Occidental
College
“Antiquity to
1700: Europe and the Middle East” Hist. 121, Jan.-April 2022
Prof.
Maryanne Horowitz
History 121
Instructor: Maryanne
Horowitz, Professor of History
Classroom: Johnson
105
Class Hours: Tues, Thurs. 10:15-11:40 a.m. Break 11:00--11:10 45 minutes & 30 minutes
Course Description: A
survey of multiple Western civilizations and their interrelationships. Among
ancients, we shall study Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians, Greeks,
and Romans. In medieval times, we shall examine Catholic Europe, Greek Orthodox
Byzantium, Islamic Civilization, and their interrelationships. We shall
consider the treatment of women and of minorities and shall highlight travelers
between civilizations. We shall conclude with the European Renaissance and
Reformation, Turkish hegemony in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the shift in
trade from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean, as modern science and
enlightenment challenge traditional civilizations.
Course Requirements Satisfied: CORE
Credit as pre-1800 and global; History dept. pre-1800 and survey; Classical
Studies.
Required
Books: Bell
and Grafton, The West (Norton)-in
bookstore, vol. 1 l
copy on reserve via MOODLE
Wiesner, et
al., The Discovery of the Western Past, vol.
1 used available (cite your edition in your paper)
Office
Hours on Zoom. Register on google form
at website: 15 or 30 minute appointments Wed. 3-4:30 and Fri. 12-1:30. https://www.oxy.edu/academics/faculty/maryanne-horowitz. Zoom invitation will be sent out at beginning
of the day’s appointments.
Prof.
Horowitz prefers face-to-face communication whenever possible and appreciates
that students upload a profile photo to MOODLE and to https://occidental.zoom.us/profile
Course Objectives:
● To gain
familiarity with major events, people, and movements in the history of the
pre-modern Western Civilizations (lecture, textbook, discussions, review
Spielvogel’s chapters via Key Terms--also in Glossary at back of book)
● To learn
basic methods of historical investigation, particularly analysis of textual and
visual sources. (Analysis of historical problems, discussions from diverse
points of view, and paper assignment) Start with Document Analysis Form in top section
of MOODLE.
● To
experience the process of interpreting major movements in ancient, medieval,
and early modern European and Middle Eastern history (lectures, discussions,
arguing historical significance on exam questions).
● To
develop skills in historical argument, writing, and oral presentation. (oral
presentations in panels, questions and discussion, polished paper with endnotes
& bibliography.
● As a
pre-1800 CORE course, to develop a critical awareness of artistic productions,
social structures, organizational hierarchies, political economies, or patterns
of thought and practices that characterize historical communities and the
experiences of peoples of the past.
Course Outcomes:
● Students
can identify and present the significance of key individuals and movements in
the history of Europe and the Middle East from antiquity to 1700.
● Students
gain a critical awareness of social structures, organizational hierarchies,
political economies, artistic productions, and patterns of thought and
practices that characterize historical communities and the experiences of
peoples of the past.
● Students
gain a critical awareness of how the past informs the present, providing an
understanding of the conditions that made possible the break with or the
persistence of social structures, organizational hierarchies, artistic
productions, or patterns of thought.
● Students
will orally debate historiographical issues while evaluating the different
implications of specific primary sources: texts and visual sources.
● Students
will write a historical essay defending an interpretation on a historiographical
issue by properly citing and critically evaluating primary and secondary
sources.
