THE MEDIEVAL MEDITERRANEAN

This seminar explores the history of the medieval Mediterranean world, where the Latin Christian,  Byzantine, and Islamic spheres overlapped. Through reading of recent scholarship and select primary sources, the course asks how the integrated study of the various societies in this region—divided to various degrees by geography, religion, and language—is a productive approach in our attempt to understand the medieval past. The course focuses on three thematic clusters: structures (geography, disease, climate and environment), economies, and encounters (religious, political, cultural). The course is designed for and open to advanced undergraduates and MA students. Common readings are all in English.