Catalog of Courses for Medieval Studies
A survey of European archaeology beginning with the Neanderthal debate, and including interpretations of Upper Paleolithic cave painting, the spread village farming from the Near East, the role of megalithic monuments, the interaction of Rome and the `Barbarians', the growth of urban centers, the Iron Age, and the Viking expansion.
Investigates problems in medieval architecture
Investigates problems in art of East, South, and Southeast Asia
This course introduces the art forms, trade objects, & religions that flourished along the historical Silk Road. Stretching 8000km, the Silk Road is a network of trade routes that provided a bridge between the east & west between the 1st & 14th centuries CE. The Silk Road flourished as a commercial & at times military highway. But more than that, it was a channel for the transmission of ideas, technologies, & artistic styles, with far-reaching impact beyond China & the Mediterranean world.
Discover the spectacular world of Byzantine art and architecture, from glittering mosaics and soaring domes to sacred icons and jeweled masterpieces. This course explores eleven centuries of artistic brilliance, revealing how visionary Byzantine artists and builders fused faith, innovation, and power to create one of history¿s most extraordinary cultural legacies.
Introduces the artistic traditions of China, Korea, and Japan, from prehistoric times to the modern era. Surveys major monuments and the fundamental concepts behind their creation, and examines artistic form in relation to society, individuals, technology, and ideas.
The class is an overview of art made in the service of Islam in the Central Islamic Lands, Egypt, North Africa, Spain, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and South and Southeast Asia. Discussion sections offer more in depth discussions of larger issues raised in the lectures.
In this course, we will venture into the fascinating words and worlds of premodern Arab-Islamic leisure and pleasure. We will focus specifically on the literary representation of and socio-cultural/theosophical debate on humor, pleasantry, wit, frivolity, eating, feasting, banquets crashing, dietetics, erotology, aphrodisiacs, sexual education and hygiene.
In this course we will focus specifically on the literary representation of and socio-cultural/theosophical debate on humor, pleasantry, wit, frivolity, eating, feasting, banquets crashing, dietetics, erotology, aphrodisiacs, sexual education and hygiene. We will organize the course around selected readings from a variety of premodern Arabic jocular, culinary and erotological literature available in English translations.
Studies the development of English word forms and vocabulary from Old English to present-day English. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at https://english.as.virginia.edu/.
Studies selected Canterbury Tales and other works, read in the original. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.engl.virginia.edu/courses.
Studies Troilus and Criseyde and other works, read in the original. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.engl.virginia.edu/courses.
Limited enrollment. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.engl.virginia.edu/courses.
Moving through much of the New Testament, from the Gospels to Revelation, this course focuses on deepening biblical literacy and sharpening awareness of biblical connections to whatever members of the class are reading in other contexts. Along the way we will discuss translations; textual history; and interpretations, ancient to contemporary. No previous knowledge of the Bible is needed or assumed. Can be taken before or after Part 1.
Reading of the poem, emphasizing critical methods and exploring its relations to the culture of early Medieval England. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://english.as.virginia.edu/. Prerequisite: ENGL 5100 or equivalent.
A graduate-level seminar in Medieval literature. Topics vary from year to year. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at https://english.as.virginia.edu.
Love fascinated people in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries as it still does today. This course will examine understandings and uses of love in religious and secular literature, music and art. What is the relationship, for medieval writers, between the love of God and the love of human beings? What is the role of poetry in promoting and producing love? What medieval ideas about love continue to shape our modern understandings and assumption.
What is the good life, and what is a good life? Saints seem to live perfectly good lives, but stories about them often grapple with this question, encouraging audiences to think deeply about their own lives in ways that go beyond any one ethical system. Looking at old and new stories of parent-child struggles, spectacular sinning and redemption, gender transformation, and daily moral predicaments, we will explore what it means to live well.
Topics may include genres (romance, poetry, hagiography, chanson de geste, allegory), themes (love, war, nature), single authors (Chrétien de Troyes, Machaut) and cultural and literary issues (gender, religion, authorship, rewritings).
