History 435.01  Special Topics in European History
“The World of Late Antiqutity: From Constantine to Justinian”         
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Spring 2007      Dr. Linda Jones Hall      MWF 10:40-11:50 a.m.                        Kent Hall 312
Office: 204 Kent  Hall         Phone:  240-895-4434 or ext. 4434                 
Office hours  2:40-3:30 p.m. on Mon. and Wed: other times by appointment
Email:  ljhall@smcm.edu  webpage: http://www.smcm.edu/users/ljhall/ljhall.html

Course description
This course will examine the changes in the Late Roman world that fostered the evolution of the political and religious institutions of the modern world. In this period, the Roman Empire weakened in the West and strengthened in the East. Christianity changed from a minority underground religion to the major imperial faith. Two major legal codes (those of Theodosius and  Justinian) were issued and shaped both European and Islamic laws. Aspects of life (religious, political, economic and artistic) in the years from 300 AD to 550 AD will be studied in detail. Questions such as “Did Rome Fall?” will be examined in contemporary accounts and modern analyses.

Required Texts
AMMIANUS = Ammianus Marcellinus.  The Later Roman Empire (A.D. 354-378). Tr. W. Hamilton. London: Penguin, 1986.  Penguin, 1986. ISBN 0-14-044406-8.
 
BROWN = Brown, Peter. The World of Late Antiquity, AD 150-750. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1971. ISBN 0393958035.
MAAS = Maas, Michael, ed., Readings in Late Antiquity: A Sourcebook. London & New York: Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0 415 15988 1.
MITCHELL = Mitchell, Stephen. A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-641. Malden, MS, and Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1 4051 0856 8.
WARD-PERKINS  = Ward-Perkins, Bryan. The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization.             London and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN 0192807285.

Recommended

TURABIAN = Kate Turabian. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Revised by John Grossman and Alice Bennett. 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.  ISBN 022816273.

INTERPRETING = G.W. Bowersock, Peter Brown & Oleg Grabar, Interpreting Late Antiquity: Essays on the Postclassical World, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 2001, ISBN 0674005988.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS Regular attendance is expected. Read the assignments in advance and bring those texts to class as indicated on the syllabus. Intellectual honor, excellence, and honesty are demanded in all your work.

GRADING
WEEKLY ORAL PRESENTATIONS (10)                                                              =150points
BIBILOGRAPHY (10 items required)  & OUTLINE                                               = 100 points
PRESENTATION OF PAPER TOPIC                                                                      = 60 points
ATTENDANCE AND DISCUSSION                                                                      = 90 points
FIRST TEST                                                                                                                = 150 points  
FINAL EXAM                                                                                                            = 150 points
FINAL PAPER                                                                                                           = 300 points

Ultimately, the student’s grade is based on the professor’s assessment of the student’s work. 
94-100 = A, 93-90 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 84-86 = B, 80-83 = B-, 77-79 = C+, 74-76 = C,
70-73 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 64-66 = D, 63-60 = D-, below 60 = F

ORAL PRESENTATIONS Students will make weekly presentations on assigned topics. These topics will focus on the assigned readings, both primary sources and secondary analyses. A schedule will be established for these presentations.

BIBILOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE Students will turn in a bibliography of ten items. Each item should consist of the correct bibliographical citation for the book or journal article (which could be from a print or electronic format) and must go beyond the assigned readings. This bibliography is for the final paper. Students will also turn in a five point outline with an introductory thesis statement that explains the main argument of the final paper.
.
PRESENTATION OF THE PAPER TOPIC Students will make a fifteen-minute presentation to the class of the main points of their paper topic. This presentation will include giving each member of  the class a handout which should list the proposed title, the student’s name, an outline of five points (either phrase or sentence outline), and five bibliographical entries the student plans to use in his/her final paper. The fifteen minute presentation includes time for class interaction and questions.

TEST AND EXAM  There will be a mid-term test and a final exam. These will be designed to assess the student’s comprehension of assigned readings from both the ancient and modern authors. These tests will focus on the major issues and arguments of the common readings.

