*HIST+355+syllabus

Course was most recently taught in Fall 2013. The syllabus will be posted when course is taught again.

Robert C. Figueira Spring 2017 e-mail: figueira@lander.edu Carnell Learning Center 368 webpage: http://figueira.wikispaces.com phones: 864-388-8218 (o); 864-229-6391 (h) office hours: TR 9:00-10:30AM, W 1:00-4:00PM

HISTORY 355 LATE ANTIQUITY

I. __Course readings__:

(a) Roger Collins, //Early Medieval Europe//, 3rd ed. (b) Chodorow-Hoyt, //Europe in the Middle Ages// (recommended; hereafter C-H) (c) Augustine of Hippo, //Confessions// (d) Benedict of Nursia, //The Rule// (e) Procopius, //The Secret History// (f) Bryan Ward-Perkins, //The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization// (g) Excerpts from //The Koran// (suras 1, 2, 4, 6, 96; on closed library reserve or on the Internet at []) (h) Robert C. Figueira, booklet of published book reviews (on closed library reserve)

Items (a), (c)-(f) are available for purchase at the University Bookstore. Copies of (a)-(e), (g), and (h) are on closed reserve in Jackson Library. Readings of (a) on library reserve differ slightly from that of copies for purchase. Any other complete editions of (c), (d), (e), or (g) are acceptable, so long as the instructor is consulted regarding page assignments.

II. __Course objectives and content__:

A survey of political, intellectual, and social life between 300 and 700: the Christianization of the Roman Empire, Germanic migrations and their resultant kingdoms, monasticism, the end of the Empire in the West, the continuing imperial polity of the East, and the rise of Islam.

As in any course of this chronological breadth, only a limited number of topics can be treated in any detail; students should rely on the textbooks – course readings (a) and (b) – for a general acquaintance with those topics not treated in depth during class meetings. In general, examinations will stress assigned primary sources and the lectures/discussions of scheduled class meetings.

Successful completion of this course will enable students to master factual information, to analyze historical sources and compose polished short prose assignments on historical subjects. The mastery of such competencies fulfills in part the following goals and objectives of history major programs at Lander University (//Lander University Catalog, 2016-2017//, p. 106): “Lander University history graduates will: 1. critically evaluate a secondary source of history; … 3. critically evaluate primary sources; 4. narrate a series of events in the history of a country other than the United States; ….”

For the Lander degree programs in History this course fulfills major requirements of 3 semester-hours of credit at the HIST 300+ level. For the Lander minor program in History this course fulfills requirements of 3 semester-hours of credit (a) in European history at the HIST 200+ level, or (b) as an elective at the HIST 300+ level, or (c) as a free elective. This course does not fulfill any General Education requirements.

This course also fulfills requirements in the N.C.S.S.-approved and C.A.E.P.-approved Lander University matrix for Social Studies secondary education (History B.S. degree).

III. __Course requirements, formal activities, and evaluation methods__:

The responsibilities of students in this course are:

(a) Regular attendance at class meetings; attendance will be monitored by the instructor, and students shall be held responsible for any announcements made or information imparted during class sessions. Please consult pp. 19-20 of the //Lander Student Handbook 2016-2017// and p. 54 of the //Lander University Catalog 2016-2017// regarding official university policy on class attendance. __Students who miss 20% of class meetings for whatever reason will receive a grade penalty up to and including “FA”__. __Habitual tardiness is not acceptable and will be counted proportionately as attendance absences__.

(b) Regular and frequent participation in classroom discussions, especially for those topics marked below with an asterisk. It is expected that students bring required readings (c), (d), (e), (g) to those class meetings when they are to be discussed.

(c) Completion of two in-class examinations on 7 February and 21 March 2017; these exams each will constitute no more than 25% of the raw final grade.

(i) Completion of a formal book review (5 typewritten pages) due on 4 April 2017 on Bryan Ward-Perkins, //The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization//. This book review will constitute not more than 20% of the final raw grade.

(e) Completion of a final examination scheduled by the University Registrar on 2 May 2016, 11AM-1PM. This final will constitute no more than 30% of the final raw grade.

Regular attendance and classroom discussion will be considered in the conversion of the raw final grade into the course mark.

Grading scale - all examinations and the book review will receive a precise numerical grade, percentage based; the operative scale for these and for the course as a whole is thus: “A” = 90% and above, “B” = 80-89%, “C” = 70-79%, “D” = 60-69%, “F” = 59% and below.

A student who __without prior excuse__ does not take an exam at the appointed time earns an "F" for that particular exercise. __Upon the student's request, it is the instructor's prerogative whether to permit the hitherto unexcused student to take a make-up or receive a postponement (with or without penalty)__.

A student who __without prior excuse__ does not submit the book review on or before the appointed date will receive a grade penalty on this assignment (one-half letter grade assessed for each subsequent late day).

It is expected that all students abide by the rules of academic honesty detailed on pp. 7-11 of the //Lander Student Handbook 2016-2017//. See also p. 45 of the //Lander University Catalog 2013-2014// regarding the Academic Honor Code.

