last update: 9/20/10
Class readings are located either among the course textbooks, or they are available for downloading and reading by linking to them from this "Reading Assignments"-web page. Over the course of the semester, the instructor might make others available through the Addlestone Library (reference, reserve, or periodicals sections). Those citations in the reading list below not found in the course textbooks are marked with the locator code: RS = Addlestone Library Reserve or Per = Library Periodicals Room or W = this Web Page.
Readings in the textbook, Spodek, The World's History, are listed as: "Spodek," +
chapter or section name + page numbers.
Readings in the course reader, Riley et al., The Global Experience, are listed as: "Riley
et al., Global Experience" + page numbers + (reading numbers in
parentheses). Note that for your convenience, each reading in Riley, Global Experience
is identified here by both its page numbers and its sequential number in the book, e.g. on 9/2/08,
reading (no. 7) is the "Epic of Gilgamesh," pp. 16-22.
Readings from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook are listed as "(IMS)".
Week 1: August 24 and 26
(8/24) Introduction: Course Description and Defining History
(8/26) Time, Historical Method and Historical Questioning
Spodek, Introduction, "The World through Historians' Eyes," I-7 to I-15;
W Piccione, "From Queries to Answers: A Taxonomy of Historical Questioning" (click to open).
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Week 2: August 31 and September 2
(8/31) Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent
Spodek, ch. 2, "From Village Community to City-State," 43-54;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 16-22:
"Epic of Gilgamesh" (no. 7).
(9/2) Mesopotamia II: Writing and Social Conscience
Spodek, ch. 2, "From Village Community to City-State," 54-62;
Spodek, ch. 5, "Dawn of the Empires," 125-130;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 39-47, 63-64:
"Code of Hammurabi" (no. 10)
"Hittite Laws" (no. 11);
"Sumerian Schoolboy Text" (no. 12);
"Assyrian War Tactics" (no. 17).
Map #1, The Near East and Western Asia (click to open)
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Week 3: September 7 and 9
(9/7) Egypt I: The Nile Valley Civilization
Spodek, ch. 3, "River Valley Civilizations," 65-70;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 2-4, 47-51:
"Egyptian Creation Story" (no. 1);
"Papyrus Lansing: A Schoolbook" (no. 13);
W "The Hymn to Hapy (Nile Inundation)" (click to open).
(9/9) LIBRARY PRESENTATION: Finding Sources:
Meet in Addlestone Library, Rm. 227 (Second Floor)
W LibGuide for History 103 (click to open). Look over and familiarize yourself with the contents.
DUE: Map Exercise #1--DOWNLOAD & COMPLETE (click to open map)
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Week 4: September 14 and 16
(9/14) Egypt II: History and Society
Spodek, ch. 3, "River Valley Civilizations," 71-78;
Spodek, ch. 5, "Dawn of the Empires," 130-134;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 52-60:
"Hatshepsut" (Divine Conception) (no. 14);
"Hymn to the Aten and Psalm 104" (no. 15);
Video: "Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids: Daily Life" (50 mins).
(9/16) Early China, Africa, and the Americas
Spodek, ch. 4, "A Polycentric World," 89-96 (not "Zhou Dynasty"), 97-116;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 8-11, 14-16:
"P'an Ku, China's Creation Story" (no. 3);
"Popol Vuh, Mayan Creation Story" (no. 6).
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Week 5: September 21 and 23
(9/21) The Persians, Minoans and Mycenaeans
Spodek, ch. 5, "Dawn of the Empires," 134-141, 142 ("Source: Homer");
Riley et al., Global Experience, 22-28:
"The Odyssey" (no. 8).
Video: "Lost City of the Aegean" (28 mins).
Map #2: The Ancient Mediterranean World
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Week 6: September 28 and 30
(9/28) The Fall of Mycenae and Archaic Greece
Spodek, ch. 5, "Dawn of the Empires," 141-147;<
Riley et al., Global Experience, 12-14:
"Theogony (Greek Creation Story)" (no. 5).
(9/28) Interim Exam #1 = rescheduled from 9/23
(9/30) Classical Greece and Alexander
Spodek, ch. 5, "Dawn of the Empires," 148-159;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 117-134:
"Thucydides, Peloponnesian War" (no. 34);
"Xenophon, The Government of Sparta" (no. 35).
DUE: Map Exercise #2--DOWNLOAD & COMPLETE
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Week 7: October 5 and 7 (Midterm Week)
(10/5) Roman Civilization I: A Watershed in Western History
Spodek, ch. 6, "Rome and the Barbarians," 163-176 ("Military Power");
Riley et al., Global Experience, 135-145:
"Plutarch, Numa the Lawgiver" (no. 37);
"Livy, Heroes of the Early Republic" (no. 38).
(10/7) Video: "A True Story of the Roman Arena" (50 mins.)
Riley et al., Global Experience, 145-153:
"Polybius, Why Romans not Greeks Rule the World" (no. 39)
W Plutarch, "The Assassination of Julius Caesar" (Ancient History Sourcebook). (click to open).
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+ + + FALL BREAK: October 10 through 12 + + +
Start Text Readings in preparation for term paper:
Gabrielli, Arab Historians of the Crusades (entire);
Madden, New Concise History of the Crusades (entire)
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Week 8: October 12 and 14
(10/12) FALL BREAK - NO CLASS
(10/14) Roman Civilization II: From Republic to Empire
Spodek, ch. 6, "Completing the Conquests: The Empire at its Zenith," 176-189;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 153-155:
"Cicero, The Laws" (no. 40).
