History 4210-001                                                                                                                  Christopher Haas
Spring 2008                                                                                                                           SAC 434 / x94979
MWF 11:30-12:20                                                                                                                Office hr: W 1:00-2:00

This course serves as an introduction to the history, culture, and thought-world of the Byzantine empire. The course examines one of the great international cultures of the Medieval period, and explores the forces which enabled Byzantium to flourish across a tumultuous millennium. This class, however, is more than simply an antiquarian study of a long-dead empire. The civilization crafted by the Byzantines continues to influence profoundly the shape of today's headlines, since enduring Byzantine cultural values inform the daily lives of millions around the globe.

W. Treadgold, A Concise History of Byzantium (Palgrave)
M. Cunningham, Faith in the Byzantine World (InterVarsity)
R. Cormick, Byzantine Art (Oxford U Pr.)
D. Geanakoplos, Byzantium: Church, Society, and Civilization (U of Chicago Pr.)

For the course homepage (includes all the web readings for the course)
please click here

Course Requirements:

There will be two exams and a final, each worth 28% of the total course grade. A map quiz administered early in the semester will be worth 6% of the grade. The remaining 10% will consist of an outside of class activity selected by you from a menu of possible items. (See the attached page: Byzantine Civilization - Outside Project).

Outside of Class Activities

The purpose of this requirement is to acquaint you with the continuing influence of Byzantine civilization on today's world. Please select one of the following items. Your choice must be made by Monday, February 7th. All requirements for the activity must be completed and turned in by the first Monday in April.

1) Read and review one of the following two books:

William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Near East (1998)

Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Church, rev. ed., (1997)

I have placed several copies of Dalrymple and Ware among the recommended books for this course at the Villanova bookstore.  I will supply you with a set of questions to guide the writing of your review.

 

2) Visit the Byzantine collections at one of the following two museums.  Before you go to the museum, pick up from me the sheet of questions you will need to answer as you view the collection.  While you are at the museum, be sure to pick up a brochure, catalogue, or collection map which you will submit along with the answers to your questions.

    A)  The Metropolitan Museum of Art:  Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art

  The website for the museum is here

    B)    The Walters Gallery of Art, Baltimore