYING CHRISTENDOM: DECREES OF LATERAN IV
(1215)
i) Provide examples of how this document codified and clarified existing Christian doctrines;
ii) In what ways does the document restrict the activity of religious dissidents and the Jews?
Why do you think that Innocent III embarked on this path?
6.24. ART AND ARCHITECTURE AS RELIGIOUS DEVOTION: SUGER, ON WHAT WAS
DONE UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION (1148-1149)
i) How do the principles of Gothic architecture embody Christian principles, especially the
concept of light?
ii) How might Suger have responded to St. Bernard, remembering what the latter said in his
critique of church art and decoration?
6.25 DEVOTION THROUGH POVERTY: PETER WALDO IN THE CHRONICLE OF LAON
(1173-1178)
i) If Peter Waldo and his followers extolled the virtue of poverty, why did the papacy move
against them and can that antagonism be connected to the “embarrassment of riches” that we
discussed in class?
6.26 DEVOTION THROUGH MYSTICISM: JACQUES DE VITRY, THE LIFE OF MARY OF
OIGNIES (1213)
i) Compared to previous hagiographic accounts that we have read, do you think that the notions
of the sacraments are much clearer in this document?
ii) What forms does female saintliness take in this document?
6.27 THE MENDICANT MOVEMENT: ST. FRANCIS, THE CANTICLE OF BROTHER SON
(1225)
i) How does this document convey the Christian notion of light? Can nature be connected to
Christianity?
6.28 THE EXPULSION OF THE JEWS FROM BURY ST. EDMUNDS: JOCELIN OF
BRAKELOND, CHRONICLE (1190-1202)
i) Why are the Jews being expelled from this town? Does it surprise you that the abbot has the
power to do this? How did he acquire that prerogative?
6.29 BURNING HERETICS IN GERMANY: CHRONICLE OF TRIER (1231). ORIGINAL IN
LATIN
ii) How does this document reflect some of the principles of the Fourth Lateran Council?
ii) For what reasons were the religious dissidents persecuted? Do at least some of those charges
suggest that the Church’s attitude towards doctrine had hardened considerably, to the extent that
minor deviations from orthodoxy carried great weight?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013: Lecture: Historical Background to Arthurian Romances
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, pp. 1-22 (you can read the note
on the translation, too, if you like)
Some General Thoughts
And now for something completely different! We are studying a very different type of
primary document, fiction in fact. Of course, we have been introduced already to fiction in the
primary document reader, in that some some of the stories described in poems were entirely
fictional. Yet fiction can have historical significance. These Arthurian Romances still can take
us to some important aspects of medieval culture in this period, specifically:
●the new element of “courtly love,” which has a strong female component
●the clash between knightly ideals and Christian values
●the relationship between these texts and the former chansons de geste
Of course, more elements will occur to us along the way. The introduction will provide
the basic understanding of why these texts are important in this course. You do not need to focus
on the literary aspects of the works, such as the use of the octosyllabic rhymed couplet (whatever
that is); but, aspects of symbolism can be important insofar as they have historical significance.
Some Questions to Consider:
i) Why is a French author writing about English legends?
ii) Explain the background of Chrétien de Troyes; why is he important?
iii) Why are we reading fictional stories in this history course? What can fiction inform us of the
historical period studied in this course, if the stories themselves refer to a much earlier period
(i.e. Arthurian Britain)?
iv) What were some of Chrétien’s sources?
v) Where do these stories fit in the changing history of European medieval literature?
vi) Would some of the themes addressed in these Arthurian Romances have clashed with
Christian ideals?
vii) Why are the stories called “Arthurian Romances”? Are they really just about love?
viii) What is “courtly love” and what role did women play in promoting it?
x) How can the symbolism in Chrétien’s works be said to have historical significance?
xi) Describe the influence of Chrétien and his work.
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013: Lecture: Erec and Enide
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, start reading Erec and Enide
Some General Thoughts
It first would be a good idea to outline the plot in some way in your notes. You do not
need to know all the details of the individual battles and episodes, but you need a clear sense of
where the plot is going and how the characters are developing. Some of the interactions between
the characters will strike one as somewhat offputting (e.g. Erec’s initial scolding of Enide when
she is afraid that he might be killed). Those tensions will become reconciled as the plot unfolds.
