Description

Through this course, students will examine the history of Byzantine culture, which grew from the Greek-speaking remains of the Roman Empire. Students will consider how leading men and women shaped Byzantine Civilization and the political and military institutions that preserved it through the fifteenth century. The course will also focus on the development and spread of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and significant aspects of Byzantine culture, such as cuisine, gender roles, cities, and art. We will explore in some detail Byzantium's complex and difficult dialog with its neighbors: the Islamic world, the Slavs, and the Latin West. This course especially emphasizes reading and discussion of primary source documents. Students will compose a research paper as their main work for this class.