Week 10 Overview and Assignment

 

Welcome to Early Medieval Europe:

The Heirs of Rome: Islam, Byzantium, and Europe
600 c.e. - 750 c.e.

(Chapter 8 in Hunt)

 

Europe, about 800 c.e.

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It's good to have you here. Again, at the start of each week, always start by clicking on the Module tab on our Course Website. Click on the Module for that week and read the chapter overview and exploration. This will prepare you well when you come to read the chapter and complete the assignments.  

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Chapter 8 Objectives

After reading and studying this chapter, students should be able to:

1. Explain the origins and spread of Islam.
2. Discuss the changes in Byzantine politics and society after Justinian.
3. Analyze the structure of the western European kingdoms and their relationships with the papacy.

Self-test yourself by answering these questions. They are not to be handed in however.

Please read your textbook this week so that you are able to answer these key questions. If you can't answer them after "finishing" the chapter, you have a critical piece of information about your reading comprehension level. Re-read often or read more slowly, actively. (To learn how to improve your reading comprehension, please go to our First Week Module and click on the section "How to Read a History Textbook Chapter." Then apply what you've learned.) 

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The Heirs of Rome: Islam, Byzantium, and Europe

Last week we saw how the Roman Empire underwent a major transition after 476 c.e. as it lost the ability to maintain peace within its borders. The empire fragmented into three culturally distinct parts, in which language, religion, and loyalties separated people. In the West, Germanic invaders established new kingdoms, converted to Christianity and blended their own culture with that of Romans now living under their rule.

In the East, the Roman Empire persisted for approximately another thousand years, but Byzantium was centered upon Constantinople and began to develop different characteristics with time. The official language was Greek, not Latin. While Rome crumbled in the West, a new empire emerged, though few knew it at the time.

Finally, in the desert of Arabia, a prophet founded a new religion, which would soon spread rapidly, conquering the eastern and western shores of the Mediterranean and most of the Iberian Peninsula. These three civilizations coexisted uneasily, and their differences and conflicts would destroy Roman unity and shape Europe's future.

Some Common Misconceptions About the History We'll Be Exploring

1.

There is some confusion over the use of these terms -- Arab, Islam, and Muslims. Islam is the religion, and a Muslim is one who practices Islam. Arab is an ethnic and linguistic group and does not denote any particular religion. While it is true that many Arabs are Muslim, Christianity is also commonly practiced by Arabs, and many who practice Islam are not Arabs.

2.

Historians of a previous age used the term "The Dark Ages" frequently to refer to the era between the Roman Empire and the Protestant Reformation (1517), but few would use it that way now. The term still shows up in novels, movies, and the media, and students are most certainly familiar with the term. While the era might not have been as wealthy or politically stable as the height of the Roman Empire, western Europeans maintained scholarship, the arts, and a lively culture. The idea that this was “a thousand years without a bath” is clearly a myth. Poor hygiene was not considered a virtue, and most villages had a community bath house. "What happens when historians use disparaging terms to describe a period? Does the evidence support the use of "Dark Ages" to characterize this period? Let's find out.

 

Typical dress of a Germanic European
man circa 850 c.e.

 

Read

For this Week, carefully read in our textbook, The West in the World, all of Chapter 8 in the textbook.

Please read "Analyzing Primary Sources: The Historian as Detective." It is in the Week-10 Module

Discuss

Go to the Discussion Forum for this week and contribute to this week's Discussion topics.

In the forums please post your initial posts by Friday. Be aware of what makes for a good Discussion post. See the Assignment for the Discussion Grading Table, 

The Quiz

Finally, please take the Chapter 8 Quiz for this week. 

The Field Trip Project

Finally, please don't forget about your Field Trip Project! The due date for it is rapidly approaching. To access it, go here. 

 

The Deadline

As ever, the deadline for all of your work (except your initial Discussion post) is
Sunday, before 11 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Note this well.