Try to keep in mind the following:
●The depiction of courtly love
●The survival of older chivalric ideas that were common to the chansons de geste
●The clash and alignment between these ideas of knighly valour and honour with Christian
ideals (connecting that in part to the new status of the knight that arose during the
Crusades)
●The depiction and role of women
●Aristocratic knightly culture
Some Questions to Consider:
i) Remembering what was written in the introduction to the collection, what are the underlying
questions in the work?
ii) Give examples in the story where knightly honour perhaps departs from Christian ideals;
iii) Give examples in the story where knightly honour aligns with Christian ideals;
iv) How are God and the Christian religion represented in this story, and is that surprising
considering the period in which the epic was written?
v) How does Arthur’s kiss to Enide reflect this chivalric ethic and code?
vi) Give examples in the work of the love between Erec and Enide in terms of how it is
expressed;
vii) How is the underlying tension between knightly honour and love for his wife reflected in the
relationship between Erec and Enide?
viii) Describe examples of female agency in the work, where Enide plays an active role;
ix) There are violent passages in the work but are they in some ways legitimated?
x) How does Erec embody the perfect knight?
xi) Why do you think that so much attention is devoted to describing the beauty and glitter of
objects?
xii) How are the virtues of Erec and Enide juxtaposed with some of the other characters?
xiii) Can you detect any feminine influence on the story, in terms of the audience to whom it was
written, or is it not possible to speak of such influence?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013: Lecture: Historical References in Cligés
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, start reading Cligés
Here are the reading guidelines that we will be using for Friday’s discussion class
Some General Thoughts
This story has a number of layers to it. The first reflects the theme of knightly honour
and Christian virtue. Perhaps that is best embodied in the concept of the oath, which appears
repeatedly in the story and seems to contain elements of both the chivalric code and Christian
ideals.
Perhaps more than Erec and Enide, there are far more classical references in Cligés,
especially to the Greek variant. That theme relates to the whole use of the Byzantine Empire as
the backdrop for much of the story; remember that Byzantine Civilization was the main preserver
of Greek classical culture. Yet there is also tension in the use of such a context, and that appears
especially in the last paragraph of the work.
Finally, we see the dilemmas raised by love and extensive discussions about love, a
sentiment that is personified in a way that suggests suffering and pain. In that sense, we are not
speaking in terms of something that would gladden the heart of the Marquis de Sade (Heavens,
no!) , but in terms of the melancholy and even destruction that love can bring. Alis cannot
keep his oath to his brother because the dictates of love are too powerful for Alis; Fenice cannot
be forced to love Alis because she would rather give her heart to Cligés; Fenice and Cligés must
suffer in silent longing for each other until they are able to express their mutual love towards the
end of the story, and so on.
Some Questions to Consider:
i) Identify some classical references in the work; do you think that perhaps part of it reminds you
of the classical legend of Helen and the fall of Troy?
ii) Cite some examples of how knightly valour aligns but sometimes clashes with Christian
ideals;
iii) How is “Love” personified in the story; do you think that it is sometimes juxtaposed with
suffering and pain? If so, what do you think was in Chrétien’s mind when he decided on such a
juxtaposition?
iv) Why do you think so much space is devoted to the life of Cligés’ father, Alexander, and his
wife, Soredamors? Could it be said that Cligés “inherited” a number of things from his father?
v) By the time that this story was written, the split between Western Europe and the Byzantine
world was quite deep; and yet why are “the Greeks” so prominent in this story? Do you detect
any lingering Western animosity in the depiction of the Greeks or the Byzantine Empire in
general?
vi) Do you sense in Alis a conflict between the imperatives of Love and the imperatives of power
and honour?
vii) Why is it important that Fenice not “consummate” the marriage with Alis? Why did she
resort to the use of Thessala’s potion?
viii) Compare the character of Fenice with that of Enide? Do you detect strong elements of
independent female agency in both characters?
ix) Describe the importance of oaths in the story;
x) Connect the love between Cligés and Fenice to the concept of courtly love (give specific
examples);
xi) Why could not Cligés simply follow the example of Paris (of Troy) and “steal” Fenice? How
do Christian ideals short-circuit that idea?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013: Discussion Class: The Story of the Grail
Reading Guidelines
Some General Thoughts
To repeat something that I said in class, in order to lighten the reading load somewhat,
you do not need focus on Gawain’s adventures (although it is important to remember how
Gawain is a foil to Perceval in some ways). With regards to Perceval, it would be possible to see
his development and dilemmas as part and parcel of the complexity of adhering to Christian
principles completely (mercy, charity, forgiveness, and a level of compassion that never falters
and never fails). There is some humour underlying the tale, as Perceval slowly works his way
out of his naïveté and foolishness.
One can also detect in this work a popularization of the Christian ideals and doctrines that
were crystallizing during this period (ideas of penance and the Eucharist as well as the virulent
anti-Semitism that is congealing as well). There are even symbols that convey this, such as the
lance and the grail. Both can be connected to the sacraments of the Eucharist and penance as
well as the Passion of Jesus Christ. The lance with the three drops of blood would have
reminded the medieval reader of the lance that the Roman soldiers used to pierce Jesus’ after he
had been crucified, likewise reminding the reader of the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s
sacrifice on the cross. The grail held the Eucharist itself.