FINAL PAPER
This paper should be 10-15 pages in length, including bibliography and notes. YOU MUST USE 5 PRIMARY SOURCE QUOTATIONS!!!. Refer to Turabian for proper format for all aspects of writing.

Academic dishonesty is a very serious offense.
Definition of Plagiarism from To The Point and the College Catalog:
Plagiarism is the act of appropriating and using the words, ideas, symbols, images, or other works of original expression of others as one's own without giving credit to the person who created the work. If students have any questions regarding the definition of plagiarism, they should consult their instructor for general principles regarding the use of others' work. Among sources commonly used for documenting use of others' work are the style manuals published by the American Psychological Association, the Council of Biology Editors, the Modern Language Association, and Turabian's Manual for Writers of Term Papers. The final authority concerning methods of documentation is the course instructor. Specific instances of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following:
a) Word-for-word copying of sentences or paragraphs from one or more sources that are the work or data of other persons (including books, articles, theses, unpublished works, working papers, seminar and conference papers, lecture notes or tapes, graphs, images, charts, data, electronically based materials, etc.), without clearly identifying their origin by appropriate referencing.
b) Closely paraphrasing ideas or information (in whatever form) without appropriate acknowledgement by reference to the original work or works.
c) Presenting material obtained from the Internet as if it were the student's own work.
d) Minor alterations such as adding, subtracting, or rearranging words, or paraphrasing sections of a source without appropriate acknowledgement of the original work or works.
3. Falsification
Falsification involves misrepresentation in an academic exercise.
Misrepresentation includes, but is not limited to:
a) Falsely attributing data or judgments to scholarly sources.
b) Falsely reporting the results of calculations or the output of computer programs, or materials from other electronic sources.
c) Presenting copied, falsified, or improperly obtained data as if it were the result of laboratory work, field trips, or other investigatory work.
4. Resubmission of work
No student may turn in work for evaluation in more than one course without the permission of the instructors of both courses.

Penalties for plagiarism can include, but are not limited to, a zero on the work in question, an F in the course, and referral to the Office of the Provost. ALL sources which you use (books, articles, internet) must be cited properly. 

THE WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center, located in Library 115, offers free consultations with trained peer tutors. No matter what the subject or where you are in the writing process (understanding assignments, brainstorming ideas, or revising rough and final drafts), the tutors can help. These tutors are your peers--they do not grade or proofread your paper, but instead coach you on improving your writing. See the Writing Center's website, www.smcm.edu/writingcenter, for the latest information about tutoring hours, and also for many helpful handouts and other resources. I encourage you to use the Writing Center as much as possible.

STANDARD REFERENCE WORKS:
See the Oxford Classical Dictionary (1 vol., 3rd ed.) [OCD];  Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (3 vols.) [ODB]; and Late antiquity : a guide to the postclassical world  for articles that indicate current trends in historiography and refer you to important bibliography.These reference works are available in the Reference section of the SMCM library. At the front of these volumes is a key list of abbreviations of journals and other works that you will need for preparing the annotated bibliography and  research paper.

JOURNAL ARTICLES
Journals at SMCM (on the second floor of the library near the stairs at the rear of that floor) include Archaeology, American Journal of Archaeology, American Journal of Philology, Arethusa, Classical Journal, Classical Quarterly, Classical Review, Greek Roman and Byzantine Studies, and others. Current issues are on the display racks. Back issues are bound and are on the shelf by the call number which you can find either from the current issue or from the catalog.

