This replaces the first syllabus for readings through October 12

Nota Bene: As announced in class, the two secondary source readings (Reuter and Brown) have been dropped

September 3: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
September 5: the World of the Early Middle Ages
September 7: Discussion: Beowulf
 Textbook Reading:
  Hollister, 28-41, 56-64
 Primary Source Readings:
  Beowulf, entire (pp. 25-81)

PART II: THE CENTRAL MIDDLE AGES
September 10: Germanic Culture
September 12: Beowulf (??)
September 14: Beowulf and Early Medieval Kingdoms
 Textbook Reading:
  Required: 87-108
 Primary Source Readings:
  Geary: Einhard, Life of Charles the Great (ie., Charlemagne), 267-280
 Secondary Source Readings:

September 17: Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire
September 19: the Vikings and the End of the Early Middle Ages
September 21: Recovery in England: King Alfred the Great
 Textbook Reading:
  Required: Hollister, 109-123
 Primary Source Readings:
  Geary: King Alfred, pp. 223-247
  The Song of Roland, first 1/3 (to p. 66)
 Secondary Source Reading:
  Reserve Room: Timothy Reuter, "Plunder and Tribute in the Carolingian Empire," Transactions
    of the Royal Historical Society, 5th ser. 35 (1985): 75-94.

September 24: Lordship: relations between Aristocrats
September 26: Medieval Cases of Lordship in Action: Roland, Hugh of Lusignan, and Gervais of Le Mans
September 28: Discussion
 Textbook Reading:
  Hollister, 123-129, 172-182
 Primary Source Readings:
  Geary: Fulbert of Chartres, Letter to William of Aquitaine, p. 366
  Geary: Hugh of Lusignan, “Agreement Between Lord and Vassal”, 367-372
  The Song of Roland, last 2/3 (p. 66 to end)
 Reserve Room: Elizabeth Brown, "The Tyranny of a Construct: Feudalism and Historians of
   Medieval Europe" in American Historical Review 79 (1974): 1063-88.

October 1: Lordship: relations between peasants and lords
FIRST PAPER DUE: Monday, October 1, in class
October 3: Manors and the life of the peasantry
October 5: Lecture: the Organization of the Church in 1100
 Textbook Reading:
  Hollister, 138-143, 182-188
 Primary Source Readings:
  On-Line Texts: Peasant Servitude (at my website)
  On-Line Texts: Peasant Life (at my website)

October 8: FALL BREAK
October 10:  Monasticism: the Benedictine Ideal
October 12 (LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT PENALTY): Benedictine Monasticism at its Peak: Cluny
TAKE-HOME MIDTERM DUE: Friday October 12 in class
 Textbook Reading:
  Hollister, 65-70 (on Benedictine monks), 206-224
 Primary Source Readings:
  Geary: Rule of St Benedict, 158-187 (focus on the prologue and chapters 1-7, 12-16, 22-25, 28-
   30, 33-34, 36-42, 48, 58-62)
  Geary: Miracles of St Foy, 311-318
 Secondary Source Reading:
  Reserve Room: Barbara Rosenwein, Thomas Head, and Sharon Farmer, "Monks and their
   Enemies: A Comparative Approach," Speculum 66 (1991): 764-786

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