Section Overview / Theme

Catalog Description

Study of the cultural consequences of encounters between Europeans and non-Europeans from prehistory to 1500 CE. Topics will vary by section. 3 Credits. WI. HCI Pillar.

Your Professor’s Description

Longwood's Historical Encounters course puts a new spin on the traditional Western Civilization history course long offered by American colleges. For more than a century, that course tried to meet several massive goals: introducing students to college-level historical study and getting them excited about that study, keeping them excited while stuffing a nigh-impossible amount of content and cultural literacy inside their minds, and also getting them to apply sharp analysis while trying to juggle all the new information. Should we wonder that rarely did either students or professors feel successful?

And so, we sought a new approach here at Longwood. While the catalog description above indicates our broad parameters (geographically and chronologically), it also announces our new freedom—the license to go where the professor’s expertise can give students the most bang for their proverbial buck. In this section of HIST 150, this means military history: not so much in terms of battle narrative (even if some of that will show up), but more so in line with the course’s sub-title. We’re going to look at human society and how the “shadow” of war has so often influenced events and decisions, even when that shadow was all there was. In other words, how fear, worry, and excitement about war have shaped human history and societies as much as (more than?) actual combat.

My hope is that together, we will all learn something about how the modern world came to be, about how we think (individually and communally) about threats, real and imagined. This may seem a strange goal at first glance when the course wraps up around 1500, but the fact is, when it comes to history, we study the past in light of our present-day concerns and priorities.

Section Goals/Objectives

The goals (or should I say fruits?) of a history course are as numerous as the books which historians produce. Some have already been hinted at above. Broadly speaking, historical study encourages and hones critical analysis of some of life's biggest questions. These issues are themselves countless, but in the most generic terms, they mostly center on the relations of people with one another, with themselves, with their god(s), and with the truth. We will be asking “why?” rather a lot:  Why did they think that? Why did they assume such a thing? Why does the past appear simultaneously alien and similar? Even as we ask these questions, others lie implicitly underneath: Why do I think what I think? What are my prejudices and assumptions? How does my culture sway my conclusions?

We will be asking the above questions all within the context of Longwood's Civitae Core Curriculum objectives (see below in the official verbiage).  In light of the outcomes envisioned by the Civitae pillar (Historical and Contemporary Insights), this course section has its own specific desired outcomes for students. Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of historical method as it pertains to identifying and interpreting evidence from primary sources and using that evidence to construct evidence-based arguments.
• Describe the role and context of military institutions in the development of early human societies, including the debates as to whether warfare predates civilization, or derives from it.
• Be able to explain how militarization impacted (negatively or positively) a number of early societies, such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Israelites, Greeks, Romans, and Medieval Europe, thus demonstrating cross-cultural patterns even when the specific exemplars may appear quite disparate.

Grading & Assignments

EXAMS:  There will be three exams, whose form will be discussed in detail as they approach. Their basic structure, however, will be mostly essay and argument. The exams are weighted so as to give students the benefit of experience. Thus, the first mid-term is worth 14%, the second mid-term 17% and the Final, 21% of the course grade. While the Final is not cumulative per se, it will presume that students actually remember material from the early half of the course. Failure to take the Final will result in failing the course.

ASSESSMENTS:  Sadly, we do have to ensure people are doing the assigned readings. So, I will be creating some tools (primarily quizzes, yes, but discussions and other items as well) to assess how well people are keeping up with assignments and overall course content. The lowest of these eight grades will be jettisoned in the final computation of grades so that the remaining seven will be worth 15% of the final grade. Students who miss a pop quiz will have to accept that 0 as their automatic drop grade.

PAPERS:  There will be two reviews, both focused on scholarly articles that I have already vetted for quality and rigor. These will each be worth 13% each of the course grade. For full details on the nature of this assignment, see the on-line guidelines linked immediately below or in Canvas. (The list of approved articles/books for the First Review is available in the Canvas course site, as will be those for the Second Review as we approach its due date.) Further instructions about how to do this assignment (plus two sample reviews) are available here. Thanks to AI, new (actually, very old!) writing habits are going to be used this semester: for the week in which the paper is due, the professor will run a writing lab for 2 hours in which students will write their paper, free of the temptation to use AI.

NOTE:  In formal writing assignments (such as the above reviews), there will be little tolerance for grammatical errors and all other transgressions which a simple proofreading should catch. Remove these yourself so I won’t have to remove hard-earned points. Remember, the spell-checker is not fool-proof! A careful human eye is best. For further guidance, consult my General Policies, plus the Writing and Plagiarism Guides. Also, beware my list of Homonym Crimes. These are multiple, automatic grade deductions, and they can add up severely. Students who demonstrate a clear disregard for good advice and the basic requirements of the assignment will have their work returned to be redone, minus a letter-grade. Plagiarism (as I apparently cannot emphasize enough) is an automatic failure for the entire course, as is any use of AI-generated material.

IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION:  I occasionally sprinkle activities into our class time (in no small part so you don’t have to listen to me drone on forever). Along with the quizzes, this is another reason to be present daily. One thing I hope you will learn is that history (as both a craft and a record of the past) is not “set in stone.” So, questions and discussion are much encouraged--actually, expected. So, participation is worth 8% of the course grade.

AND THE REST... Be certain to read my “General Policies” page as well for further information on how your performance in the course will be assessed (late work, absences, etc.).

Schedule of Lectures/Assignments

You will need to read at the times indicated below for the maximum benefit during our lectures and discussions. Readings are to be done before you come to class. The information provided by that text will do much to color in the background of the points I will be stressing either by lecture or by posing questions to you. If the indicated readings are not one of our 2 required books, or active links to the Web, then look for them in the course Canvas site. Recall, as well, that it is a standard, minimum expectation for university education that students will spend “2 hours outside of class working and studying for every 1 hour spent in class,” as Longwood itself stipulates. Our readings here have been designed accordingly.

Date	Topic	Reading Assignment
25 Aug	Introduction: Go over course syllabus	♦ Study the professor's policies.  ♦ Canvas “Start Here” Module
27 Aug	Historical On-Boarding:  ♦ Terms, Principles, & Skills to Review, esp. Close Reading of Texts  ♦ Historical Confessions	Otterbein, xi-xv, 3-21
29 Aug	Debates on Origins	Otterbein, 22-50
3 Sept	The Impact of Hunting	Otterbein, 63-90
5 Sept	♦ The Agricultural Turn  ♦ History Definitions Paragraph	Otterbein, 91-120
8 Sept	“Pristine” States: Zapotec and Uruk	Otterbein, 121-130, 142-158, 173-176
10 Sept	♦ States and the Tools of Force	Otterbein, 177-198, 213-225
12 Sept	♦ Ancient Near East I: Mesopotamian Cultures  ♦ In-Class Analysis	♦ Extracts from the Code of Hammurabi (Appendix A, Part 2)  ♦ Porter, “Politics and Public Relations Campaigns in Ancient Assyria”
15 Sept	Ancient Near East II: Egypt	Santassuoso, “Kadesh Revisited...”
17 Sept	Ancient Near East III: Israelite/Hebrew History	Carroll, “War in the Hebrew Bible” (eBook or Canvas, Module 2)
19 Sept	♦ Homer: Myth & History ♦ In-class Quiz	Homer, Iliad (bk. 16)
22 Sept	Dark Age/Archaic Greece	Isaac Excerpt (Canvas)
24 Sept	Greece: Polis Paradigms	Review Isaac
26 Sept	Persian Wars & Herodotus	Herodotus Excerpt, Bk 6 (Canvas)
29 Sept	Persian Wars & Herodotus	Herodotus Excerpt, Bk 7 (Canvas)
1 Oct	Rivalries of the Greek World
3 Oct	Further Rivalries / Exam Review	Thucydides Excerpt (Canvas)
6 Oct	Exam
8 Oct	Rise of Rome; development in Latium	O’Connell, 3-27
13 Oct	Hegemony in Italy	O’Connell, 29-69
15 Oct	Roman Values	O’Connell, 69-105
17 Oct	♦The Punic Wars  ♦ 1st Article Review Due!	O’Connell, 106-142
20 Oct	More Punic Strife	O’Connell, 142-179
22 Oct	Punic Aftershocks?	O’Connell, 186-223
24 Oct	Crisis of the Republic	O’Connell, 223-260
27 Oct	From Republic to Empire	Collins, “Decline and Fall of Pompey the Great”
29 Oct	Life in the Pax Romana
31 Oct	Rome and Christianity	Bainton, “The Early Church and War”
2 Nov	Invasions: End of the Empire?	“8 Reasons”
5 Nov	Muhammad & the Advent of Islam	Cook, Ch. 1, "Qur'an & Conquest" (ebook)
7 Nov	The Carolingian Achievement	Boss, Chapter 2 (Canvas)
10 Nov	♦ Feudal Conflicts ♦ In-class Quiz	Feudal Agreement: at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
12 Nov	Review: Feudal Society and its Values	Review Hugh’s & William’s struggles
14 Nov	Haskins/Exam
17 Nov	Expansion of Latin Christendom / Holy War	♦ Pope Urban's Clermont speech (versions by Fulcher and Robert the Monk, only)  ♦ Accounts from the Siege of Antioch (excerpts #9 and #11 only)
19 Nov	Longwood Research Day: Presentations to See
21 Nov	Crises I: Family Strife as Civil War	Roger of Howden, “The Revolt of 1173–1174”
24 Nov	Crises II: The Fourteenth Century's Troubles	(Review!) Roger of Howden, “The Revolt of 1173–1174”
1 Dec	Renaissance: the Spur of Competition (Writing Lab Hours: 3:00 - 5:00pm)	DeVries on Joan of Arc (Canvas)
2 Dec	(Writing Lab Hours: 3:30 - 5:30pm)
3 Dec	Renaissance: Too Much Competition? (Writing Lab Hours: 3:00 - 5:00pm) 2nd Article Review Due!
5 Dec	Reformation: Geo-Politics & Martin Luther	Kelly, Chapters 4-5 (Canvas)
	Final Exam (acc. to published exam schedule)	See LU Exam Schedule for time / date