Topics may include genres (romance, poetry, hagiography, chanson de geste, allegory), themes (love, war, nature), single authors (Chrétien de Troyes, Machaut) and cultural and literary issues (gender, religion, authorship, rewritings).
This course traces the lineage and shapes of the Arthurian legend as witnessed in medieval literature and modern adaptations, including film and television ("Games of Thrones," "Star Wars," etc.) The aim is familiarity with the story of King Arthur and his court, as well as an ability to appreciate the permutations of the legend in all forms of media.
Introduces the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
An intro to the study of Chinese civilization. We shall begin with the earliest human remains found in China & conclude in the present. The goal of this coure is not merely to tell the story of Chinese history, rich and compelling though the story is. Rather, our aim will be to explore what makes Chinese civilization specifically Chinese, & how the set of values, practices, & institutions we associate with Chinese society came to exist.
Studies the transformation of Chinese politics, society, institutions, culture and foreign relations from the Opium War. through the post-Mao Reform Era. Emphasizes the fluid relationship between tradition and transformation and the ways in which this relationship continues to shape the lives of the Chinese people.
An introduction to the politics, culture, and ideologies of modern Japan from roughly 1800 to the present. We will pay special attention to the interplay between Japan's simultaneous participation in global modernity and its assertion of a unique culture as a way to explore the rise of the nation-state as a historically specific form.
This lecture class surveys the history of Japanese civilization from prehistory to the end of the nineteenth century. Through an assortment of historical, literary, religious and visual materials, it offers an introduction to the political, social, religious, intellectual, artistic, and cultural life of Japan in its various epochs.
This course covers the history of Korean civilization from its archeological and mythical origins to the late nineteenth century. Together students will examine sources on premodern Korean warfare, society, sex, politics, religion, and culture to understand how this seemingly distant past continues to shape Korea's present and future. We will also explore the influence of Korean civilization on regional and global histories beyond the peninsula.
This course traces Korea's history from its unified rule under the Choson dynasty (1392-1910) to Japanese colonization (1910-1945) and subsequent division into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Republic of Korea (South Korea). It examines how processes of reform, empire, civil war, revolution, and industrialization shaped both Koreas' development and how ordinary people experienced this tumultuous history.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
Surveys the social, political and economic organization of traditional Chinese society, traditional Chinese foreign policy, and major literary, artistic, and intellectual movements.
Survey of the social, political, and cultural history of China from 10th to the early 20th centuries. Topics include the philosophic basis of state and society, the formation of social elites, the influence of nomadic peoples, and patterns of popular dissent and rebellion, among others
Studies political and social thought from the early 20th century to the present, as reflected in written sources (including fiction), art, and films.
The course traces China's external relations from antiquity to our own times, identifying conceptions, practices, and institutions that characterized the ancient inter-state relations of East Asia and examining the interactions between "Eastern" and "Western," and "revolutionary" and "conventional" modes of international behavior in modern times. The student's grade is based on participation, midterm test, final exam, and a short essay.
This course will examine the rise of the nation-state form in Japan as a new form of historical subjectivity. It will explore in depth the political, economic, social, and cultural changes in the wake of the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 to the start of the Tasiho period in 1912.
This course is an exploration of Japan's imperial project from roughly 1890-1945. We will start by developing a critical theoretical vocabulary with which we will then focus on three recent and important books on Japanese imperialism in East Asia. At the end of the semester we will also look briefly at anti-imperial and decolonization movements as well as the status of the category of 'empire' for analyzing the postwar period.
This course explores societal debates about the problem of industrial pollution in China, Japan, and Korea from a historical perspective. Questions this course addresses include the costs and benefits of industrial development and growth, the relationship between environmental movements and civil society, the environmental costs of war, and the role of the non-human in historical narratives.
The class examines China's entanglement with the Cold War from 1945 to the early 1990s. The course raises China-centered questions because it is curious in retrospect that China, a quintessential Eastern state, became so deeply involved in the Cold War, a confrontation rooted in Western history. In exploring such questions, this course does not treat China as part of the Cold War but the Cold War as a period of Chinese history.
