Exploring the rise of civilization to the cultural Renaissances and religious Reformations of Europe, this course examines the origins and development of the concept and culture of the western world (primarily Europe and the Middle East) from its origins to 1600 CE. We will move from what today we call the Middle East, to Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the tumultuous world of the European Middle Ages. We will study significant events, cultural developments, and the “big ideas” that influenced western civilization, including Greco-Roman philosophy, the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, and the humanism of the Italian and Northern Renaissances, as well as the stories of marginalized groups, such as women, minorities, and ordinary people. Credit may be earned in HIS 111W or HIS 111HW but not in both.
Prerequisites: ENG111A, ENG111C