Requirements:
each 25% (laptops
are available for loan in Academic Commons)
· In-class Exam l on student’s laptop Th. March 3 Who or What, When,
Where and Significance (items distributed on Feb. 17)
· Paper due noon Fri., March 25 (the few requested rewrites due noon
Fri. April 15)
· In-class Exam 2 on student’s laptop Th. April 21. Who or
What, When, Where and Significance (items to study distributed on April 7)
·
Participation,
especially panel leadership, panel participation, class discussion of documents
& images, citation by another student for class notes or for argument on a
controversy
Grading
Policy at end of Syllabus, followed by Link to Occidental College Policies 2021-22
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Tuesday-Thursday Schedule for
Spring 2021
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1) The West, The West, ch. 1 starting at p 27 (around 1250 BCE) Origins: the
Near East and Ch. 2 Ancient Greece pp. 45-52
Tue., Jan. 25, 2022 Introduction to
Course Ancient Near East
Thu., Jan. 27, 2022 Ancient Greeks
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2) The West, ch.
2 pp. 53-75 and ch. 3 Hellenistic World, only pp.
77-79 and 83-87 and 101-107. As background to lecture on philosophical choice,
read on Plato and Aristotle,pp. 78-80. Epicureans
and Stoics p. 96 Discovering the Western Past, ch.
on “Ideal and Reality of Classical Athens”
Tue., Feb. 1, 2022 Lecture“ Hellenistic Schools of Philosophy”
Defend orally your preference for Plato’s Academy, Aristotle’s Lyceum, the
Stoics, or the Epicurean Garden.
Thurs.., Feb. 3, 2022
Discovering the Western Past: read to discuss “Ideal and Reality of Classical Athens”.
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3) The West, ch. 4 Roman Republic, Read in Discovering the Western
Past, “Achievements of Augustus”
Discuss Pompeii’s Villa p. 125, Graffitti, 130,
slavery p. 126
Tue., Feb. 8, 2022 Rise of
Rome
Thu., Feb. 10, 2022 Meeting in
Special Collections, 3rd floor Academic Commons. Hands-on Visit to a Renaissance library.
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4) The West, ch. 5 Roman Empire Discuss
petition of peasants 176, discuss images 157, 158,160, 163,164,165,166,167,171.
Tue., Feb. 15, 2022
Student discussion of documents on p. 140 Suetonius vs. Tacitus on Augustus.
Lecture on ch. 4 and ch. 5 Roman Empire and Rise of
Christianity
Thu., Feb. 17, 2022 Study list for Exam l posted on MOODLE and emailed to class.
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5) The West, ch. 6 Late Roman Empire and
Growth of the Latin Church Wiesner, et
al., chapter on “Invading Barbarians” or less biased term “Germanic Culture”
Tue., Feb. 22, 2022 Bring in example
of prejudice in documents on “Invading Barbarians”
Thu., Feb. 24, 2022 Discovering the Western Past: Panel 1 on
“The Achievements of Augustus” Lecture
on Calliphate of Córdoba.
Fri. Feb 25, 2022 Noon
Choice for paper starts from Wiesner, et al., “Infidels and Heretics: Crusades
of the High Middle Ages” or “Ideal and the Reality in Ancient Athens” or
“Renaissance Man and Woman.” Email
Word.doc or .docx containing 2 paragraphs about your interpretation on the
historical controversy. Include MLA parenthetical notes to a secondary source
and to a primary source and your Works Cited.
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6) The West, ch. 7 Making of the Middle Ages, Byzantium,
and Islam. Discuss different styles of
Ravenna mosaics, Haga Sophia (Christian, then Moslem,
then secular, now a mosque again), Kaaba, Dome of the Rock, Book of Durrow
Tue., Mar. 1, 2022 Byzantium, Growth of Greek Orthodox Church,
and Islam
Thu., Mar. 3, 2022 First In-Class Exam on Laptops
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Spring Break. Tue., Mar. 8, 2022 No Class. SPRING BREAK
Thu., Mar. 10, 2022 No Class. SPRING
BREAK
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7) The West, ch.8 Europe Revived, 900-1200 Discuss Domesday book, p.
259, courtly love p. 265, Hildegard’s vision, p. 274, stained glass, p. 275,
Romanesque vs. Gothic, p. 276, medieval Paris p. 281, mosque of Córdoba (now a
Cathedral), p. 282, Abelard and Heloise p. 284, Wiesner, et al., “Life at a Medieval
University”
Tue., Mar. 15, 2022
Workshop on defending your historical interpretation with M.L.A. notation and Works Cited. Bring revised paper proposal and marked copy
of one submitted for Fri. Feb.25 assignment.