Some General Points
i) Which biblical passages are used in the work to underline the importance of Christian charity?
ii) Why did Perceval’s mother wish to keep him away and sheltered from the whole idea of
knighthood? Do you believe that this approach shaped Perceval’s character in some way?
iii) Describe the anti-Judaic sentiments and passages in the story and relate them to the growing
Christian exclusivity in medieval Europe;
iv) Connect the story to document 6.23 (the Decrees of the Fourth Lateran Council) in the
Rosenwein reader, referring specifically to penance, the Eucharist, and anti-Semitism; would it
be accurate to claim that the story represents the popularization of such concepts?
v) Explain the ways in which Perceval demonstrates his naïveté and his inexperience; why does
he misapply his mother’s advice?
vi) How is the ideal of the knight in this story different from the ideal of the knight in the other
two Arthurian Romances that we have read?
vii) Explain how Gornemant’s advice to Perceval complements that of Perceval’s mother? How
does Gornemant’s advice fit into the ideal of the Christian knight?
viii) What is the symbolism of the lance and the grail in the castle of the Fisher King?
ix) How did Perceval falter in the castle of the Fisher King? What were the consequences for
Perceval and how does the hermit explain the meaning of such a failure to him?
Friday, November 8, 2013: Discussion Class: The Story of the Grail
Readings: Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, The Story of the Grail; read also
the appendix (with the continuations)
****again, you need only concentrate on the continuations dealing with Perceval, and not
Gawain
One question: how do the continuations reflect the central message of the story of the grail?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013: Lecture: A Growing Sense of Discordance
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 7, pp. 263-274
****research paper due today
****don’t forget about the quiz on Thursday, which will be based on the reading for November
12th
Some General Thoughts
We are now returning to the Rosenwein books, moving into the fifth part of this course
(Part V: The Approaching Storm). One can state that a major “storm” came already out from the
east, in the form of the Mongol conquests. What is interesting about this conquest is how the
Mongols integrated themselves to an extent in these Christian territories. Mongol overlordship
could involve a degree of flexibility and even religious toleration.
The economic and demographic conditions would certainly make the European
population vulnerable to the pandemic that would slam into Eurasia in the mid-fourteenth
century. Trade routes and commercial epicenters were taking shape, bringing commercial
prosperity; but, the cities were growing in population, reaching a level that could not be
sustained by the available food supply.
The theme of the chapter “Discordant Harmonies” also can be seen in the hardening
European attitudes towards Jews, lepers, religious dissidents, and, to some extent, beggars.
Those attitudes had already been congealing in the previous centuries (e.g. with the massacre of
the Jewish communities during the First Crusade); but, the persecution crystallized and became
more intense in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Such attitudes would become visceral
during periods of crisis.
Some Questions to Consider
A1. THE CONTOURS OF THE MONGOL EMPIRE
i) Explain how the Mongols were able to amass such an enormous empire? Why did they stop
expanding?
ii) How did the Mongols integrate themselves into the Muslim world and in Christian Europe? Is
there anything surprising about their overlordship?
iii) How did the Venetians and the Genoese seek to establish a strong commercial presence in
this empire?
B. THE MATURATION OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY
i) Outline the major European trade routes and epicenters in North Africa, Northern Europe, and
the Atlantic; who were the major players?
ii) Explain how the growth of some cities created urban social problems? Refer specifically to
the case of Flanders and the northern Italian cities;
iii) Why did urban developments in the Italian cities lead to the rise of the signori?
C. XENOPHOBIA
i) Why was it so difficult for Christian Europeans to accept the presence of Jews?
ii) Compare and contrast the restrictions placed on Jews in various European kingdoms in this
period with the restrictions applied in previous centuries; what had changed?
iii) How does the persecution of the Jews differ from that of beggars, lepers, and heretics? Could
this persecution in general be connected to the medieval accent on order?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013: Lecture: Changes in Medieval Politics and Culture
Reading Guidelines
don’t forget about the quiz for today: on the following reading
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 7, pp. 263-274
Thursday’s reading
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 7, pp. 275-301
Some General Thoughts
This part of the chapter is filled with musical motifs! Perhaps the strongest motifs
involve harmony and discordance. They could take a political form, in that we see the attempts
made by monarchs to co-opt the support of their broader populations, through the medium of
representative institutions. Discordance is also visible in the conflict between secular rulers and
the papacy.
In the religious sphere, we see the striving towards harmony in the attempt to reconcile
secular and religious themes in art and music, to reconcile reason with revelation, to integrate
Christian doctrines into broader cultural mediums. However, one also detects a growing
discordance in the inability of the papacy to remain within its spiritual orbit, encouraging lay
movements of religiosity and devotion.
