History 115
Course Description
and Goals

A WORLD OF EMPIRES This course presents an historical survey of key civilizations and cultures of early human history which evolved into great empires (3,000 BC through A.D. thirteenth century). Here the course defines the notion of "empire," as it explores how various empires formed over time, starting with Egyptian conquests of the First Dynasty, the Akkadians of Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome and Byzantium, as well as the Arabian and Mongol Empires. This course will test the ancient Roman theory that all cultures and kingdoms go through three phases of their existence: growth, perfection, and decline. A major focus of this course is the interaction of empires and kingdoms to understand the common factors of political consolidation and dissolution over time, leading to the inexorable conclusion that no matter how mighty any empire is, it is not permanent. However, while some dissolve completely or are consumed, others transform into polities of a different type.

GOAL. The goal of this class is to inculcate the student with an awareness of the interconnections of societies and the ways in which they manifest political consolidation and absorption. Special attention is paid to original documentation (i.e., primary texts) from these societies, including their own religious and historical inscriptions, legal texts, literary works, etc., as well as their material culture. In this manner, students can understand these societies from what contemporaries wrote about themselves, and they can use these primary texts to analyze and assess specific historical and cultural issues.


Why Bother with Comparative History?

In the Twenty-first century the world is becoming smaller than ever. The age of instantaneous communications, global markets, international economy, world-wide terrorism, etc., demand that people be aware of cultures and histories outside of their own in order to understand others, to succeed and to prosper. In another regard, students need to understand the historical backgrounds and preconceptions of other societies if they wish to forge political and economic alliances, compete for future business, market American goods overseas or foreign goods domestically, or to exchange ideas successfully and in a meaningful manner.

This course is designed to help students obtain a basic understanding of the historical interconnections between societies and how they came to be, in order to prepare them for a future in which the transfer of ideas, research, banking, commerce, entertainment, and the like will have few national boundaries. In addition, the personal reading, writing, and analytical skills which students will enhance for themselves in this course will equip them to be responsible citizens, saavy consumers, and successful business persons and professionals.