Thu., Mar. 17, 2022 Panel 2 on “Life at
a Medieval University”
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8) The West, ch.9 High Middle Ages 1200-1400 Discuss urban scenes, pp. 294-7, St. Francis
and St. Dominic p. 309, Marco Polo p. 317-8, revolts p. 321
Tue., Mar. 22, 2022 First
discuss items mentioned for ch.9.
Thu., Mar. 24, 2022
Fri. March 25 Noon—paper in Word.doc due
by email.
Sun. March 27 Optional trip to
Norton Simon Museum: leave Oxy 11:40 for
noon opening, leaves Norton Simon at 2 p.m. Signups for 15 on March 17.
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9) The West, ch.10
Renaissance Europe: A World Transformed. Discuss catasto
(first graduated income tax) p. 328, poverty and the state p. 322, portolan chart
p. 345, Africans in Europe p. 349, Cortés and Aztecs, Ghirlandaio’s portrait of
a lady, p. 359, , Christine de Pizan, p. 360,
Florence p. 363, image pp. 364-367. Wiesner, et al., “The Renaissance Man and
Woman”
Tue., Mar. 29, 2022
Panel 3 on Wiesner, et al., “The Renaissance Man and Woman”
Thu., Mar. 31, 2022 First discuss items
listed above.
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10) The West, ch. 11, Reformations, Protestant
and Catholic, 1500-1600 Study Diet
of Worms, p. 379, Luther and Peasants’ War p. 382, Burning Witches, p. 403,
Montaigne p. 405
Tue., Apr. 5, 2022 Panel
4 Wiesner, et al., “The Spread of the Reformation”
Thu., Apr. 7, 2022 Study list for second in-class exam posted on Moodle and
emailed to class.
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11) Wiesner, et al.,
“Staging Absolutism” and scan on Moodle from Louis XIV and Absolutism: A Brief Study in Documents: pp. 156-161
documents of social unrest and pp.
206-214 Louis XIV’s “Mémoires for the Instruction of
the Dauphin”
Tue., Apr. 12, 2022 Lecture on Louis
XIV Study list for essay for in-class
exam posted on Moodle and emailed to the class.
Thu., Apr. 14, 2022 Full class discussion on Wiesner, et al., “Staging Absolutism” and scan on Louis XIV (on Moodle) Group
work by chapters for writing about historical significance on exam. Also help
for anyone re-doing MLA notes on paper returned.
Fri. April 15, 2022 Noon-date
to resubmit (email)
paper with marked original if professor requested rewriting.
12) Tue., Apr. 19, 2022 Lecture on
Virtues expected for a pre-modern Western ruler (4 cardinal virtues and 3
Christian virtues) vs. Machiavelli’s new politics for “The Prince.” Growing Awareness of the Globe and its Peoples
pp 345-348,351-355. Sample of
Bodies and Maps and forthcoming Controversial Monuments: Personifying the
Continents. Any questions for
your study for exam?
Thu., Apr. 21, 2022 Second In-Class Exam
on Laptops
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
13)Tue., Apr. 26, 2022 Early Modern
Diplomacy—for what lands are ambassadors recognized?
Thurs. April 28,2022 Last Class Student Evaluations
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Grading Policies, Hist.
121, Spring 2022
Paper:
On unit in Wiesner et al.
on Ancient Athens, The Crusades, or Renaissance Man and Woman (pdfs of those
units are on Moodle)
6-8
page paper in
Word.doc, paginated, including M.L.A. parenthetical notes. List word count at end of last paragraph of
paper. Works Cited divided into the
Primary and Secondary Sources utilized.
Format: Times Roman, 12 point, 1 inch margins, paginated in Word.doc or
.docx.