Also the library “subscribes” to online journals and search engines, many of which print ariticles: PROJECT MUSE http://muse.jhu.edu/
JSTOR http://www.jstor.org/
LIBRARY DATABASES LINK  http://www.smcm.edu/library/databases.cfm
TOCS-IN is an excellent search tool for recent bibliography of journal articles (some will print) http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/amphoras/tocfind
ILL request forms for getting books and articles from SMCM Interlibrary Loan http://www.smcm.edu/library/illpolic.htm

INTERNET RESOURCES
Paul Hassall’s website; Rome, Late Antiquity, Christian origins
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html

PERSEUS, huge archive of ancient texts & art   http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

AMMIANUS SELECTIONS
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/378adrianople.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/ammianus-history14.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/arabia1.html#Ammianus%20Marcellinus
AMMIANUS PROJECT http://odur.let.rug.nl/~drijvers/ammianus/index.htm

PROCOPIUS’ SECRET HISTORY (ANECDOTA) COMPLETE
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/procop-anec.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Procopius/Anecdota/home.html

ONLINE TEXTS OF EARLY CHURCH FATHERS AND OTHERS
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/
http://www.ccel.org/p/pearse/morefathers/home.html

CONSTANTINE
http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/constantine.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/vita-constantine.html

Texts about Julian the Apostate http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/gregory_nazianzen_1_preface.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/julian-jews.html

WOMEN IN LATE ANTIQUITY BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~dhunter/arjava.htm
Bibliography on Women in the Early Church
http://camellia.shc.edu/theology/melania.htm
Bibliography on Women from the 2nd to 7th Centuries AD
http://www.nipissingu.ca/department/history/MUHLBERGER/ORB/arjava3.htm

Alice-Mary Talbot, ed., Holy Women of Byzantium: Ten Saints’ Lives in English http://www.doaks.org/ATHW.html

DIR, De Imperatoribus Romanis (this site includes Byzantine emperors)
http://www.roman-emperors.org/

PAUL HASSALL (See also the link to Late Antiquity) 
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium
Paul Halsall’s online Byzantium http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medweb/

TIMOTHY E. GREGORY  http://isthmia.osu.edu/teg/
http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/syllabi/g/gregory/early_byzantine_empire.htm
Tim Gregory’s course on Late Antiquity http://isthmia.osu.edu/teg/hist50303/

SAINTS Synaxarion online http://www.rongolini.com/synaxariontoc.htm
SOURCES for Saints Lives http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook3.html
Hippolyte Delehaye: The Legends of the Saints: An Introduction to Hagiography (1907)
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/delehaye-legends.html

Late Antique Art images http://www.flickr.com/photos/antiquite-tardive/  

DIOTIMA http://www.stoa.org/diotima/


REVISED Schedule for HIST 435.01
 “The World of Late Antiqutity: From Constantine to Justinian” 
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Spring 2007      Dr. Linda Jones Hall      MWF 10:40-11:50         Kent Hall 312

Week 1 Introduction to the course
Wed.  Jan 17 Understanding, defining, and researching Late Antiquity
MITCHELL Ch 1; Late Roman, Late Antiquity, Early Byzantine?
            Fri.  Jan 19 MITCHELL Ch 2, The Nature of the Evidence

Week 2  Beginnings of Late Antiquity
Mon. Jan 22 MITCHELL Ch 3, Diocletian -Constantine, pp 47-70  
            Wed. Jan 24 MITCHELL Ch 3, Constantius and Julian, pp. 70-79;
            MITCHELL Ch 8, Conversion of Constantine, pp 256-267  
                        Fri. Jan 26 MITCHELL Ch 9, Political Economy, pp. 301-326
           
Week 3 Ammianus Marcellinus
Mon Jan. 29    Discussion of Constantine articles -1-page reaction due        
            Wed Jan. 31  Discussion of Constantine articles -continued  
                        Fri. Feb 2  AMMIANUS Books 14-18, pp. 41-162

Week 4 The role of the Emperor and the role of the cities
Mon. Feb 5  AMMIANUS Books 19-25, pp. 163-312
            Wed. Feb 7 AMMIANUS Books 26-31, pp. 313-443
                        Fri. Feb 9 AMMIANUS continued

