in Moralia, AD 50–120. 

–Christine de Pizan, The Treasure of the City of Ladies, finished by AD 1405.

Welcome! This week we will meet for the first time. During our initial convening we will have an opportunity to introduce ourselves to one another, begin to build our community, discuss any concerns you might have, and begin to wrestle with some big ideas and themes of this class. You will be asked to reflect on a famous maxim (Know Thyself)  as the first step in a larger process of self-reflection.

We will consider contemporary appropriations of the medieval and ancient world, and the invention of the past. We will look to popular culture (e.g., movies, memes, music, literature), controversies and debates (e.g., specific hashtags such as #metoo, #medievalpoc, #globalmiddleages, #medievaltwitter), Crusader rhetoric, artistic medievalisms, and events and movements like the Charlottesville rally.

Before Class (it looks like a lot, but it isn’t, I promise!)

StoryMap that provides an overview of what we will be doing this semester. It’s a fun visual way to get excited.

           The syllabus before coming to class on our first day. 

• • This is an important activity because it ensures that you understand what this class involves.

Basics Quiz 1 on the syllabus. Make sure you’ve read the entire syllabus beforehand. Due by 11:55 PM on Friday, 8/30. This quiz is to ensure you’ve read the syllabus, and to get you acquainted with taking Quizzes on Courses in an easy low-stakes way. The quiz is timed.

Buy the Google Cardboard for class.

• • You can buy it in the bookstore. Amazon also sells them. You can also use one in the Genesis Lab.

This week’s topic grapples with the topics of friendship, power, death, immortality, the divine, and suffering using The Epic of Gilgamesh. This ancient Mesopotamian epic helps us to reflect on how to build a life, and in so doing we are able to consider the epic of Gilgamesh in relation to the themes of purpose, service, and leadership in the ancient Near East. 

Look over (and ideally print) the handout on Gilgamesh and Mesopotamia (handouts always linked on this syllabus) before watching videos and doing readings

• Materials on the handout are terms, concepts, names, and so forth that students will need to be able to identify, use, and discuss during class activities, on quizzes, and on exams.
• Use the handouts to structure notes and to guide readings and videos.

Ancient Mesopotamia 101 for a brief overview of ancient Mesopotamian civilization (4 minutes)

• (remember, due by 11:59 PM the night before!)
• If you still need to sign up, see the previous class day.

Dr. Senta German, “Ancient Near East: Cradle of civilization,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/ancient-near-east-cradle-of-civilization/.

Philip Freeman, “Lessons from a Demigod” (10 min)

Excerpts from the Epic of Gilgamesh, pp. 69–75, 151–164, 173-189, 194-199 (it is very large print, so it isn’t as much as it seems).

Quiz 2 on Courses 

Also, please make sure you download the following apps on your phone. You will need them the rest of the semester to use the Google Cardboard. They are all free.

• • Street View (Google Street View)
  • Expeditions (Google Expeditions)
  • VRTube (Youtube’s virtual reality)

***Please bring your Google Cardboard to class every day from this point forward (unless you hear otherwise from me). We will not necessarily use it each week, but in case we do please come prepared.***

In class we will be getting used to using Google Cardboard and some of the apps that I’ve asked you to download. We will use part of class time to discuss virtual reality and how we will use it in this class.

This week’s topic reflects on what one of the oldest civilizations in the world–that of ancient Egypt–believed happened to people after death, as well as what they needed to do during life to appease the gods and prepare for the afterlife. We consider the ‘spells for coming forth by day’, known more commonly as the “Book” of the Dead, as one entry point to understanding this culture’s complex beliefs about the hereafter. In addition to the “Book”, we also turn to what material and visual culture might reveal to us, looking specifically to the grandiose Temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak (the largest temple in the ancient world!). We will reflect on how these beliefs and their accompanying practices relate to our own beliefs and feelings about death and the hereafter in the context of our own faith. 