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Week 9: October 19 and 21
(10/19) Roman Civilization III: Imperial Society
Spodek, ch. 6, "Rome and the Barbarians," 189-210;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 191-196:
"Procopius, History of the Wars" (no. 51).
(10/19) Midterm grades available online
(10/21) China: The Middle Kingdom
Spodek, ch. 7, "China: Early History," 96-97 ("Zhou Dynasty"), 205-215;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 100-104:
"Mencius, Humane Government" (no. 29).
(10/21) Last day to withdraw with grade of "W"
Map #3, East and Southwest Asia (click to open map)
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Week 10: October 26 and 28
(10/26) China: Fracture and Unification
Spodek, ch. 7, "The Han Dynasty," 215-230, 234-237;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 315-322:
"Emperor Taizong, On the Art of Government" (no. 81);
"Sung, Chinese Imperial Examination System" (no. 82);
"Chinese Footbinding" (no. 83).
DUE: Map Exercise #3--DOWNLOAD & COMPLETE (click to open)-->
(10/28) Interim Exam #2
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Week 11: November 2 and 4
(11/2) People of the Book I: Judaism
Spodek, ch. 10, "Judaism and Christianity," 307-320;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 4-8:
"Hebrew Creation, Genesis" (no. 2);
W "Roman Sources on the Jews and Judaism, 1 BCE-110 CE" (IMS);
W "Jews and the Later Roman Law 315-531 CE" (IMS);
W "Bishop of Speyer: Grant of Lands & Privileges to the Jews, 1084" (IMS)
(11/4) People of the Book II: Christianity
Spodek, ch. 10, "Christianity Emerges from Judaism," 321-341;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 158-170:
"The Golden Rule" (no. 44);
"St. Paul on Women" (no. 45);
"Pliny the Younger, Letter to Emperor Trajan" (no. 46);
"St. Augustine, The Just War" (no. 47);
W New Testament, Matthew 5:1-12, "Sermon on the Mount";
W New Testament, Acts 10:1-48 (Peter's vision and the first gentiles convert).
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Week 12: November 9 and 11
(11/10) People of the Book II: Islam
Spodek, ch. 11, "Islam," 345-375;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 197-207; 208-209:
"The Qur'an" (no. 52);
"The Hadith on Holy War (Jihad)" (no. 53);
"Harun el-Rashid and the Byzantine Empire" (no. 54);
W "The Status of Jews and Christians in Muslim Lands, 1772 CE" (IMS);
W "Yakut: Baghdad under the Abbasids, c. 1000 CE" (IMS).
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Week 13: November 16 and 18
(11/16-18) Taking the Cross: European Perspectives on the Crusades
Spodek, ch. 11, "The Crusades," 376-381;
Internet Medieval Sourcebook: The Crusades:
W Pope Urban II, "Speech at Clermont Calling for the First Crusade, 1095" (IMS);
W "Albert of Aix and Ekkehard of Aura, "Two Accounts of the Slaughter of
Rhineland Jews at the Start of the First Crusade, 1096" (IMS);
W Soloman bar Samson: "The Crusaders in Mainz, May 27, 1096" (IMS);
W Fulcher of Chartres, "The Capture of Jersusalem, 1099";
W William of Tyre, "The Foundation of the Order of Knights Templar, 1118" (IMS);
W Ernoul, "The Battle of Hattin, 1187" (IMS);
W "The Capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, 1187" (IMS);
W "Execution of Muslim Hostages at Acre, 1191" (IMS);
W "Richard the Lion-Heart Makes Peace with Saladin, 1192" (IMS);
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Week 14: November 23 and 25 (Thanksgiving Week)
(11/23) Arab Perspectives on the Crusades (all page nos. are from Gabrielli, The Arab Historians of the Crusades):
W Usama Ibn Munqidh, An Arab Opinion of the Crusaders;
Ibn al-Athîr, "The Franks Conquer Jerusalem, 1099," pp. 10-12;
Ibn al-Athîr, "The Battle of Hattin, 1187," pp. 119-125;
Imad ad-Din, "Execution of Christian Hostages at Hattin, 1187," pp. 138-139;
Baha' ad-Din, "Capture of Acre, Massacre of Muslim Prisoners, 1191," pp. 222-224;
Imad ad-Din, "Frankish Women of Peace and War," pp. 204-207 (Warning: racy sexual imagery and language!);
Baha' ad-Din, "Peace Negotiations and the Treaty, 1192," pp. 225-234.
(11/23) -- TERM PAPER DUE --
(11/25) Thanksgiving (NO CLASS)
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Week 15: November 30 and December 2
(11/30) Middle Ages: East and West
Spodek, ch. 12, "Establishing World Trade Routes," 391-421;
Riley et al., Global Experience, 261-263, 328-342"
"Ibn Battuta in Mali" (no. 67);
"del Carpini, The Tartars" (no. 85);
"Marco Polo in China" (no. 86);
"The Black Death in Florence" (no. 87);
"Ibn el-Wardî, Report on the Pestilence" (no. 88);
(12/2) Last Day of Class: Interim Exam #3
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(12/7) READING DAY--no classes (Storm Makeup Day)
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FINAL EXAMINATIONS:
!! NONE !!