Part One: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Fall of Rome
1. Introductory Lecture
"How to Read a Document" SOW, x-xviii
2. The Ancient Near East
3. Egyptian Civilization
4. The Early Greeks and the Rise of the Greek Polis
5. Divergent Models of the Polis: Athens, Sparta, and Corinth
6. The Peloponnesian War
7. The Macedonian Empire and its Dissolution
8. Early Rome
9. The Roman Republic
Polybius, "The Roman Constitution" SOW, 77-81
Plutarch, "The Life of Cato the Elder" SOW, 93-96
10. The Fall of the Republic and the Beginning of the Imperial Period
11. Imperial Rome and Early Christianity
St. Paul, "Epistle to the Romans SOW, 104-107
12. The Conversion of the Empire and the "Barbarian" Threat
Tacitus, "Germania" SOW, 111-114
13. The Dissolution of the Roman Empire in the West
Part Two: From the Fall of Rome to the Reformation
14. Early Medieval Europe
15. The Franks and Medieval Society
Finhard, "Life of Charlemagne" SOW, 141-143
"Feudal Documents" SOW, 167-171
16. Viking Culture and Society
17. The Idea of England: Alfred the Great and His Progeny
18. The Medieval Church and Spiritual-Secular Conflicts
19. Monarchies, Papal and Secular
20. The Rise of Islam
The Koran SOW, 152-155
Ibn Ishaq, "The Life of Muhammad" SOW, 162-166
21. The Crusades
Fulcher of Chartres, "The First Crusade and the Siege of Jerusalem" SOW, 176-182
Iban Al-Qalanisi, "The Damascus Chronicle" SOW, 159-162
22. Medieval Intellectual Life
Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologica" SOW, 195-200
Christine de Pisan, "The Book of the City of Ladies" SOW, 209-214
23. Towns, Trade, and the Black Death
24. Renaissance I: Humanism and Culture
Francesco Petarca, "Letters" SOW, 221-225
Leon Battista Alberti, On the Family SOW, 226-231
25. Renaissance II: Machiavelli and Secular Politics
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince SOW, 236-239
26. Luther and the Protestant Reformation I
Desiderius Erasmus, In Praise of Folly SOW, 240-243
Sir Thomas Moore, Utopia SOW, 244-247
Martin Luther, "The Freedom of a Christian" SOW, 275-279
27. Luther and the Protestant Reformation II