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Western Civilization I - Europe to 1700
Welcome to the Western Civilization I - Europe to 1700 course site. This is a self-study course with continuous assistance (if you need it). You can start this course anytime you like and complete it anytime you like at your own pace. In case you need assistance with the readings, the review questions or the test yourself questions, join the ehistory group (to be announced) and e-mail your inquire.
Course Outline (tentative)
The Study of History
The Emergence of Civilization
The Greek Legacy
- The Emergence of the Greek Civilization
- Greek Archaic Culture and the Colonization
- The Greek Polis
- The Greek Wars with Persia
- Greek Wars of the Fith Century B.C.
- Classical Greek Culture
- Philip and Alexander of Macedonia
- Politics, Society and Culture in Hellenistic Times
The Roman Legacy
- The Rise of Rome
- The Roman Expansion in the Mediterranean
- Social Crisis and Change
- The End of the Roman Republic
- The Early Roman Empire
- The Roman Empire and Social Change
- The Late Empire & the Decline
- The Emergence of Christianity
- Roman Family-life & Culture
Medieval Europe
- The New Peoples in Europe
- The New Economic Structure
- The Emergence of the Western Church
- The Appearance of the Western States
- The New Culture of learning in Western Europe
- The Byzantium Empire
- Kievan Russia
- The Rise of Islam
- Economic and Social Change
- Feudalism and Political Order
- Crisis and Reform in Western Church
- The Early Medieval Culture
- Economic Expansion
- The New States in Europe
- Heresy and the Church
- The Medieval Synthesis
- The Crusades
- The Rise of the Ottoman Empire
- Moscovite Russia
- The Demographic and Economic Effects of Pestilence
- Trade and Insudtry in Late Medieval Europe
- The Revolts of the People
- The Hundred Years War and its Aftermath
- The Church and the Papal Crisis
Renaissance and Reformation
- The Italian Cities
- Humanism
- Art in Renaissance Italy
- The Culture of North Europe
- Scholasticism, and Piety
- Religious Discontent
- The Reformation of Martin Luther
- The Growth of Protestant Movements
- The catholic Revival
- Population Increase, Economic Growth and Social Change
- The Overseas Expansion
- The New Monarchies
- The Holy Roman Empire
- Machiavelli and Guicciardini
- The Wars of Religion and Philip II of Spain
- The Thirty Tears War and the Treaty of Westphalia
Course Description
This course is the first part of an introduction to the history of western civilization with an emphasis on the history of Europe. This is an adult/college level course. The first half covers the period from the origins of civilization in Ancient Mesopotamia to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 and its aftermath.
Course Rational
This course will provide students with a general but solid background to western civilization and the History of Europe that is, politics, economy, society, and culture, from the proto-historic period to the mid 17th century. The competion of this course will allow you to continue with either Western Civilization II - Europe since 1650 course or with other more advanced courses relating to the Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern times.
Course Objectives
As a result of comleting this course, you should be able to demonstrate a general knowledge of the history of Europe and European civilization during ancient, medieval, and early modern times; recognize cultural exchange between the peoples who lived around the Mediterranean Sea; evaluate the contribution of ancient, medieval and early modern cultures to the development of modern European civilization; interpret political, economic, social events and ideas that developed in the European continent until the mid seventeenth century.
Course Developer
This course has been developed by Prof. Demetris I. Loizos, a Historian and a library Archaeologist. He has taught European civilization and History at an American College for many years but he is mainly interest in historical computing that is, the analysis, design, and development of History related databases, multimedia applications, electronic courses.
Course Resources
The readings, the maps, the images, and the sounds constitute an indispensable set of learning material for this history course. The resources for this course are derived from Internet sources that have been checked for their relevance and accuracy. However, in replacement for the electronic texts above, any general book on the development of western civilization may be used as a reference and study guide for the completion of this course.
Suggested printed reference material:
- Sterns, Peter N. Ed. The Encyclopedia of World History. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001 and optional CD-ROM.
- The Penguin Atlas of World History. Volume 1: From Prehistory to the Eve of the French Revolution Rev. ed. N. York: Penguin, 2004 or any other modern Historical Atlas.
How to Study for this Course
Study the Required Reading and do the Exercises at your own pace. Review Questions refer to specific readings. A good practice is to do a specific reading and then try to answer the matching Review Question. You may also use the Review Questions as starting points in order to explore the reading material.
How to Test Youself
When you have revewed the material of a specific topic, you may answer the Test Yourself questions. You may join the ehistory group and e-mail your answers for evaluation.
Complementary Material
The resources under this title complement the reading material and may help you understand better some aspects discussed in the relevant course section.
Further Reading
A highly selective suggested bibliography for further reading including important books in English can be found at the end of every course section.For new or used copies check Amazon or AbeBooks or Half or look at BookSpot or search at Book Finder. Publishers and dates of publication may be different from the ones mentioned in this sections.