The course explores Chinese-American relations since the late 18th century. Starting as an encounter between a young trading state and an ageless empire on the two sides of the Pacific Ocean, the relationship has gone through stages characterized by the two countries' changing identities. The course understands the relationship broadly and seeks insights at various levels.
This course examines the history of territorial disputes in East Asia by examining the demarcation, mapping, & policing of borders from the 1600s - present. With case studies including Xinjiang, the Korean peninsula, & current territorial disputes in the South & East China Seas, we will interrogate the social, political, cultural, & environmental factors that defined boundaries in East Asia historically & contribute to ongoing border tensions.
An examination of the history of Japan from 1945 to the present, as it transforms from an empire to a modern industrial capital state. We will explore the key contradictions, debates, and fault lines that run through the period, many of which persist to today.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
A small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pp. in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
A small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students prepare about 25 pages of written work. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent Study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Open to majors or non-majors.
This seminar familiarizes graduate students with scholarships about relations among states, societies, and peoples of the Asia-Pacific region during the 20th century, and helps students refine their ongoing research projects or initiate new ones. In applying rigorously methods of historical research to their projects, students produce scholarly works or research proposals that can meet expectations in actual scholarly fields.
This course, an advanced reading seminar, provids an in-depth investigation of one of the most magnificent, yet destructive, revolutions in human history--the Chinese Communist revolution, as well as the person who led the revoilution--Mao Zedong.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
North Korea's brutal resiliency on the international stage makes it increasingly important to understand its unique historical trajectory. Together we will discuss obstacles as well as opportunities related to finding primary sources on North Korean history while completing original research papers that help us better understand the inner workings and outward-facing aspirations of this authoritarian "democratic people's republic."
This tutorial explores three types of conflicts in China modern experiences: civil wars, international conflicts, and Cold War confrontations. Reading materials include major scholarships on these topics. The class meets biweekly, and the students are evaluated on the basis of participation, short book reviews, and a final paper.
This tutorial is about conceptual and political constructions of the "Chinese Nation" in the 20th century. Readings include relevant writings by important intellectual and political figures of 20th-century China and major scholarships on the subject from multiethnic perspectives. The class meets biweekly, and the students are evaluated on the basis of participation, short book reviews, and a final paper.
Introduction the history and historiography of modern Japanese Thought, Culture, and Politics. Topics include modernity, empire, the nation-state, war, fascism, and capitalist development.
This tutorial provides students an overview of representative scholarly works and major historiographical debates in the English language on the study of modern Korean history. Specific topics covered include Korea's colonization, decolonization, division, economic development, the birth of modern Korean nationalism, and the growth of Korea's overseas diaspora.
This tutorial provides students an overview of representative scholarly works and major historiographical debates in the English language on modern imperialism in East Asia and is primarily designed for PhD students preparing for their qualifying examinations.
This course introduces students to the major types/genres of materials for the study of Imperial Chinese history, including both official documents and unofficial/literary and artistic works. Its two primary goals are to (1) familiarize students with the large variety of available sources and (2) provide abundant hands-on opportunities for critical reading and textual analysis.
This course introduces graduate students to key English-language scholarship on the political, social, and cultural history of imperial China, focusing on the 8th to 13th centuries. Major topics include court politics, the formation of factionalism, the evolution of key institutions, literati cultural practices, and patterns of social networking, etc.
This course introduces students to the major types of source materials (official documents, treatises, biographies, anecdotal writing, ji accounts, letters, etc.) for the study of Song Dynasty history.
This course introduces students to the most influential English-language scholarship on imperial China, especially the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, in the last century. In addition to familiarizing students with the historiography of this important period, it aims to explore the key issues and developments in political and intellectual life as well as the formation and evolution of social and cultural ideals and practices.
Intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
Surveys the history of Britain from the establishment of Roman rule to the Norman Conquest of 1066. Particular focus falls upon the social, political and cultural history of early England and its neighbors in Wales and Scotland, the Scandinavian impact of the 8th through 11th centuries, and Britain's links with the wider late antique and early medieval worlds.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
Explores the history of the Middle East and North Africa from late antiquity to the rise to superpower status of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Topics include the formation of Islam and the first Arab-Islamic conquests; the fragmentation of the empire of the caliphate; the historical development of Islamic social, legal, and political institutions; science and philosophy; and the impact of invaders (Turks, Crusaders, and Mongols).
