Western Civilization I
Course Description:
Western Civilization I is a study of western society from Prehistory to 1500 A.D. The course revolves around major themes in the early story of Western Society emphasizing such themes as our heritage from the Greeks, Romans, feudalism and castles, the revival of Democracy, Renaissance, and Reformation.
Textbook Required:
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization, 7th ed.
Belmont, CA: Thomson Publishing, 2009.
Units:
I. The Dawn of Man
a. Early Hominids
b. Beginnings of Civilization
c. The Egyptians
d. The Sumerians
II. The Greeks
a. Rise of the Hellans
b. Spartans & Athenians
c. The Golden Age
d. Alexander the Great
III. The Romans
a. The Republic
b. Julius Caesar
c. The Pax Romana & the Rise of Christianity
d. The Fall of the Roman Empire
IV. The Middle Ages
a. The Franks & Vikings
b. Feudalism
c. The Church
d. Monarchies
e. The Crusades
f. The Plague & the Hundred Years War
V. The Renaissance
a. The Italian Renaissance: Di Vinci and Michelangelo
b. The Northern Renaissance
VI. The Reformation
a. Martin Luther
b. The Counter-Reformation
VII. The Age of Exploration
a. Portugal & Spain
b. Colonization
c. Mercantilism
VIII. The Birth of Modern Europe
a. Spain
b. England
c. France
d. German States
e. Russia