Academic Honesty

Sadly, every year a few students attempt to submit work which is not their own. This act is, of course, the crime of plagiarism. Do not test your luck in this arena. The eventual odds are against you, and the penalties are unpleasant. Any student who submits plagiarized work will automatically fail the entire course. Previous students have found that I do not negotiate this point. If you're not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, consult the student handbook, ask your instructors, or see my links to the problem. For the technologically adventuresome, the use of AI programs to generate erstwhile text falls 100% under these same categories and penalties. (Review the fuller discussion on AI in the Canvas “Start Here” module)

All forms of cheating will be penalized to the fullest extent of university policies, in line with the University’s Honor Code.

Required Textbooks

We have two major readings for this course. They are both required, and yes, I actually expect students to read them (along with all the other assignments). We have additional readings, obviously, but those can be found either via links on the Web, in databases like J-Stor, or in the course’s Canvas site.

• Keith Otterbein, How War Began
• Robert O’Connell, The Ghosts of Cannae

Contacting Dr. Isaac

• Office: Ruffner 226A
• Telephone: 395-2225
• e-mail: isaacsw@longwood.edu
• Office Hours:  MW, 11am–noon; Tues/Thurs, 1:00-1:50pm, and by appointment

Further Important Items

Syllabi get longer and harder to read every year with all the additional information required by various outside forces. That said, and to spare you some reading space (or printing costs), I am including links here to several Longwood policies or helpful offices. This covers a number of areas, including:

• Intellectual Property (esp. of classroom materials)
• Info regarding the Accessibility Resources Office
• Mental Health Resources (CAPS)
• Reporting of Crimes and Sexual Misconduct

Official Verbiage

Catalog Description
HIST 150. Historical Encounters I. Study of the cultural consequences of encounters between Europeans and non-Europeans from prehistory to 1500 CE. Topics will vary by section. 3 credits. WI (Writing-Infused).
Note for History Majors: Satisfactory completion (earning a C- or better) of this course and is required of all history majors in order to graduate.

Core Foundation Objectives
This course fulfills the Historical and Contemporary Insights pillar of the Foundations requirements. In this course students will:
• Engage in creative inquiry and cultivate curiosity.
• Develop foundational knowledge and skills in the discipline (e.g. how to communicate, study, read, etc.)

Historical and Contemporary Insights Course Outcomes
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Describe and analyze historical and cultural continuity and change over one or more periods of time. (Student Learning Outcome #1, or SLO-1)
• Identify and interpret evidence from primary sources (such as historical documents, works of art and literature, material artifacts, or oral traditions and interviews) and/or scholarly sources. (SLO-2)
• Construct evidence-based arguments that connect specific historical and cultural changes to regional, national, and/or global processes. (SLO-3)
• Create and deliver writing appropriate to audience, purpose, and context (Writing Infused)(SLO-4).