War in the Middle Ages
HIST 268
Spring 2008 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
MDST 268 |
Images of war and violence tend to predominate in the popular imaginary of medieval Europe - Crusading knights bedecked in armor, rough and tumble Vikings in their longships, Robin Hood in tights with his band of "merry men." Of course, we know that Europe prior to the accoutrements of the modern state - courts, police, judicial officers - was not a place of ceaseless violence, conflict, and war. Nevertheless, war, violence, and conflict were central facets of European civilized life; they served highly theorized and extremely practical purposes, based on religious and social customs perhaps more often than on formal governmental procedures and institutions. In this course we will examine such theories and practices as the theory of just war and the practice of blood feud. We will also consider some of the ways that the emergence of central judicial authority transformed the concepts, terms, and execution of war toward the end of our period (roughly the 5th through 14th centuries). We will explore the development of technologies of warfare specific to the period, the emergence of a literature of medieval masculinity, and treatises on strategy and the spiritualization of knighthood. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS HIST |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None |
Major Readings:
Some readings include but are not limited to:
Augustine, CITY OF GOD
Gregory of Tours, HISTORY OF THE FRANKS
RULE OF THE TEMPLARS
Bernard of Clairvaux, IN PRAISE OF THE NEW KNIGHTHOOD
Christine de Pizan, THE BOOK OF DEEDS OF ARMS AND OF CHIVALRY
Froissart's CHRONICLES
Bernal Diaz, THE CONQUEST OF NEW SPAIN
LANCELOT OF THE LAKE
THE TRIAL OF JEANNE D'ARC
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Examinations and Assignments:
Students will be required to write weekly reflections on the readings. Essay-based midterm and final examination. |
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