I suppose that any era can be characterized as one of harmony and discordance. Yet we
see here a general progression to the European crisis of the mid-fourteenth century. Already, the
population is being weakened by famine and the inability of the food supply to feed the
population. Likewise, once the pandemic slams into Europe in the 1340s, the papacy will not be
necessarily be the institution that people turn to for spiritual guidance.
D. STRENGHTENING MONARCHS AND THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS
i) Why would monarchs be interested in representative institutions? Does not an institution such
as the English Parliament suggest that the King has to share power with it?
ii) How and why did such institutions emerge?
iii) Explain how the political developments described in this section relate to the broader tangent
of the medieval state; refer specifically to the graph that I used in class.
E. THE CHURCH MILITANT, HUMILIATED, AND REVAMPED
i) Compare and contrast this phase in the struggle between secular rulers the papacy with
previous phases;
ii) Does the the fact that the Avignon Papacy was materially and politically successful mean that
it was fulfilling its true purpose?
iii) Outline the sources of devotion in lay religiosity and the forms that such religiosity could
take.
F. THE SCHOLASTIC SYNTHESIS AND ITS FRAYING
i) What is scholasticism and how was it connected to the expansion of learning and literacy?
ii) Compare and contrast Thomas Aquinas with Peter Abelard;
iii) Did some theologians believe that it was problematic to try to reconcile reason with
revelation? If so, why?
G. HARMONY AND DISSONANCE IN WRITING, MUSIC, AND ART
i) How did the literature of Dante Alighieri, Guillaume de Lorris, and the anonymous author of
The Quest for the Holy Grail seek to popularize Christian doctrines and beliefs?
ii) Explain how the motet sought harmony by incorporating secular concepts and religious
themes;
iii) How did the artistic trends of the period exhibit classical influences? Why was this
especially prominent in Italian art?
H. CRISIS
i) Outline and describe the factors that were weakening the European population;
ii) How could commercial prosperity lead to famine?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013: Discussion Class: “Discordant Harmonies,” Part I
Reading Guidelines
Readings: review materials from November 12th
and November 14th
read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 7, pp. 414-427 (adjusted to p. 421)
As I promised to trim some of the reading, I’m thus removing the following documents
from the reading for this chapter in the Rosenwein sourcebook: 7.5, 7.7, 7.8, 7.11, 7.18, and 7.22
Some General Thoughts
I will keep my comments here brief (for once). To understand the significance of the
Mongol invasion for Europe, you need to review the material in the Rosenwein textbook. The
first element involves the ways in which the Mongols ruled over conquered territories, which is
different from what we might expect. The second involves the impact of the Mongols’ conquests
on European trade routes.
One might also express surprise that there was not a crusade called against the Mongols,
at least nothing similar to the crusades called against the Muslim presence in the Holy Land
centuries earlier.
7.1 THE MONGOLS SPEAK: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE MONGOLS (first half of the
13th
c.)
i) Can you glean from this document reasons that explain the Mongols’ expansion?
7.2 A MONGOL REPLY TO THE POPE: GUYUK KHAN, LETTER TO POPE INNOCENT IV
(1246)
i) Why did Pope Innocent IV wish to convert the Mongols and why did Guyuk Khan resist the
appeal?
7.3 ACCOMMODATIONS: MENGU-TEMIR KHAN, CHARTER TO PROTECT THE
RUSSIAN CHURCH (1308)
i) Is there anything surprising about this document in terms of how the Golden Horde decided to
rule Russia?
ii) Relate what is conveyed in this document to what is discussed about the Mongols in the
Rosenwein textbook.
7.4 THE HUNGARIAN KING BEWAILS THE MONGOL INVASIONS. BÉLA IV, LETTER
TO POPE INNOCENT IV (c. 1250)
i) Why is the King of Hungary begging the papacy for aid against the Mongols?
ii) Why does it seem that no Christian prince is coming to the aid of Hungary? Did European
monarchs not feel threatened by these “pagans”?
A general question: why do you think there was not a calling of a crusade against the Mongols as
there had been with the Holy Land centuries earlier?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013: Discussion Class: “Discordant Harmonies,” Part II
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 7, pp. 428-460
Some General Thoughts
There is a great deal of material here, certainly. The theme of “discordant harmonies” is
apparent in a number of ways:
●Monarchies such as those of France and England are consolidating their power even
further, but grating upon papal authority
●The northern Italian cities are experiencing greater commercial prosperity but increasing
civic conflict
●The Church struggles to maintain its notion of Christian unity, in the face of entrenched
dissident opinions in the south of France
●The accent on unity and harmony leads to the exclusion and persecution of lepers and
non-Christians
Some Questions to Consider:
7.6 THE POPOLO GAINS POWER: THE GHIBELLINE ANNALS OF PIACENZA (1250)
i) How does this document reflect the tensions in the northern Italian cities during this period?
ii) Explain the dynamic beween the popolo, the podestà, and the commune.