IV. __Additional information__:

Audio recording of class meetings is prohibited without the explicit permission of the instructor. Use of tobacco products is prohibited during all class meetings. Use of cellular phones, PDAs, and similar electronic media devices is prohibited during all class meetings. Use of computers is permitted, with one exception, during class meetings, but their use is limited to note-taking and accessing those websites which the instructor is using in instruction during that class meeting. Use of computers is prohibited, however, during examinations. The foregoing paragraph is not intended to negate the reasonable accommodations accorded by federal law to students with documented physical or learning disabilities.

Student athletes whose coaches request the completion of progress reports by the instructor must, __on each occasion__, inform the instructor __at least twenty-four hours__ in advance of this need and provide the required forms and waiver agreements. As far as he is able, the instructor voluntarily will provide reasonable accommodation to such requests.

On rare occasions extremely inclement weather might discourage road travel to and from the Greenwood campus in order to attend a class meeting. I encourage you __not to risk__ your safety in such cases of bad weather. You are also responsible for your learning in this course, and thus I am confident that you will treat such occasions in a responsible manner. Whenever Lander classes are cancelled due to inclement weather, the University will inform local public communications media. The easiest way to determine whether class meetings have been cancelled is to access Lander’s automated telephone system at 864-388-8000; any cancellation message will be announced first on the system.

The instructor uses Blackboard __only__ to report midterm grades and __not__ for email or any other communication. Students wishing to email the instructor should carefully note his address above and use instead their internet email capability outside of Blackboard. Students should also __regularly__ check their official Lander email addresses for communications from the instructor.

If you have now or develop during this semester a physical or a learning disability and you want me to make reasonable accommodations according to federal law, you must contact the Lander University Student Wellness Center (Genesis Building, phone: 388-8885, email: studentwellness@lander.edu) and provide that office with appropriate documentation unless you have done so in the past. Once that office is aware of your disability, it will inform all of your instructors each semester that you attend LanderUniversity unless you ask in writing that this not be done. Students receiving special accommodations for scheduling and supervision of tests and other formal academic exercises must consult the instructor and the AcademicSuccessCenter (388-8317) on each occasion where special accommodations are sought.

V. __Teaching strategies used__:

Formal lecture - interrupted often by question-and-answer opportunities - will comprise the greater part of course meetings; on several pre-announced occasions (corresponding with the topics marked below by an asterisk), however, the teaching format will be student discussion moderated by the instructor. The sequence of topics may be changed – after appropriate prior notification – at the instructor’s discretion.

VI. __Class topics__ (each topic equals __at least__ one class period, and often several periods; readings in Collins refer to all three editions):


 * 1) Introduction to Late Antiquity - the Roman Empire in the Early Fourth Century [C-H: begin 1-27; Collins 3rd: 1-30 / 2nd: 1-30 / 1st : 1-29]
 * 2) The Christian Church in the Fourth Century [C-H: begin 28-54; Collins 3rd: begin 61-74 / 2nd: begin 61-75 / 1st: begin 58-70]
 * 3) The Roman Empire in the Late Fourth Century [C-H: finish 1-27, 55-62; Collins 3rd: 31-46 / 2nd: 31-46 / 1st: 30-44]
 * 4) The Disintegration of the Western Empire (395-480) [C-H: 62-69; Collins 3rd: 47-60, 79-98 / 2nd: 47-60, 80-99 / 1st: 45-57, 75-93]
 * 5) Augustine: his life and works [C-H: continue 28-54]
 * 6) *Discussion of Augustine, //Confessions// [11-205 or bks. I-IX]
 * 7) The Christian Church during the Fifth Century [C-H: finish 28-54; Collins 3rd: finish 61-74 / 2nd: finish 61-75 / 1st: finish 58-70]
 * 8) Early Monasticism [C-H: 85-94; Collins 3rd: 75-78, 236-250 / 2nd: 75-79, 234-248 / 1st: 70-74, 219-232]
 * 9) *Discussion of //The Rule of St. Benedict// [9-32, 43-113]
 * 10) The Survival of the Eastern Empire during the Fifth Century [C-H: 113-116; Collins 3rd: 114-118 / 2nd: 116-120 / 1st: 109-113]
 * 11) The Vandal and Ostrogothic Kingdoms; the FrankishKingdom under the Early Merovingians [C-H: 69-83; Collins 3rd: 99-113, 160-172, 250-262 / 2nd: 100-115, 161-172, 249-261 / 1st: 94-108, 151-161, 233-244]
 * 12) The Age of Justinian [C-H: 116-120; Collins 3rd: 118-132 / 2nd: 120-134 / 1st: 113-126]
 * 13) *Discussion of Procopius, //The Secret History// [37-202]
 * 14) Mohammed and the Rise of Islam [C-H: 123-136; Collins 3rd: 133-150 / 2nd: 135-152 / 1st: 127-143]
 * 15) *Discussion of selections from //The Koran// [suras 1, 2, 4, 6, 96]