A seminar focusing on influential medieval and early-modern narratives such as the Tale of Heike in which the notion of the samurai first developed. No prerequisites. Satisfies the non-Western and Second-Writing requirements.
Selections of Mediaeval Latin prose and verse. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.virginia.edu/classics/.
In this course we will examine the history of astrology, as both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery, from the ancient to the contemporary periods. Astrology played a significant, albeit underappreciated, role in the making of ancient and medieval societies. We will consider astrology's early global status as a science with immutable laws, and its 17th-century designation as a pseudo-science in Western thought.
Discussion and criticism of selected works of and on the period. Taught by different members of the medieval faculty.
This course aims to introduce students to Persian literature's contribution to global humanism through poetry and poetics. We'll explore how Persian romance novels in verse (masnavi) engage with themes like love, desire, beauty, and the Divine, and how these themes intersect with gender, religion, society, ethics, womanhood, and leadership. The main focus will be the narrative content, the poets' arguments, and the issues they raise.
The course focuses on two key twelfth-century texts: Nasrullah Munshi's Kalila and Dimna (translated by Wheeler Thackston), a collection of animal fables--featuring lions, jackals, elephants, hares, tortoises, snakes, ducks, and even ants--rooted in Indian and Persian moral traditions; and Farid ud-Din Attar's The Conference of the Birds (translated by Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis), a Sufi allegory exploring the soul's journey.
This course aims to introduce you to Persian literature¿s contribution to global humanism through poetry and poetics. We'll explore how Persian romance novels in verse (masnavi) engage with themes like love, desire, beauty, and the Divine, and how these themes intersect with gender, religion, society, ethics, womanhood, and leadership.
In this course, we¿ll explore how Persian literature---especially in allegorical and narrative forms like the masnavi---addresses themes such as virtue, justice, empathy, and self-knowledge. The focus will be on two key twelfth-century texts: Nasrullah Munshi¿s Kalila and Dimna (translated by Wheeler Thackston), a collection of animal fables---featuring lions, jackals, elephants, hares, tortoises, snakes, ducks, and even ants---rooted in Indian and Persian moral traditions.
Survey of the history of philosophy from the Pre-Socratic period through the Middle Ages. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.virginia.edu/philosophy/.
Western Political Theory from Plato to the Reformation. Among authors covered are Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther. For the medieval period, central themes are natural law, allegorical interpretation of Scripture, and the origins of modern liberal political theory.
This course serves as an introduction to the religious beliefs and practices of China, Taiwan, and the Chinese diaspora. The course covers several broad themes in Chinese religion, including ritual, self-cultivation, means of communicating with the gods, and the intersection of political authority and religion. We will engage with textual, material, and visual traditions.
This course traces the rise of Christianity in the first millennium of the Common Era, covering the development of doctrine, the evolution of its institutional structures, and its impact on the cultures in which it flourished. Students will become acquainted with the key figures, issues, and events from this formative period, when Christianity evolved from marginal Jewish sect to the dominant religion in the Roman Empire.
If religious teachings so often focus on love and peace, why is so much violence committed in the name of religion? In this course, we will consider the ways in which religion and violence have intersected in Western religions (particularly Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) over the past two millennia, from the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire to the modern world.
This course traces the history of Jerusalem with a focus on its significance in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. How has Jerusalem been experienced and interpreted as sacred within these religious communities? How have they expressed their attachments to this contested space from antiquity to modern times? Discussion will be rooted in primary texts from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sources, with attention to their historical context.
Systematic reading of the Qur'an in English, with an examination of the prophet's life and work.
This course will explore medieval and early modern works written in Castilian from El Cid to Calderón's theater. We will focus on the function of these literary texts in the European and Mediterranean context. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPAN 3010 and 3300, or departmental placement. Exclude Spanish majors on their 4th year.
The development of the Spanish language from its origins.