7.9 FAMINE AT CONSTANTINOPLE: ANTHANASIUS I, PATRIARCH OF
CONSTANTINOPLE, LETTER (1306-1307)
i) Can the famine described in this document be connected to the worsening demographic
conditions outlined in the textbook? Or were greed and problems of distribution to blame for the
grain shortage?
7.10 INQUISITION: JACQUES FOURNIER, EPISCOPAL REGISTER (1318-1325)
i) What sorts of dissident notions is Guillaume Austatz being accused of in the register?
Compare and contrast those opinions with the doctrines outlined in decrees of the Fourth Lateran
Council (document 6.23);
ii) Does Austatz’s renounciation of his previous opinions suggest that the Church’s methods
were effective?
7.12 JEWS IN ENGLAND: STATUTE OF THE JEWRY (1275) AND PETITION OF THE
“COMMONALITY” OF THE JEWS (shortly after 1275).
i) Connect these decrees concerning Jews in England to the xenophobia discussed in the
textbook; how did the Jews respond?
7.13 A CHARISMATIC RULER: JOINVILLE, THE LIFE OF ST. LOUIS (1272)
i) How does King Louis IX exhibit many of the ideals of the medieval Christian monarch? Do
you believe that Joinville’s account helped to consolidate the French monarchy’s power?
ii) Can you glean from the document Louis’ attitudes towards non-Christians?
7.14 THE COMMON PARTICIPATE: SUMMONS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF SHRIES AND
TOWNS TO PARLIAMENT 1295.
i) Connect this document to the development of parliamentary traditions in England? How did it
expand on the Magna Carta (cf. document 6.17)?
7.15 THE POPE THROWS DOWN THE GAUNTLET: BONIFACE VIII, CLERICIS LAICOS
(1296)
7.16 THE POPE REACTS: BONIFACE VIII, UNAM SANCTAM (1302)
7.17 THE FRENCH KING RESPONDS TO BONIFACE: WILLIAM OF PLAISIANS,
CHARGES OF HERESY AGAINST BONIFACE VIII(1303)
i) Compare this struggle between secular rulers and the papacy to previous conflicts between
church and state? What is similar and what has changed?
ii) Do you see other elements of the immediate historical context playing a role here? [hint:
consider the rise of secular monarchs, or the Church’s struggle against heresy];
iii) What arguments does the papacy use to defend its position?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013: Discussion Class: “Discordant Harmonies,” Part III
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 7, pp. 461-481
**remember that you do not need to read the document 7.22
Some General Thoughts
Some of this might material might make you blush, well, perhaps not as much as the
fabliaux (and there is nothing more blush-inducing than the fabliaux!) . Consider what
Aquinas discusses in his Scholastic text, but also how some marital and even perhaps sexual
motifs are present in a perplexing way in the text on Juliana of Mont-Cornillon (i.e. the
references to the Song of Songs from the Christian Old Testament).
Again, returning to that theme of “discordant harmonies,” we see in these readings an
attempt to harmonize arguments and belief systems through the writings of Aquinas. Dante’s
Canto XXII also reflects this accent on perfection and harmony, as expressed in the divine. Still,
there were atonal notes as well: consider the forms of popular devotion, some of which strayed
from Christian orthodoxy. Increasingly, in some ways the Church and especially the papacy
were becoming more worldly, more distant from the spiritual needs of laity. The laity thus found
their own means of spiritual expression, some of which were heterodox.
Some Questions to Consider
7.19 SCHOLASTICISM: THOMAS AQUINAS, SUMMA AGAINST THE GENTILES (1259-
1264)
i) Why does Aquinas leave quotations from the Bible to the last section of his argument?
Considering the importance of the Bible in this context, should it be not the other way around?
How does this approach reflect Aquinas’ scholasticism?
ii) Why does the Church condemn “simple fornication” and polygamy? Was there a need for
Aquinas to discuss polygamy?
7.20 MYSTICISM: MEISTER ECKHART, SERMON 101 (1298-1305)
i) Explain Eckkart’s mystical perspectives; why would they have been considered almost
heterodox in some ways? Are there any references in the document to some of the more
traditional Christian practices and beliefs?
7.21 ITALIAN COMES INTO ITS OWN: DANTE, INFERNO, CANTO 5 (Paolo and
Francesca); PARADISO CANTO 22 (meeting with St. BENEDICT) 1313-21
i) Connect the sins of Paolo and Francesca to Aquinas’ text above;
ii) How does Dante’s text in general reflect how the vernacular Italian is achieving a greater
degree of prominence? Does writing so beautifully in such a language serve to heighten the
importance of the language?
iii) How is the concept of light expressed in the Canto XXII? How are some of the issues
discussed with St. Benedict a problem in Dante’s time?