Ancient Egypt 101 for a basic overview of ancient Egyptian civilization (6 minutes)

Dr. Amy Calvert, “Ancient Egypt, an introduction,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/ancient-egypt-an-introduction/. (5 minutes)

Dr. Amy Calvert, “Ancient Egyptian art,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/ancient-egyptian-art/. (5 minutes)

Last Judgment of Hunefer (7.5 minutes)

Dr. Elizabeth Cummins, “Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak,” in Smarthistory, November 27, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/temple-of-amun-re-and-the-hypostyle-hall-karnak/. (5 minutes)

Virtual tour, for definitions and identifications, of Digital Karnak-Terms and Definitions

• • Use this 3D-video to help you identify specific terms and identifying features of Karnak that are noted on the handout
  • Also, using your Google Cardboard, go to Google Expeditions and find Karnak Temple, Luxor (for tour) as well as the HUM 111: Karnak

Basics Quiz 3 

War, death, suffering, tragedy: these are some of the important topics of the epic, The Iliad. This well-known epic will launch our first lecture on ancient Hellas, and why this text was and still is among the most recognized stories. We will also consider how it united peoples of Hellas, and from there examine some of the panhellenic sanctuaries which also served as sites that brought different Greeks together. Know the Olympic Games? Well, did you know that these athletic events took place at a religious sanctuary?

Ancient Greece 101 for a basic foundation on what is ancient Hellenic history (4 minutes)

for more foundational knowledge, this brief essay: The British Museum, “Ancient Greece, an introduction,” in Smarthistory, February 28, 2017, https://smarthistory.org/ancient-greece-an-introduction/. (5 minutes)

Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker, “Introduction to ancient Greek architecture,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-greek-architecture/. (10 minutes)

Troy Story: The Iliad, an animated video that provides an overview of The Iliad (2.5 minutes)

The Iliad, 1–10, 16–19, 96–99, 305–309, 329–331, 355–359, and 482–485.

This short essay on The Olympic Games: The British Museum, “Olympic games,” in Smarthistory, August 29, 2016, https://smarthistory.org/olympic-games/. (10 minutes)

Explore and read about the ancient site of Olympia through this digital and VR project. At the very least, please read, watch, and explore the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. It will give you a better sense of the temple overall and what it looks like today. (There is a short video, and several 360 photos).

Also, watch short virtual reality video on Olympia, as reconstructed, here. (1:30 mins)

Basics Quiz 4

This week’s topic revolves around a theatrical drama from Athens considering how it relates to themes of political order/disorder, gender, democracy, religious life, and warfare. Specifically, the drama revolves around this question: do traitors deserve proper burial? Set amidst the “Golden Age” of Athens during its short-lived experiment with democracy, the drama also allows us to explore the reason why its message would have been profound and thought-provoking in its time period. It allows us a lens through which we can consider larger questions about faith versus reason, suffering, beauty, and happiness. 

An Introduction to Greek Theatre, from the National Theatre, London (be aware that the speakers are British, so some of the pronunciation might sound different!) (7 minutes)

Then watch this short video that helps to further contextualize 5th century Athens, the time during which Antigone was written: The Athenian Agora and the experiment in democracy (4.5 minutes)

the entire drama of Antigone in Sophocles’ The Three Theban Plays, pp. 59–128. 

Basics Quiz 5

From ancient Hellas we journey to Rome, specifically the moment in time that a republic transformed into an empire under Octavian, otherwise known as Augustus Caesar. We examine two of the most important commissions made by Augustus: Virgil’s epic, The Aeneid, and the altar known as the Ara Pacis. Themes of duty, honor, piety, and abundance transect in different ways in these two case studies. 

Ancient Rome 101 (5 minutes)

The Drama of Rome (8 minutes)

The Roman Republic (8 minutes)

Introduction to the Roman Empire (6 minutes)

Ancient Rome–Reborn–thanks to virtual reality (11 minutes)

The Ara Pacis–Intro (4 min)

Read selections from the The Aeneid, 1–4, 48–53, 85–90, 98–99, 153–157.

