Courses of Study 2018-2019 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Courses of Study 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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SHUM 4632 - Emperors, Kings, and Warlords: Political Legitimacy at the End of the Ancient World

(crosslisted) CLASS 4602 HIST 4632 MEDVL 4632 
     


Spring. 4 credits. Student option grading.

Enrollment limited to: 15 students. Co-meets with HIST 6632 /MEDVL 6632 /SHUM 6632 .

D. Fernández.

This seminar will analyze the transition between the late Roman empire and the barbarian kingdoms in western Europe from the perspective of how rulers, intellectuals, and common people understood legitimate and illegitimate political authority. The so-called “Dark Ages” (4th-7th centuries) were a vibrant period of creativity and reinvention. Class discussion will focus on primary source analysis, and how ethnic (Roman/Germanic), religious (Christian/non-Christian), gender, and other categories informed late antique notions of political authority. We will also discuss how notions of rulership were deployed to challenge emperors and kings. Knowledge of late antique and early medieval political ideas is crucial to understanding modern uses of the so-called “Western” past in current political debates.

For longer description and instructor bio please visit http://societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu/courses



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