The criteria for evaluating the paper are as follows:
● Provides
thesis and logical structure of paper
● Considers
alternate historical interpretations, the secondary sources (with M.L.A
parenthetical notes to scholars or students in the class)
● Argues
for thesis via detailed analysis of primary sources and differences between
them
● Writes
in proper sentences and paragraphs (each with one topical sentence)
● Provides
parenthetical notes for quotations and summaries, leading reader to author and
page.
●
Works cited divided into Primary Sources and Secondary Sources M.L.A.
Style (See Turabian from First Year Seminar)
·
As in Oxy’s
first year writing proficiency portfolio, this paper assignment is
thesis-driven, utilizes features of conventional expository essays, and
demonstrates integration of evidence from academically credible scholarly
sources.
Grading: Prof.
Horowitz she seeks to work with you so that the final grades range only from B-
to A. Final course grades in this class have the following meaning:
(Prof. Horowitz is aiming to assign only grades B-, B, B+, A-, A)
A Outstanding performance. You have demonstrated
very thorough knowledge and understanding of all the material, truly superior
critical thinking, and expressed insightful and original thoughts clearly. You
have completed all required assignments, and they have been among the best in
the class.
B Good performance. You have demonstrated
solid knowledge and understanding of the material and good critical thinking.
You have also shown the ability to express your ideas clearly. You have
completed all required assignments, and they have been of good quality.
C Satisfactory performance. You have demonstrated
basic knowledge and understanding of the major concepts taught in the class and
some critical thinking. You have completed all or most of the required assignments,
and they have routinely been free of significant problems.
D Deficient performance. You have only acquired a
limited understanding of the class material. You have failed to complete all
the required assignments, and they have routinely had serious problems.
F Failure.
You have failed to learn a sufficient proportion of the basic
concepts and ideas taught in the class. You have failed to complete many
required assignments, and they have routinely had serious problems.
Resources in Academic Commons:
History Tutor: Senior Gus Gruneau Mon. 6-8 p.m. and Wed. 10-12 Drop-in Ground Floor, Tutoring Nook.
● The
Writing Center offers opportunities to work on all forms of writing for any
class or other writing tasks such as personal statements, senior
comprehensives, etc. We offer peer-to-peer consultations with knowledgeable
Writing Advisers and sessions with Faculty Writing Specialists. See the Writing Center website for
more information about our fall hours and how students can sign up for
appointments. Please contact the Writing Programs-Center Director, Julie Prebel (jprebel@oxy.edu) for more information on how
the Center can work with you.
● The
college offers library
research consultations and discipline-specific
peer tutoring for coursework
●
Attendance Policy and Participation
Definition. Quotations come from
official Occidental College
fall 2021 policy suggestions:
“Participation is expected as the work that we
do in class is critical to your understanding of the material and you will be
giving feedback to your peers on many occasions. However, if there is a medical issue or
family emergency please let me know; I recognize that other life issues can
sometimes arise unexpectedly. If you must miss class due to an official Oxy
event, or due to reasons
of faith
or conscience, please let me know as early in the semester
as possible.”
“We are still in a public health emergency, and students may have
difficulties beyond their control that prevent their attendance on a given day
(e.g., symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, or a positive COVID-19
test).
Your health and well-being, and that of our community, are essential. If you
are feeling any symptoms of illness, even if they are slight, please refrain
from attending class until explicitly cleared by Emmons. Similarly, if you have
a known exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please do not
return to class until Emmons confirms that you are cleared to participate in
your usual activities.”
● Late Assignment
Policy. Please inform Prof. Horowitz ahead if
you are not able to meet the deadline for a paper assignment or an exam. She will try to accommodate your
re-scheduling. Meanwhile, please
utilize the many Resources offered by Occidental College Student Affairs https://www.oxy.edu/student-life/student-affairs/resources-
Link to
Occidental College Policies 2021-22:
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