Week 5 How the Empire worked
Mon Feb 12    MITCHELL Ch 3, End of the 4th Century, pp. 79-96;
MITCHELL Ch 4, Beginning of the Fifth Century, pp 100-108;
MAAS, Ch 2, pp 69-101, The Army
            Wed Feb 14 MAAS, Ch 1, pp 1-67, Life in the Cities
                        Fri. Feb 16 MAAS, Ch 1, pp 1-67, Life in the Cities continued
                        MITCHELL, Ch 7, From Pagan to Christian, pp 225-251
                                                 
Week 6 Religious conflicts
 Mon Feb 19  MAAS, Ch 1, pp 1-67, Life in the Cities continued
MITCHELL Ch 8, pp. 268-295, Conversion of Augustine
            Wed Feb 21 MAAS, Ch 4, pp. 166-191, Polytheism
                        Fri. Feb 23 MAAS, Ch 3, pp. 103-165, Christianity

Week 7 Religious conflicts  continued
Mon Feb. 26   MAAS, Ch 5,             pp. 192-215, Jews
            Wed Feb. 28    FIRST TEST over material covered to date
                        Fri. Mar 2  Discussion of chapters in Interpreting Late Antiquity-1-page reaction
                        MITCHELL, Ch 4, The Fifth and Sixth Centuries, pp. 109-149

Week 8 The Roman State
Mon. Mar 5 MITCHELL, Ch 5, pp. 155-187, The Roman State; 
Finish MAAS, Ch 5, pp. 192-215, Jews;
MAAS, Ch 6, pp. 217-237, Women; MAAS, Ch 7, pp. 238-249, Law
            Wed Mar 7 MAAS, Ch 6, pp. 217-237, Women; MAAS, Ch 7, pp. 238-249, Law
                        Fri. Mar 9 Discussion of the non-Constantine articles-1-page reaction due   

Spring break - March 10-18; Read Brown and Ward-Perkins over the break

Week 9 How to read the past
Mon. Mar 19 BROWN, Part One, pp. 7-112
            Wed Mar 21 BROWN, Part Two, pp. 114-203
                        Fri. Mar 23 RESEARCH DAY—NO CLASS

Week 10 Late Antique Civilizations
Mon Mar 26 MAAS, Chs 8-9, pp. 250-280, Medicine and Philosophy
            Wed Mar 28    MITCHELL, Ch 10, pp. 327-365, Society and Economy
            Discussion of chapters in  Urban Centers and Rural Contexts-1-page reaction due             
                        Fri. Mar. 30 MITCHELL, Ch 6, pp. 191-221, The Barbarian Kingdoms
                       
Week 11 Meet the Barbarians
Mon Apr 2 BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND OUTLINES DUE
MAAS, Chs 11 & 12, pp. 299-334, Germanic Peoples and People of the Steppes
            Wed Apr 4, WARD-PERKINS, Part One, pp. 1-83
                        Fri. Apr 6 WARD-PERKINS, Part Two, pp. 84-187

Week 12 Transition in the East
Mon Apr 9 MITCHELL, Ch 11, pp. 371-399, Challenges of Later 6th Century;
MAAS, Ch 10, pp. 281-297
            Wed  Apr 11 MITCHELL, Ch 12, pp. 402-422, Final Reckoning;
            MAAS, Ch 13, pp. 335-355, Islam
                        Fri. Apr 13 Concluding discussion on “transformation vs fall”
Week 13 Presentations
Mon. Apr 16 FINAL PAPERS DUE; ORAL PRESENTATIONS BEGIN
            Wed Apr 18 ORAL PRESENTATIONS
                        Fri Apr 20 ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Week 14 Presentations
Mon Apr 23 ORAL PRESENTATIONS
            Wed Apr 25 ORAL PRESENTATIONS
                        Fri. Apr 27 Review for final exam; last day of class
Week 15 Week 15 Mon-Tues Apr 30-May 1 SMP presentations; Wed May 2 Reading Day
Exam  Friday May 4, 2:00-4:15; Emphasis on material since midterm exam


EXAMPLE OF A BIBLIOGRAPHY RESULT FOR CONSTANTINE FROM TOCS-IN

Result of search for 'CONSTANTINE'