Basics Quiz 6 on Courses

This week’s topic examines the intersection of art and faith in imperial Rome, and the transformations that occurred as the empire incorporated more territories–and so more peoples of various backgrounds. Specifically, it considers the necropoli known as catacombs, and what they tell us about early Christians in the Roman empire. We will also turn to Old St. Peter’s basilica, which no longer survives, but which was an impressive site of the Christian faith after Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome. Consideration of the dynamic changes occurring in late antiquity will help you to increase your global awareness and reflect on your own faith, as well as generate more ideas about how people coexist in diverse communities.

The British Museum, “Introduction to ancient Rome,” in Smarthistory, March 1, 2017, https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-ancient-rome/. (To provide a refresher and give you a longer intro to the Roman Empire) (5 minutes)

Dr. Allen Farber, “Early Christianity, an introduction,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015,https://smarthistory.org/early-christianity-an-introduction/. (5 minutes)

Dr. Allen Farber, “Early Christian art,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/early-christian-art/. (5 minutes)

Dr. Allen Farber, “Early Christian art and architecture after Constantine,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/early-christian-art-and-architecture-after-constantine/. (5 minutes)

Dr. Jennifer Freeman, “Architecture and liturgy,” (STOP at “Medieval Worship”) in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/architecture-and-liturgy/. (5 minutes)

Catacombs and Appian Way (2:30 mins)

Virtual reality tour using Google Cardboard of Catacombs of Priscilla

• Go into your Google Street View app and look at the Catacombs of Priscilla, Via Salaria, Rome (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9293271,12.5090897,2a,75y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYe7NvV1aflAAAAQJOCIaFQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
  • Get acquainted with the space, see what you can identify on the handouts, try to located a number of images. We will use this VR in class as well, but it is a maze-like space so you will need to become acquainted with it before class.

Also watch in your VRTube App the 360 video: Inside the tomb of St. Peter at the Vatican

Basics Quiz 7

This week’s topic will explore the history, making, and meaning of the Book of Kells, and the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf. We will begin by examining the Book of Kells’s cultural background (the structure of the early Irish Church and the early monastery in Kells from which it derives its name), its creation, and its possible meanings when it was made. If there is time, we will also look at its life in the modern era. Our second case study will be the epic of Beowulf, a story about courage, duty, and kingship. 

The Middle Ages: What are they? (7:30 mins)

Introduction to the Middle Ages on the northern frontier (4.5 mins)

Dr. Nancy Ross, “Medieval manuscripts, an introduction,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/medieval-manuscripts/. (5 minutes)

Who were the Anglo-Saxons? from from the British Library (10 mins)

Early Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms from the British Library (10 mins)

Religion in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms from the British Library (10 mins)

Making Manuscripts (4:30 mins)

Introducing the Book of Kells (4:30 mins)

Basic overview of Beowulf from the British Library, where the surviving manuscript is kept (10 minutes)

Excerpts from Beowulf, 1–13, 25–31, 35–37, 49–55, 169–177, 189–191, and 211–213.

Basics Quiz 8

A Roman temple, a Christian Visigothic church, a mosque, a cathedral. The Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain is a testament to the complexity of medieval Spain, and the fluidity of sacred architecture over time. We examine it primarily as a mosque, and what it tells us about the Islamic faith and its spread to and transformation in Spain. It also allows us to broach the topic of cultural interaction among the three faiths in Spain: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Our second case study is French epic, The Song of Roland, which tells of an earlier age, and the battle between Charlemagne’s Christian forces and Muslim forces in Spain. It allows us to consider how racial tropes are used in literature, in addition to talking about themes of courage, duty, and death.

Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis, “Introduction to Islam,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015,https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-islam/. (5 minutes)

Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis, “The Five Pillars of Islam,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/the-five-pillars-of-islam/. (5 minutes)

Kendra Weisbin, “Introduction to mosque architecture,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-mosque-architecture/. (10 minutes)

Glenna Barlow, “Arts of the Islamic world: The early period,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/arts-of-the-islamic-world-the-early-period/. (5 minutes)

Experience Pilgrimage: A 21st Century Journey Through Mecca and Medina (NY Times) (4:30 min) using Google Cardboard via VRTube

Experience the Great Mosque of Cordoba in virtual reality on VRTube (use phone app)

• • Search for 360 virtual tour-Mezquita-Cathedral Mosque-Cordoba (1:02 minutes). Use Google Cardboard. This will show you a section of the Great Mosque.

Intro to the High Middle Ages for the Song of Roland (14 mins)

Song of Roland, pp. 29–41, 96–105

Basics Quiz 9

How did Christians connect with God, saints, as well as other peoples and places, across time and great distances? In the Middle Ages, one of the most powerful ways in which Christians connected with God was through making pilgrimages to visit holy sites and relics. Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela were the three most important sites. We consider how individuals made these sacred journeys, what they encountered along the way, and how local communities accommodated the thousands of individuals stopping along the way. We will turn specifically to the pilgrimage church at Conques, France, and the relic of Ste-Foy contained there.

Metropolitan Museum’s Heilbrunn Timeline: Pilgrimage in Medieval Europe (10 mins)

Valerie Spanswick, “Medieval churches: sources and forms,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/medieval-churches-sources-and-forms/. (5 minutes)

a video about the Last Judgment Tympanum at the Cathedral of Sainte Lazare, Autun, France. We are not going to discuss it in great detail, but we will look at something similar. This video gives a nice overview of Romanesque churches, pilgrimage, and relics, as well as the importance of Last Judgment scenes–all of which is relevant to our discussion. (5 mins)

Experience in Google Expeditions a VR tour of Ste.Foy, Conques/HUM 111 (made by Dr. LKE). Search for “Conques” and you will find it. You will need your Google Cardboard.

Basics Quiz 10

Gothic cathedrals are some of the most recognized architectural forms in the world. They have come to represent a pinnacle of cultural achievement, and testify to the lengths to which communities sought to glorify God and express their devotion. Reaching to the heavens and filled with colorful stained glass, French Gothic cathedrals are some of the best known, and we will explore the many meanings attached to these glorious buildings. We will also discuss their fragility, and what they mean in this current moment. It was a shocking thing to see Notre Dame in Paris, one of the most famous cultural landmarks in the world, burning on live T.V. in early 2019.

Valerie Spanswick, “Gothic architecture, an introduction,” in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/gothic-architecture-an-introduction/. (5 minutes)

(the essay portion) Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, “The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris,” in Smarthistory, April 24, 2019, https://smarthistory.org/notre-dame-fire/. (5 minutes)

Birth of the Gothic: Abbot Suger and the ambulatory at St. Denis (5 mins)

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris (before the fire) (5 mins)

Experience In 360: Notre-Dame cathedral before the fire–BBC News (1:30), with Google Cardboard via VRTube.

Basics Quiz 11

This week’s topic revolves around the following themes related to the late Middle Ages: gender, the pairing of faith and reason, building a community of readers, the expectations and education of women, powerful female role models, and female authorship. To do this we largely focus on Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies. We also consider the manuscripts produced in Christine’s scriptoria in the context of late medieval book production and art.

Read Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies, Part I: chapters 1–30, 57–62, and 139–141.

Basics Quiz 12

Please upload a draft to Courses before class AND bring a printed version of your know thyself essay to class. You will be engaging in peer review. 

The final essay is due during our final exam (in hard copy and online). 

Final Exam is in Elkins on Wednesday, 12/11, 4:30–7:00 PM

• Final Exam Essay 2

***Please keep in mind that the final exam date and time are non-negotiable. Every student is expected to attend the final exam at this time. If you need to request a change of exam date for another class, you can find that form here: http://www.pepperdine.edu/registrar/forms/***. The last day is Dec. 4.