7.23 MEDIEVAL DRAMA, DIRECTIONS FOR AN ANNUNCIATION PLAY (14TH
C.)
7.24 THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI: THE LIFE OF JULIANA OF MONT-CORNILLON
(1261-1264)
i) How do these two texts reflect a more popular expression of medieval devotion?
ii) Why are there marital (and perhaps even sexual) motifs in The Life of Juliana of Mont-
Cornillon?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013: Lecture: Decades of Catastrophe and Upheaval
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 8, pp. 305-327
Some General Thoughts
We are now entering the last part of this course, Part VI: Plague, War, and Death; The
Early Renaissance. It would seem that these two segments here are completely at odds with each
other (crisis and Renaissance), but we will see some connections as we work through this
material.
The readings for this class focus on the first part: plague, war, and death. You will notice
many connections between this material and the theme of “discordant harmonies” discussed in
the previous chapter. The difference is that the accent in this part of the eighth chapter is on
discord, disaster, and dislocation. We are truly in a period of crisis, an intense period of crisis.
For example, very few people “benefitted” from the Black Death, except those who survived the
pandemic and were able to negotiate better conditions and agreements with their lords, given the
labour shortage.
Some of the material in this reading also anticipates the next phase in European history:
The Reformation. Martin Luther’s ideas were not born in a vacuum; he had predecessors.
Indeed, the crisis in the papacy triggered many heterodox movements, as the papacy struggled to
maintain its revenue base by commercializing its prerogatives. The selling of indulgences was a
good example of this.
Some Questions to Consider:
A. CRISES AND CONSOLIDATIONS
i) Connect the arrival of the Black Death in Europe to the material discussed in the previous
chapter (i.e. the trade routes through the Mongol Empire; the famines and the weakening of the
European population);
ii) Describe in detail the various effects that the Black Death brought in its wake;
iii) Did anyone actually benefit from the Black Death? [hint: think of the labour shortages]
iv) Account for the rise of the Ottoman Empire and the fall of Constantinople;
v) Connect the Hundred Years’ War to the long-standing issues involving England and the
European continent;
vi) Why did the French people rally to Jeanne d’Arc? What impact did she have on turning the
tide for the French?
vii) Describe the numerous political and social effects of the Hundred Years’ War on France and
England;
viii) Would it be correct to claim that power was becoming increasingly concentrated during this
period of crisis? Cite some examples and exceptions;
ix) Compare and contrast the revolts in Flanders with the revolts in France, England, and
Florence; what did they have in common? How were they connected to the crisis conditions of
this period?
B. THE CHURCH DIVIDED
i) How did the Great Schism knock the papacy even further out of its spiritual orbit?
ii) Compare and contrast conciliarism with some of the views on papal supremacy that we have
examined in this course;
iii) Could it be said that the Lollards and the Hussites were a direct response to this crisis in the
papacy? What did the two groups of religious dissidents advocate and did they have any long-
term impact?
iv) Could it be claimed that the development of national churches in France and Spain was also a
response to the crisis in the papacy? Or, were monarchs simply trying to consolidate their power
even further?
v) Connect the attitudes of Ferdinand and Isabella to the xenophobia discussed in the last
chapter.
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013: Lecture: The Beginning of the Renaissance
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, ch. 8, 327-347
Some General Thoughts
Much of this material will seem like an epilogue to this course in that the study of the
Renaissance and the voyages overseas speak more to the period after the Middle Ages (as far it is
possible to demarcate when the Middle Ages “ended”). Yet one could argue that there were
many precedents and antecedents to the Renaissance and the voyages, so much so that perhaps
these two historical phenomena do not represent such a radical break from the past. This takes
away from the “Poof!” Theory of History, that historical turning-points and events happen quite
suddenly (e.g. “Michaelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel and poof! The Renaissance starts!
Poof!). There are catalysts, to be sure (e.g. Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses was a catalyst
for the European Reformation). Yet one could find prior more long-term historical
developments that made such catalysts possible. For the Renaissance, one thinks of the long
growth of the power of the prince, the connection between Europe and the Byzantine and
Muslim worlds, the vestiges of the classical past in the medieval epoch, and so on. For the
Reformation, one can turn to the Brethren of the Common Life and the crisis in the papacy.
Some Questions to Consider
C. DEFINING STYLES
i) What is meant by “Renaissance humanism” and how was it different from earlier forms of
humanism?
ii) Why were scholars such as Cincius Romanus interested in the classical past?
iii) Describe the components of the Renaissance program;
iv) How was Renaissance art connected to humanism but also to the court culture of secular and
ecclesiastical princes?
v) Even though the Ottomans had overrun the Byzantine Empire, would it be accurate to claim
that Ottoman civilization was completely cut off from Renaissance civilization? If not, why not?
vi) Compare and contrast the Northern Renaissance with the Italian Renaissance;
vii) How was Northern Renaissance Art connected to secular imperatives?
