This course surveys medieval European history from Constantine's conversion to Christianity in 310 to 1400, emphasizing the creativity of the new peoples populating Europe in adapting the heritage of the Roman world and the role of economic change in transforming European societies after the millennium. Topics include the development of kingship and states, courtly literary and material cultures, economic change, the environment, and religious movements. Discussion sections will explore medieval sources—heroic epics, biographies of kings and saints, letters and chronicles, documents, social satires, and material artifacts—while lectures narrate the changes transforming Europe over the Middle Ages in conversation with our contemporary world.

This course offers an introduction to the Middle Ages, a complex and fascinating era spanning over a thousand years. To emphasize the radical transformation of European societies during these centuries, it is divided into three major sections, organized first by chronology and then by theme. Part one begins with the rise of Christianity and the collapse of Roman authority in much of Europe. That made way for new states, societies and cultures which transcended Rome’s old borders and blended its legacy with that of non-Roman worlds. Moving forward, it pays particular attention to one of those new states, the Frankish kingdom, covering its peak under Charlemagne and its subsequent collapse. The second part of the course begins with an overview of the fundamental developments which took place around the year 1000, when the classic medieval world of our imagination began to take shape. Several aspects of medieval politics, society and culture between 1000 and 1250 are then surveyed. These include, but are not limited to, the myths and realities of chivalry, the crusading movement, the growth of towns and trade, and the status of marginal and minority groups. Finally, the third portion of the course deals with the years between 1250 and 1400. Though challenged by famine, plague and war, late medieval societies experienced significant political and cultural innovation, including the beginnings of the Renaissance. Instructor bio: Robert Iafolla is a historian of the politics and political culture of late medieval Europe, focusing on the Kingdom of Castile and the Iberian Peninsula. In his recently completed dissertation, Castile serves as a case study for examining how political power possessed, or wielded, by rulers, nobles and other actors was defined amid disputes in the consolidating, yet contested, monarchies of late medieval Europe. While completing my graduate studies at UCLA, I enjoyed sharing the appreciation for the Middle Ages which underlies my research with students in the classroom. I designed and taught a course on heresy and inquisition during the Middle Ages, and prepared several others to offer in the future.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills