Unit name | The World of Byzantium (c.500-1100) (Level H Special Subject) |
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Unit code | HIST30085 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Bessard |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit considers the history of Byzantium chronologically from 700 to the Seljuk conquests. It concentrates on significant issues, such as the search for political, economic and religious stability, the interaction of secular and religious forces and Byzantium as a multi-ethnic pre-modern society. The following key aspects will inform the structure of the module. In the sixth century, under Justinian’s rule, the Byzantine Empire experienced a period of expansion (532-700). In the next period, (717-843), the Byzantine army was reorganized in the context of the Muslim conquests of the Middle East. At the same time, the empire was wracked by conflicts accompanying theological controversies over artistic representations of the sacred (the Iconoclast controversy). Finally, with the religious situation was smoothed over and with the breakup of the unity of the Muslim Caliphate, the Byzantine Empire was able to expand further from 843 to 1071. We will pay special attention to primary sources – historiography, numismatics, art, and architecture – and how they influenced the development of Byzantine studies.
On successful completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
1 x 2-hour seminar and 1 x 1-hour seminar weekly
1 x 3500 word essay (50%) [ILOs 1-5]
1 x 2 hour exam (50%) [ILOs 1-5]
Timothy E. Gregory, A History of Byzantium. 2nd edition. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
Jonathan Shepard (ed.), The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c. 500-1492. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Byzantium. Church, Society, and Civilization Seen Through Contemporary Eyes, ed. and tr. by Deno John Geanakoplos. Chicago/London: Chicago University Press, 1984