D. NEW HORIZONS
i) In the examples of interiority discussed in this chapter, can you see any connections with
Renaissance art? Is focusing on the inner self a mark of humanism, a focus on the self?
ii) How did the printing revolution change mass communication? Give some examples;
iii) Why do you think that it was Portugal that seemed to be at the forefront of Europe’s global
expansion?
iv) How was the colonization of the Cape Verde Islands a microcosm of the form of colonialism
that Europe would develop?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013: Discussion Class: “Catastrophe and Creativity,” Part I
Reading Guidelines
Readings: review materials from November 22nd
and November 26th
read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 8, pp. 483-511
Some General Thoughts
There are three historical developments underlying these documents. The first is the
Black Death, in terms of its impact but also in terms of how Euorpeans explained the root cause
of the pandemic. Both aspects relate to European collective mentalities that had been evolving
over the previous centuries. For example, the recourse to penance and processions was
connected to the developing ideas around Purgatory and the remission of sins. Similarly, the
attack on the Jewish communities represents a visceral and violent response that was made
possible by the anti-Judaic sentiment that dates back to the First Crusade (incidentally, there is
nothing inevitable about anti-Semitism in European history; there are many examples of peaceful
Christian-Jewish coexistence in medieval Spain and the Holy Land, usually before the Crusades).
The second historical development involves the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which would
have enormous implications for the history of Eastern Europe in centuries to come. Connected
to that was the fall of the Byzantine Empire, an event that can be connected to the Black Death
(remember that the Byzantine Empire was particularly vulnerable to the plague because of its
coastal cities and its extensive mercantile connections with other parts of the world). One
wonders if the role of personality is also a prominent a factor in these two historical
developments (compare, for example, the characters of Sultan Mehmed II with the last Byzantine
Emperor Constantine XI).
Some Questions to Consider:
8.1 A MEDICAL VIEW: NICEPHORUS GREGORAS, ROMAN HISTORY (c. 1350)
i) Reading the editor’s introduction, how may have the nature of the Byzantine Empire and
particularly Constantinople made it more vulnerable to plague? Would it be accurate to claim
that the plague weakened the Byzantine Empire further?
ii) How does Nicephorus Gregoras explain the Black Death? Does he mention divine causation?
8.3 PRAYERS AT YORK: ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM, LETTER TO HIS OFFICIAL AT YORK
(JULY 1348)
i) In Archbishop William’s opinion, what was the root cause of the Black Death?
ii) Connect his suggestions to the medieval understanding of penance, Purgatory, and
indulgences.
8.4 BLAMING THE JEWS: HEINRICH VON DIESSENHOVEN, ON THE
PERSECUTIONOF THE JEWS (c. 1350)
i) Why does Von Diessenhoven blame the Jews for the Black Death?
ii) Connect this document to the long history of anti-Judaic sentiment and violence in medieval
Europe.
8.5 A LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE: ORDINANCES AGAINST THE SPREAD OF PLAGUE AT
PISTOIA (1348)
i) How do the ordinances convey the city government’s understanding as to why the plague
spread? In their opinion, what caused the plague to spread?
ii) In addition to improving sanitation, what was the city government trying to do to alleviate the
impact of the plague on the local population?
8.7 DIPLOMACY: PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE OTTOMAN SULTAN MEHMED II
AND THE SIGNORIA OF VENICE (January 25, 1478)
i) What does the document suggest about the long-term relations between Venice and the
Muslim world?
ii) Situate this document in the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
8.9 THE FALL BEWAILED: GEORGE SPHRANTZES, CHRONICLE (BEFORE 1477).
ORIGINAL IN GREEK
i) Can you glean from this document clues that would explain the fall of the Byzantine Empire?
How, conversely, can the document shed light on the rise of the Ottomans?
ii) Why do you think that virtually no Christian power came to the aid of the faltering Byzantine
Empire?
8.7 DIPLOMACY: PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE OTTOMAN SULTAN MEHMED II
AND THE SIGNORIA OF VENICE January 25, 1478
i) What does the document suggest about the long-term relations between Venice and the
Muslim world?
ii) Situate this document in the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
8.9 THE FALL BEWAILED: GEORGE SPHRANTZES, CHRONICLE (BEFORE 1477).
ORIGINAL IN GREEK
i) Can you glean from this document clues that would explain the fall of the Byzantine Empire?
How, conversely, can the document shed light on the rise of the Ottomans?
ii) Why do you think that virtually no Christian power came to the aid of the faltering Byzantine
Empire?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013: Discussion Class: “Catastrophe and Creativity,” Part II
Reading Guidelines
Readings: Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 8, pp. 512-535 (adjusted to p. 530)
***remember that I reduced the reading for today
Some General Thoughts
It would seem that these documents deal uniquely with the element of crisis in this period
(e.g. the revolt in England and the devastation that resulted from it, the Avignon papacy, the
Great Schism, the religious dissident movements). Yet one can see elements of creativity as well
(as the textbook defines it), and even elements that anticipate the following period, the European
Reformation. The desire to limit the papacy and the wish to receive the sacrament of the
Eucharist in both kinds was a fundamental tenet of aspects of the Reformation. Of course, the
Reformation went much further than that. Even the idea of conciliarism: that proved to be
something quite revolutionary for its time.
Some Questions to Consider
8.12 NATIONAL FEELING: JEANNE D’ARC, LETTER TO THE ENGLISH (1429)
i) If it is seems highly probable that Jeanne’s words were altered by the English notaries, what
value does the document have for historians?
ii) Can you glean from the document any evidence as to why the French would have placed their
trust in her?
8.13 THE COMMONS REVOLT: WAT TYLER’S REBELLION (AFTER 1381)
i) What were the demands of the rebels and connect these demands to the aftermath of the Black
Death? Did that aftermath create heightened expectations among the peasants who survived the
plague?
ii) How does the document convey the impression that the insurgents were able to dictate terms
to the King?
8.14 THE HUMILIATION OF AVIGNON: ST CATHERINE OF SIENA, LETTER TO POPE
GREGORY XI (1376)
i) Connect this document to the crisis of the papacy; why does Catherine want the Pope to return
to Rome?
ii) Does Catherine of Siena remind you somewhat of Jeanne d’Arc in terms of her tone and her
language?
iii) Do you believe that there was an ongoing dialogue between Catherine and the Pope before
this letter was written?
8.15 THE CONCILIARIST MOVEMENT: JEAN GERSON, SERMON AT THE COUNCIL OF
CONSTANCE (1415)
i) How does Gerson use scholasticism to make his case for a Church council?
ii) In his conception, what kind of power would the council have? Do you think that he was
arguing that the Council’s power should be superior to that of the Pope?
iii) Situate this document in the history of the Great Schism, as discussed in the Rosenwein
textbook.
8.16 THE HUSSITE PROGRAM: THE FOUR ARTICLES OF PRAGUE (1420)
i) Do you have the sense from this document that the Hussites were trying to bridge the gap
between clergy and laity, or at least reduce it?
HIST2330 MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1050 TO THE REFORMATION
Fall 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013: Conclusion and Review for the Final Exam
Reading Guidelines
Readings: read Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages, ch. 8, pp. 536-560
Some General Thoughts
Here are some themes that are apparent in these readings:
●The components of Renaissance humanism
●A “renaissance” of sorts in the Islamic world
●Questions about the condition and nature of women
●Links between Renaissance humanism and political/religious contexts
●Changes in technology and cartography and the voyages overseas
Some Questions to Consider:
8.19 RE-EVALUATING ANTIQUITY: CINCIUS ROMANUS, LETTER TO HIS MOST
LEARNED TEACHER FRANCISCUS DE FIANA (1416)
i) Why is Romanus so interested in finding ancient classical manuscripts?
ii) In his approach to the classical past, how can Romanus be connected to the Renaissance and
Renaissance humanism? Were not many scholars in the Middle Ages fascinated by the classical
past? How was Romanus different?
8.21 OLD SOURCES CRITICIZED: LORENZO VALLA, DISCOURSE ON THE FORGERY
OF THE ALLEGED DONATION OF CONSTANTINE. (1440)
i) Outline Valla’s argument against the Donation of Constantine?
ii) Do Valla and Romanus have something in common? Could both be connected to Renaissance
humanism in some way?
iii) Do Valla and the conciliar movement have something in common?
8.22 DEFENDING WOMEN: CHRISTINE DE PISAN, THE BOOK OF THE CITY OF LADIES
(1404-07)
i) If Christine de Pizan still saw social and gender relations in terms of divinely ordained
hierarchies, how does she make an argument for female intellectual capabilities and their ability
to rule?
ii) In her citing of examples, what do you think is the main reference point that inspired
Christine?
iii) Compare Christine’s text with the documents involving Catherine of Siena and Jeanne d’Arc.
8.24 AN ISLAMIC RENAISSANCE THINKER: IBN KHALDUN, MUQADDIMAH (1377-
1381)
i) In Khaldun, what is meant by “group feeling” and why is it important?
PLATE 8.1 A NEW KIND OF MAP: GABRIEL DE VALSECA, PORTOLAN CHART (1447)
i) Compare this map with the maps on pp. 273-276 of this source reader; what had changed by
the year 1447?